Kenyan Ventures Turn Ideas into Impact Through AHC Partnership
Growing up in Siaya County near Lake Victoria, Brandon Ochido saw how malaria shaped daily life. Many children missed school due to frequent infections. Despite mosquito nets and treatment programs, malaria remained common in lake communities.
In the same country, but now a different health need, Gerrishon Sirere sought to address another challenge across Kenya’s clinic system. Cardiovascular disease was rising, yet clinicians lacked tools to track patient risk over time. Key data, such as ECG readings and blood tests, often remained fragmented and hard to interpret.
As two very unique and different Kenyan-founded ventures, supported by the AHC ecosystem, both founders shared one goal: build practical tools that help health workers prevent disease before it threatens patient life.
The two ventures entered the health innovation ecosystem through different pathways in 2023, Hoptics via the Africa Innovation Cohort (AIC) and HotSpot Aerial Solutions via Amref. However, both were subsequently supported via H2i through the network of accelerators that the Mastercard Foundation AHC has enabled. These three entrepreneurial programs have worked symbiotically to provide mentorship, technical guidance, and access to a wider network of partners.
For Brandon and his team at HotSpot Aerial Solutions, the Amref cohort in 2023 helped him refine their malaria solution and strengthen their business model. H2i also provided mentorship, product development support, and professional service vouchers that enabled early technology development.
For Gerrishon and Hoptics, the AIC program and H2i mentorship helped sharpen their clinical focus and connect with researchers and healthcare professionals working in digital health.
Through these partnerships, both ventures moved from early ideas to real-world pilots in their respective environments.
Early testing marked a key turning point.
In 2025, HotSpot began deploying its Maladrone system on Sena Island, using drones to identify mosquito breeding sites across shoreline areas before outbreaks occur. Community health workers and local health officials engaged directly in the process, committing to an even larger study in early 2026.
At the same time, Hoptics tested its platform in three clinics near Mombasa. The system analyzed patient data and rapidly generated structured reports, helping clinicians track cardiovascular risk and accelerating their ability to monitor more seamlessly patient trends over time.
These early pilots showed what becomes possible when innovation is supported by the right ecosystem.
The Maladrone pilot now monitors about 25 km around Sena Island, supporting malaria prevention efforts for roughly 560 residents and two local health facilities. The venture has created eight jobs for high qualified professionals.
Meanwhile, Hoptics’ platform supported clinicians by analyzing patient data and improving how cardiovascular risk is tracked and managed in participating clinics. The pilot has serviced 600+ patients.
Beyond the pilots, both ventures have strengthened ties with community health workers, clinics, and public health partners. Their progress shows how collaboration across universities, health organizations, and entrepreneurs help ideas move into reality to change health care.
Over the next year, both ventures aim to expand across Kenya.
HotSpot plans to scale Maladrone to more malaria-endemic regions using data from the current pilot and is eyeing opportunities with Amref on this journey. Hoptics will expand into more clinics, improve predictive analytics, and deepen partnerships with regional health organizations.
With continued support from H2i, AIC, and their African partners such as Amref, both ventures are building pathways to scale.
As Brandon reflected, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
In practice, these Kenyan journey stories show a simple truth: it takes a village to grow a venture.