The United Nations Development Programme has opened applications for upcoming cohorts of its pan-African timbuktoo HealthTech LaunchPad, targeting technology startups developing solutions to healthcare challenges across the continent.
The programme, led by the UNDP timbuktoo HealthTech Hub in Kigali, is open to eligible HealthTech startups from across Africa, including businesses operating in countries without an accredited incubator in the timbuktoo network.
According to UNDP, the initiative is designed to provide promising startups with incubation, mentorship and connections to investors and other players in Africa’s innovation ecosystem.
Selected companies will be matched with accredited Entrepreneurship Support Organisations, or ESOs. Startups in countries where an accredited organisation is unavailable can receive support virtually from an ESO elsewhere in the network.
The programme is targeting startups operating in areas including telemedicine, digital health, artificial intelligence for healthcare, medical devices and diagnostics, biotechnology, nutrition technology and healthcare supply-chain solutions.
Applicants must be based in Africa or developing products for African healthcare markets. They must also have a prototype or minimum viable product, a committed founding team and a solution addressing a clearly identified healthcare challenge. UNDP says applicants should also demonstrate the potential to grow and scale.
Startups admitted to the LaunchPad will receive structured incubation and access to mentors, entrepreneurs and sector specialists. They will also receive investment-readiness support, including help with pitching and investor engagement, and may participate in demo days and ecosystem events.
Participants will additionally have access to a digital platform powered by Seedstars’ SIGMA, which UNDP says will provide startup-development tools, learning resources, mentorship matching and AI-supported guidance.
The initiative will operate through quarterly cohorts. Applications for the first cohort, which is scheduled to begin in September 2026, have already closed. New applications are being considered for the second cohort, expected to start in December 2026, and subsequent rounds planned for March and June 2027.
Each cohort can run for up to 12 months, beginning with a three-month core curriculum before startups progress through the remaining incubation programme at their own pace.
The programme will use a hybrid model, with participation taking place virtually or in person depending on the incubator assigned to each startup.
The HealthTech LaunchPad forms part of UNDP’s wider timbuktoo initiative, which aims to strengthen Africa’s startup ecosystem and position the continent as a major global innovation hub.
UNDP says timbuktoo aims to mobilise $1 billion over 10 years, support 10,000 startups, help scale 1,000 high-growth businesses and contribute to improved livelihoods for 100 million people across Africa.
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