In a groundbreaking milestone for the Pakistani startup ecosystem, Sehat Kahani, a health-tech startup, has secured $2.7 million in Series A funding, making it the first all-women-led company from the South Asian nation to achieve this feat, according to a statement released on Thursday.
The funding round was led by Amaanah Circle, a Singapore-based health-tech fund led by Dr. Razi Yousuf. Other key investors include Epic Angels, a female-only investor collective, Cross Fund, USAID Investment Promotion Activity (IPA), Augmentor, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), and the Elahi group of companies.
Sehat Kahani, co-founded by Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, is part of a growing number of social enterprises addressing healthcare gaps in developing countries, a mission made even more critical by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.
The startup’s technology facilitates a seamless virtual connection between doctors and patients within 60 seconds, providing on-demand at-home or on-premise laboratory services and online medicine delivery. The platform caters to a diverse patient base, including B2B clients, B2C consumers, and underserved populations in rural areas across Pakistan.
Sehat Kahani extends its corporate application into a comprehensive OPD management solution, offering corporate employees and their families hassle-free and cashless access to specialists, online medicine delivery, and efficient claims management on a 24/7 basis.
According to Dr. Razi Yousuf, leader of Amaanah Circle, the funding will contribute to Sehat Kahani’s vision of advancing digital health and preventive healthcare on a regional and global scale.
Founder Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram expressed that the funding marks a pivotal moment for Sehat Kahani, enabling the development of advanced features such as decision support systems, precision medicine tools, and predictive AI models to enhance patient care.
Co-founder Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga highlighted the company’s remarkable average year-on-year growth of 141 percent over the last three years, debunking the misconception that telemedicine is only relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted a fivefold increase in consultations post-COVID, instilling confidence in the company to expand operations globally.
Sehat Kahani, operational in over 310 cities and towns across Pakistan, aims to take its innovative healthcare solutions to other countries as part of its expansion strategy.
In 2021, Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram was recognized as one of the five winners of the ‘WE Empower UN SDG Challenge,’ a global competition honoring women social entrepreneurs driving progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goals in their respective communities.
Sehat Kahani’s inception was inspired by the underutilized talents of thousands of women doctors in Pakistan, often relegated to a “doctor-bride” phenomenon, where families encourage daughters to study medicine primarily to enhance marriage prospects.
The telemedicine platform created by Khurram and Aga allows female medics to offer e-consultations from their homes to patients in rural communities, addressing the scarcity of medical care access. Additionally, during the initial wave of COVID-19, the company collaborated with the Pakistani federal government to provide free consultations and installed apps in hospital intensive care units for immediate advice from critical care experts.
