Every year, the lives of millions of Africans are tragically lost due to avoidable fatalities stemming from sudden illnesses, road accidents, and traumatic incidents. Regrettably, formal emergency medical services systems cover less than 9% of the African continent.
In places where such systems are in place, only 3 out of every 100 citizens seek assistance during emergencies. Many opt to handle the situation themselves because they lack confidence in the system’s reliability.
In 2019, Folake Owodunni founded Emergency Response Africa to change this situation. She was inspired to establish the the company based on a personal experience. Emergency Response Africa is a healthcare technology company that is transforming the way medical emergencies are managed in Africa, using technology. The company is aimed at tackling the annual occurrence of millions of avoidable deaths on the continent. Leveraging the most extensive network of First Responders, emergency vehicles, including ambulances, and certified Emergency-Ready hospitals throughout Nigeria, ERA ensures that assistance is accessible to emergency victims around the clock.
Emergency Response Africa also collaborates with governments to institute and manage efficient emergency services via public-private partnerships and technical alliances, thereby advancing the objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) while also making notable contributions to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals).
Folake Owodunni, Founder and CEO, Emergency Response Africa
Folake is deeply committed to enhancing healthcare accessibility in Africa. She possesses strong communication skills and holds certification as a Prosci-certified Change Management Practitioner. Folake has a Master’s in Global Health & Development from University College London, and a Master’s in Business Entrepreneurship & Technology (MBET) from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She has over 12 years of experience working in healthcare, marketing communications, and management consulting, with companies in Nigeria, the United States, and Canada. She is certified as a First Responder with the Canadian Red Cross and is passionate about Africa’s rising tech ecosystem and making fast, reliable emergency medical care accessible to all Africans using technology. “We all deserve to live in a world where help is available whenever and wherever you need it. ERA is making this a reality.”- Folake Owodunni, Co-Founder & CEO. Folake was recently featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, after graduating from the NASDAQ Entrepreneurs Center Milestone Makers program.
Their services include medical first responder services, signal Software and a 24/7 command center, first aid and CPR Training, emergency response planning, an Emergency-Ready partner program and ambulance services. ERA also offers services across nine industries- Warehousing, Insurance, Oil and Gas, Public Sector, Manufacturing, Events management, Mobility and Logistics, Construction and Real Estate.
HealthCap Africa invests in healthtech startups like ERA across the continent that are creating a heathier world. We have invested in 20+ healthtech and fintech startups that operate in 12 countries, have created 12,000 indirect and 1,000 direct jobs, and serve nearly a million users/customers. We are proud of the impact our portfolio companies have been making across the continent and we look forward to making more impact in Africa.