Malaica secures pre-seed funding to expand pregnancy care in Kenya

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Maternal mortality remains a major health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the continent accounting for approximately 70% of all global maternal deaths. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in this region was estimated at 531 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, a stark contrast to the global target of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This challenge underscores a critical need for enhanced healthcare access and quality.

Building on his experience building companies, serial entrepreneur Pascal Koenig and his colleagues in Kenya established Malaica to address this predicament. Malaica is a comprehensive platform dedicated to supporting women during pregnancy and motherhood, offering a range of services designed to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout this transformative journey.

The company provides an antenatal and postnatal care program that includes monthly physical checkups, birth preparation classes, and consultations with specialists, ensuring both mother and baby receive essential care. Additionally, Malaica offers tailored delivery packages, including expertly guided vaginal and caesarean deliveries, prioritizing safety and compassionate support. The platform also features an online support program, allowing users to access personalized care from nurse-midwives and gynaecologists, as well as connect with other mothers through private support groups, fostering a strong sense of community.

Ultimately, Malaica aims to make the pregnancy journey safe and joyful for millions of expecting mothers. So far, the company has supported 261,000 Kenyan women with free educational contents and 1,811 women within its paid program. Beyond the created impact, Malaica has been able to grow its revenue by around 10% month over month since its launch two years ago.

In a recent pre-seed round, Malaica raised more than 1 million CHF from high-level business angels and family offices, including Kapor Capital — a Silicon Valley based VC with a wealth of experience in maternal health. The funds will be used to accelerate its growth.

“Our ambition is to reduce maternal mortality, which is 100 times higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than it is in Europe. However, we feel that we can only scale our solution to millions of women if our service is financially sustainable. After lots of iterations, we are getting to a position where both impact and financials start to make sense. This is a great basis for fast further scaling”, said Pascal.

B2B focus: roll out partnership with Britam Insurance
To support its scaling ambitions, Malaica has joined forces with Britam Insurance, one of Kenya's largest health insurers with subsidiaries in seven other African countries. This partnership aims to further roll out the Malaica program for both higher and lower income populations.


Image: Malaica's team