Despite rapid growth in these markets, which are projected to expand at 8-10% annually, compared to 3-5% in developed markets, the lack of real-world healthcare data hinders decision-making in product development, treatment interventions, and healthcare financing. 

These regions also have the least amount of big data to support effective commercial planning and clinical research.

Founded by Ayodeji Alaran, a pharmacist trained at the University of Lagos with experience at GSK, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, PBR Life Sciences pivoted to big data and analytics in 2021 to bridge these critical gaps. 

The company now provides fast, reliable access to real-world healthcare data and insights for pharmaceutical firms, health tech startups, consulting firms, multilateral agencies, and research institutions across Africa, Europe, America, and Asia.

PBR Sciences was one of the twelve (12) startups that participated in the second cohort of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator programme. 

Its real-world data-as-a-service platforms help its users and clients make data-backed decisions on product pricing, forecasting, new product development, disease and treatment interventions, healthcare financing and company strategy. 

Before now, PBR Life Sciences only offered data and insights about the Nigerian healthcare market. It has spent the past two years laying the foundation for its pioneering AI infrastructure powered by its proprietary real-world, anonymized, healthcare data in Africa, whilst consolidating its business model. 

The investment, which included investors such as Launch Africa, Microtraction, Kaleo Ventures, Octerra Capital, Marula Square, XA Africa, ARM Labs, and Techstars, will help the company scale its data-as-a-service platforms in Nigeria. It will also aid its expansion into Ghana and Kenya to replicate its already proven business model. 

PBR Life Sciences is looking to deepen its offering as a multivariate, multichannel healthcare real-world big data analytics, technology, and consulting provider in Africa and other emerging markets, supporting the life sciences industry.

The company is working to close this gap by being a leading provider of real-world, healthcare big data and analytics in emerging markets by the year 2030.

Speaking of the funding, Ayodeji Alaran, CEO and founder said, “Being backed by some of the most reputable  venture capital investors and angels in Africa not only inspires us as a team to do more but further validates the vital need to close the gap of inadequate real-world, healthcare big data that will power AI and innovation for the sector whilst unlocking global life sciences growth that will be powered by the region.” 

“This will unlock value for the least understood healthcare and unmet needs in Africa and the rest of emerging markets,” he added. “With this fresh capital, we are now well positioned to achieve our ambitious growth plan, with a laser focus on profitability,” he concluded.

According to Uwem Uwemakpan, head of Investments, at Launch Africa, “PBR’s innovative approach to addressing a critical healthcare challenge in Africa, combined with its strong founding team and substantial market opportunity, establishes it as a key player in enhancing healthcare delivery on the continent. We are excited to be part of this journey.”

Ashim Egunjobi, managing partner at Octerra Capital said: “Since our first interaction with Ayodeji, we have been convinced that PBR Sciences has a tremendous potential to unlock access to health data across Africa. PBR Sciences has developed an impressive proprietary technology and leveraged big data while providing significant insights and value to a large set of corporate clients. We are excited to be part of this investment round and to support Ayodeji and his team on this promising journey.”

Damilare Mesimo at ARM Labs commented: “PBR Life Sciences’ achievement is a testament to the power of innovation and resilience in addressing critical gaps in healthcare data within emerging markets. We are proud to have supported PBR Life Sciences through the ARM Labs Lagos TechStars Accelerator Program, where they demonstrated exceptional vision and execution.

“This milestone reflects their ability to leverage real-world data and AI to transform decision-making in the life sciences sector. At ARM Labs, we remain committed to nurturing startups like PBR that drive impactful solutions, and we are excited to see their continued growth and expansion across Africa and beyond.”

Ato Bentsi-Enchill, investment principal and SPV lead at Microtraction added, “As early-stage investors, our goal is to identify and assess standout founders who we believe have the ability to build category-defining businesses. Ayo fits this bill and has shown remarkable clarity in his vision for the future of PBR in putting together a very capable team to execute on this vision. We’re excited to back PBR on their mission to organize Africa’s healthcare data.”

The recently announced HealthConnekt Africa initiative has gained further traction as the GSMA and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  signed a working agreement to ensure mobile connectivity to health facilities and workforce in Africa via the internet by 2030.

A memorandum of understanding was penned at Mobile World Congress earlier this year and will ultimately assist with the mobile connectivity required by African nations to help meet healthcare challenges. 

According to Henry Adams, InterSystems‘ South Africa country manager reliable connectivity is one of the primary factors holding back the progress of healthcare on the continent.

He adds that connectivity is the premise of any effective solution. Once this layer is in place, healthcare providers and facilities will be empowered to deploy the technology-based solutions needed to leverage digital technologies to improve patient care.

“When healthcare applications, data, and devices integrate, clinicians are more informed, and patients can receive better care,” states Adams. “Unfortunately, there is still a lack of consistently available and usable data to realise this vision in Africa and the rest of the world. Data integration must happen seamlessly in the background in an industry where decisions can mean the difference between life and death. Caregivers must be empowered with the right data to make the right choices when optimising patient care. Which really highlights the significance of this announcement.”

A significant amount of health data across Africa remains paper-based. As HealthConnekt starts gaining momentum, the digitisation of this analogue data will become paramount to enhancing patient care.

However, it is essential for the influx of data into such an environment to meet all regulatory compliance requirements to provide patients with the peace of mind that their personal information will be kept safe and secure.

Once the connectivity layer is in place, solutions like the InterSystems HealthShare Health Connect platform can deliver the data integration services essential for providers and other stakeholders to make informed decisions in near real-time.

For example, Health Connect is a healthcare data integration engine that InterSystems already provides to some health facilities across Africa, delivering employees reliant on smart devices with a cloud-based environment that connects different healthcare systems.

“Health Connect delivers the means of handling multiple forms of data at high speed. From small clinics in rural areas to the world’s most complex healthcare delivery systems, Health Connect overcomes data integration challenges and can scale to meet any requirement. Of course, data usage extends beyond the operating room and treatment room. Patients need access to the right information regarding medication reminders and being prompted to go for follow-ups. It comes down to breaking down the data silos that currently exist in healthcare,” adds Adams.

With security, data consent, and access to personal data still of major concern to healthcare providers in Africa, Health Connect keeps all data encrypted while still delivering a frictionless experience to all role players in the healthcare sector – from physicians and doctors to patients and medical aid administrators. This integration provides an enabling environment where the appropriate treatment can be delivered, and the administration across the ecosystem can take place more easily (and securely) than what was possible in the past.

Being a cloud-based solution, Health Connect is always available and accessible regardless of where the healthcare provider connects. Real-time monitoring and automated updates ensure that users can always access the latest version with the most sophisticated security and data protection features in place.