AfricInvest backs Kenyan medical oxygen provider
AfricInvest, through its blended-finance impact vehicle Transform Health Fund, has invested $10.5 million in HewaTele.
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AfricInvest, through its blended-finance impact vehicle Transform Health Fund, has invested $10.5 million in HewaTele, a Kenyan medical oxygen provider.
Access to medical oxygen remains one of the most pressing but under-addressed challenges in East Africa’s health systems. In Kenya alone, over 70% of existing pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants are either non-operational or producing oxygen at purity levels far below the World Health Organisation’s 90% minimum standard for medical use.
HewaTele is tackling this challenge by constructing a large-scale liquid oxygen production facility in Kenya. Once operational, the plant will produce oxygen at 99.6% purity in line with international medical standards, ensuring a reliable supply for hospitals and clinics across the region.
AfricInvest’s investment will support the construction and operationalisation of the new plant, including the procurement of essential equipment. Structured as a senior secured bridge facility, the financing complements the continued support from HewaTele’s existing investors – including Soros Economic Development Fund, Finnfund, and UBS Optimus Foundation – as well as a lending facility from Grand Challenges Canada.
“We are proud to join HewaTele’s existing investors at this pivotal stage in the company’s growth,” said Noorin Mawani and Faisal Jiwa, co-leads of the Transform Health Fund in a joint statement. “Oxygen is a cornerstone of effective healthcare – from emergency response and surgical care to treatment for newborns and respiratory illnesses. HewaTele’s approach offers a transformative solution to longstanding challenges in oxygen access across the region. We believe this investment will deliver meaningful impact by strengthening health system resilience and expanding access to care for underserved communities, and we’re excited to support the company’s next chapter.”
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