‘All-female-led’ Pakistani startup raises $2.7m in funding round

In a groundbreaking achievement for Pakistan’s startup landscape, Sehat Kahani, a female-led health-tech startup, has successfully closed a historic Series A funding round after raising $2.7 million.

“This landmark positions Sehat Kahani as the first all-female-led company in Pakistan to secure Series A funding,” a statement from the company noted.

Amaanah Circle, a Singapore-based health tech fund led by Dr Razi Yousuf, spearheads the funding, joined by key investors including 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.

Dr Razi said: “Sehat Kahani is an incredible health-tech story led by Dr Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr Iffat Zafar Aga. Amaanah Circle is proud to contribute to the subject matter expertise, and in upscaling regionally and globally to the overall vision of Sehat Kahani in the future of digital health and preventive healthcare.”

Founded by medical doctors Dr Khurram and Dr Aga, Sehat Kahani’s innovative technology ensures a seamless virtual connection between doctors and patients within 60 seconds.

The platform offers on-demand at-home or on-premise laboratory services and online medicine delivery, catering to a diverse nationwide patient base, including B2B clients, B2C consumers, and the underserved population in rural areas.

The unwavering support from USAID has been pivotal in Sehat Kahani’s growth, fueling innovation and enabling impactful expansion in the dynamic Pakistani digital health landscape.

This support fosters a future where accessible healthcare solutions thrive.

Dr Khurram said: “This funding infusion marks a pivotal moment for Sehat Kahani. It will enable us to develop advanced features, including decision support systems, precision medicine tools, and predictive AI models to help our patients live fully by knowing their disease better.

“Grateful to our investors and programs such as Weraise for supporting our mission and championing female founders, setting a powerful example,” she added.

Sehat Kahani extends its corporate application into a comprehensive OPD management solution, providing corporate employees and their families 24/7 hassle-free and cashless access to specialists, online medicine delivery, and efficient claims management.

The holistic 360-degree well-being program for corporations emphasises health promotion and preventative care.

The consumer application, operational in over 310 cities and towns across Pakistan, integrates seamlessly into prominent banking and lifestyle platforms, ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare

Dr Aga said: “Sehat Kahani has shown a significant average year on year growth of 141% in the last 3 years, overcoming the myth that telemedicine was only beneficial during covid as we have seen 5x cumulative growth in the number of consultations in the post-COVID era.”

“This gives us the confidence to expand operations to other countries and take Sehat Kahani global as our next move for expansion,” Dr Aga noted.

Sehat Kahani, known for empowering women doctors, has a global network of 7,500+ healthcare professionals, serving 800+ corporations, and 62 e-health clinics nationwide.

With 2.6 million consultations to date, the new funding aims to accelerate their mission, bridging healthcare gaps, empowering women in medicine, and expanding global impact.

Maaike from Epic Angels, the largest female-only investor collective in the APAC region, stated: “Sehat Kahani embodies what we seek in investments: strong potential for success and impactful innovation.”

“We fully believe in Dr Sara and Dr Iffat’s leadership, envisioning Sehat Kahani as a beacon of innovation and a model for future healthcare solutions.”