DAYA, a venture studio focused on women’s health innovation, is expanding its reach to East Africa with the launch of its first regional hub in Nairobi, Kenya. The expansion marks a strategic shift in how women’s health ventures are built and supported across the African continent, where women founders face unique challenges in accessing capital and resources.
“Our strategy has always been to expand through hubs, replicating our model for each market with local leadership who understand the specific needs and opportunities,” explains Jennifer Grönqvist, co-founder and CIO of DAYA ventures. This approach reflects DAYA’s understanding that successful innovation requires deep local context and leadership.
The venture studio, which has grown to connect over 200 people globally, emerged from several critical observations about the current state of healthcare innovation. Women receive only 1% of global venture capital, despite often bringing more holistic and sustainable approaches to problem-solving, shares Grönqvist. Additionally, women’s health research and development continues to lag, with most medical studies historically focused on male subjects.
Leading the East African hub are Yobdar Bakri and Hany Zuhudi, who bring decades of combined experience in the regional startup ecosystem to the project. “East Africa presents an ideal environment for expansion with its dynamic startup ecosystem and untapped potential for women’s health innovation,” notes Grönqvist.
The hub’s first initiative reflects this local-first approach. Tuliz, which means “to heal” or “to soothe” in Swahili, is a wellness platform developed by Zuhudi after experiencing burnout while running her previous startup. The platform combines clinical frameworks with cultural relevance, offering therapeutic exercises that address local stressors such as work-life balance and childcare access.
“Our mission at DAYA hub East Africa is threefold: connecting founders to funding, providing access to technology, and building a vibrant community where innovators can collaborate and support each other,” explains Zuhudi. The hub aims to support sustainable innovation while preventing the burnout that often affects founders in high-pressure environments.
DAYA’s overall vision extends beyond individual company creation. The venture studio aims to close the gender health gap globally while enabling women to innovate solutions to their own challenges. “We believe women will lead the next revolution in healthcare innovation,” Grönqvist emphasizes. “Our role is to create the environment where that can happen.”
For a region where women’s health startups typically focus on maternal and reproductive health due to pressing needs, DAYA’s comprehensive approach could help expand innovation into other critical areas. The hub has already received strong interest, with over 100 registrations from potential founders and partners across East Africa at their launch event.
The expansion could represent a significant shift in how women’s health ventures are built and supported in emerging markets, emphasizing local leadership, cultural relevance, and sustainable growth over rapid scaling. As the first DAYA hub outside Sweden, its success could provide a template for similar expansions and projects in other regions.
