Imagine getting your medications delivered to your door — just like ordering a ride. No queues. No stockouts. No running from one pharmacy to another.
That’s exactly what Famasi Africa is building — and it’s scaling across Nigeria fast.
Founded by Adeola Ayoola and Umar Faruq Akinwunmi, Famasi Africa is a Nigerian healthtech startup on a mission to make medication access as simple as ordering Uber. With AI at its core, Famasi connects users to a network of over 1,000 pharmacies, delivering medications quickly, even in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
And like Uber disrupted transport, Famasi is disrupting how Africans access medicine.
How It Works
Famasi isn’t just a delivery app — it’s an AI-powered operating system for pharmacies. Here’s what makes it revolutionary:
- Predictive Supply Chain: Famasi uses AI to forecast drug demand, so pharmacies don’t run out of critical medications.
- Remi – The AI Assistant: An intelligent tool that helps pharmacists triage patients and make smarter decisions.
- Fast, Reliable Delivery: Whether it’s Lagos or Abuja, patients get their meds quickly — no more endless pharmacy runs.
- Mobile-First Platform: Patients and pharmacists use a sleek digital interface to manage orders, refills, and prescriptions.
Whether you’re managing diabetes, picking up antibiotics, or ordering eye drops — Famasi makes the process seamless.
The Origin Story
The vision came to life when Adeola Ayoola, a healthcare worker, encountered a 9-year-old HIV-positive boy struggling to access his medication. She saw the pain of logistics and the gaps in Nigeria’s pharmacy system firsthand — and decided to do something about it.
That “something” became Famasi Africa. In 2022, she and Umar launched the platform with a simple tweet — and got 133 direct messages from real people looking for meds. That viral moment became their first customer base. Today, it’s a growing ecosystem.
Google-Backed Innovation
Famasi is no regular startup. It’s been featured in Google’s “Africa AI Pioneers” series, and selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First — receiving up to $350,000 in AI credits, expert mentorship, and access to Google’s cutting-edge AI tools.
This partnership helped the team scale Remi, automate delivery logistics, and improve triage tools — transforming Famasi into a truly smart platform.
The Growth Is Real
- Over 1,000 pharmacies connected
- Patients can now access meds within 24 hours, even between major cities
- Goal: 1 million medication refills by 2027
- Integrated B2B services for corporate health programs
And the market is massive. According to WHO, over 50% of Africans still lack access to essential medicines — Famasi wants to fix that, one delivery at a time.
The Road Ahead
Sure, there are challenges:
- Nigeria’s transport infrastructure is still a work in progress
- Pharmacy digitization requires trust and training
- Regulatory complexities can slow things down
But with AI, grit, and Google in their corner, Famasi is ready to scale across Africa — and potentially become the continent’s #1 digital pharmacy network.
This is more than a startup story. It’s a blueprint for Africa’s digital health future — and the ride is just beginning.
Famasi Africa is doing for medicine what Uber did for transport — and if you haven’t heard of them yet, you will.
