For years, Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson watched patients wait days, sometimes weeks, for lab results in crowded Nigerian hospitals. Now, the biochemist-turned-entrepreneur is on a mission to bring those diagnostics directly into people’s homes armed with venture capital backing and a vision to transform Africa’s healthcare system from the ground up.
Dare-Johnson, founder of Healthtracka, launched her health-tech startup in 2021 after working in Nigeria’s diagnostic industry. Her frustration with delays and lack of privacy in traditional healthcare inspired her to build a platform offering at-home lab testing for conditions ranging from fertility and sexually transmitted infections to COVID-19 and routine blood work.
“People want privacy, convenience, and quick results. We’re making that possible,” Dare-Johnson told Al Jazeera in Lagos. “It shouldn’t be a privilege to know your health status.”
Healthtracka partners with licensed laboratories and medical professionals who process samples collected from customers’ homes. Users book tests online, and trained professionals visit their homes to collect samples, delivering results digitally within 24 to 48 hours.
Earlier this year, Dare-Johnson secured a $1.5 million seed funding round, led by Hustle Fund and joined by investors including Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company, Ingressive Capital, Alumni Angel Network, and Launch Africa. The investment aims to expand Healthtracka’s services across Nigeria and prepare for potential launches in other African markets.
Since its 2021 debut, Healthtracka has served multiple Nigerian cities and is exploring partnerships with health maintenance organisations (HMOs) to integrate services into insurance plans a key step for affordability in a country where out-of-pocket health costs remain high.
“The big idea is to decentralise healthcare,” Dare-Johnson said. “Hospitals will always be important. But preventive health should be accessible from anywhere, including your living room.”
Beyond her startup, Dare-Johnson is part of a broader movement of African women breaking barriers in tech and entrepreneurship. In 2015, she helped mentor Team Charis, the first Nigerian and African team to win the Technovation Global Pitch in San Francisco a feat that sparked her belief that African innovators can compete on any stage.
Yet, challenges remain. Logistics costs in Nigeria can strain margins for home-based services, while regulatory frameworks around health data and diagnostics are still evolving. “Trust is another hurdle,” Dare-Johnson said. “Convincing people that lab tests at home are just as reliable as in the hospital takes time.”
Still, she remains undeterred. “Africa’s next health revolution will happen at home,” she said. “We just need the right tools and the courage to build them.”
For Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem and for African tech founders watching closely Healthtracka’s journey may be a test case for how far homegrown innovation can go.
Talking Points
The Private Sector Is Now Doing the Government’s Job And That’s Alarming. Healthtracka is proof that state healthcare institutions have failed at scale. Should we really be celebrating startups filling basic gaps in national infrastructure? Or should we be angry that the government has created a market vacuum that entrepreneurs now exploit however well-meaning?
Is this a case of Tech for the Rich, Hope for the Rest? While Healthtracka’s model is exciting, its services currently remain out of reach for millions. The digital health revolution can’t just be for Lagos or Abuja. Unless solutions are built for the rural poor too, we’re just coding over inequality with sleek UI/UX.
It seems Investors Love a Story But Will They Stay for the Struggle? Nigeria’s healthcare terrain is brutal: power issues, poor logistics, trust deficits. The current hype around Healthtracka is well-earned, but how many VCs will still be around when the company hits regulatory walls or margin pressure? We must remember Africa is not Silicon Valley. We all need to stand with Healthtracka, and ensure it records success in the years ahead.
