Black Pearl Global Investments, a US-based asset management and venture capital firm, concluded a two-day conference, ‘African Healthcare: Lessons from the Continent’ on September 9. The conference took place at Norrsken Kigali House and African Leadership University (ALU) on September 8 and 9, respectively. It gathered students, healthcare professionals, government officials, and tech entrepreneurs to discuss the current state of healthcare in Africa and innovative solutions. According to Dr. Shanté Williams, CEO of Black Pearl Global Investments, there is so much talent in Rwanda making great strides against the multitude of factors that affect healthcare. “We want to support these organisations, institutions and startups to the best of our ability,” she said. “We look forward to continuing conversations to explore opportunities to partner with organisations in the region.” The ‘African Healthcare: Lessons from the Continent’ featured panellists from the US, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Rwanda with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the World Bank, African Development Bank, Kigali International Finance Centre, Partners in Health, and numerous health tech companies. As part of their larger endeavour to expand their African presence, Black Pearl Global Investments was also in Rwanda to explore possible partnerships and investments. As a result, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norrsken Kigali House to explore collaboration opportunities. According to Williams, the collaboration settles around entrepreneurs that are working in the health space and being supported by Norrsken. She said they will potentially invest in them to help them grow, adding that they are also bringing in other resources including technology and advisory services. “Norrsken has a really nice environment which makes entrepreneurs feel the energy of building a business. So, we want to be part of that because they already have so many companies they are working with,” she said. Speaking during the event, Michelle Umurungi, Business Development and Partnerships Manager at Norrsken, thanked Black Pearl Global Investments for the partnership and invited more women entrepreneurs to bring their projects and ideas to the firm and access different services and spaces they offer. ALU Pitch Competition was also hosted As a result of exploring possible investments, Black Pearl Global Investment partnered with ALU to host a student pitch competition. They awarded three student ventures a one-year mentorship and cash prizes totalling $5,000. Eco Cooks, a sustainable biofuel company that seeks to bridge the energy poverty gap in rural communities, won first prize, $2500. Mari Test, an automated device that diagnoses malaria within 24 hours of contraction without drawing blood, won second prize, $1500, while Ali Farms, a hydroponics farm technology company that provides jobs to young people, won third prize of $1000. About Black Pearl Global Investments Black Pearl is a $25m Venture Capital Fund headquartered in Charlotte, NC, with subsidiaries in Africa and the Caribbean. It provides funding for companies innovating in the healthcare space in the form of venture capital, private equity, and private lending. Black Pearl’s mission is to equitably accelerate the deployment of funding to the companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators who need it most and where it can make the most impact. Their focus is on North America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
