Lagos, Nigeria – August 4, 2026 — EHA Impact Ventures (EIV) and Cascador convened founders, investors, healthcare leaders, and ecosystem stakeholders for the Health Founders' Table, an intimate gathering designed to foster honest conversations about the realities of building health-focused ventures in Africa.
The event brought together entrepreneurs working across healthcare delivery, health technology, and nutrition to explore some of the most pressing challenges facing founders today. Discussions focused on access to capital, talent retention, regulatory readiness, market access, and building sustainable businesses capable of delivering long-term impact.
Unlike traditional conferences, the Health Founders' Table was intentionally designed as a space for candid dialogue and practical problem-solving. Participants engaged directly with industry leaders and peers to exchange experiences, lessons learned, and actionable strategies.
"Building a business can be isolating. Building a health business can be even more so," said Adam Thompson, Co-Founder of EHA Impact Ventures and CEO of EHA Group. "The solutions to many of these challenges already exist within the ecosystem; founders simply need opportunities to learn from one another."
Among the key themes that emerged was the changing landscape for startup financing. Founders discussed the realities of operating in a more concentrated funding environment and explored alternative pathways to growth, including revenue-based expansion, strategic partnerships, grants, customer contracts, and local financing mechanisms.
The conversation also tackled one of the most pressing realities facing businesses across the continent: talent migration, commonly known as "japa." During the session on managing talent exodus, Ijeoma Anunibe, Group Head of Human Resources at African Capital Alliance, challenged founders to rethink their approach to talent retention and continuity planning.
"People leave. That's not failure. It's a fact. Plan around it," she said. Participants explored practical approaches to retaining critical talent, maintaining relationships with professionals who relocate, and designing organizations that can continue to thrive despite workforce disruptions.
Market access proved just as central to the day's conversations. Unoma Grant, Executive Director and COO of Paelon Memorial Hospital, described how a hospital's decision to work with a founder has to clear four separate tests at once, clinical, operational, financial, and governance, before a single "yes" translates into real market access. Her sharpest note was on why founders stall at this stage: "A pilot without a defined decision, a named data owner, and a set end date is not a pilot. It is unpaid research that happens to run inside a hospital." Without that discipline, a pilot can run for months without ever converting into the access it was meant to test.
Reflecting on the discussions, Kudzayi Hove, CEO/Co-Founder of Amayi Foods, noted: "One thing that stood out to me was how grounded in reality the sessions were, especially when we were exploring different funding pathways for our businesses."
Speaking on the importance of the gathering, Amanda Etuk, Program Director at Cascador, said:
"Founders often face similar challenges in isolation. By creating opportunities for shared learning and collaboration, EHA Impact Ventures and Cascador are helping strengthen the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs working to improve health outcomes across Africa."
The event reinforced a central message: while access to capital remains important, sustainable growth depends equally on trust, market access, talent, and strong partnerships.
EHA Impact Ventures and Cascador continue their mission of supporting founders building solutions in Africa and creating spaces where entrepreneurs can access not only funding, but also the networks, knowledge, and strategic support needed to grow their impact.
EHA Impact Ventures (EIV) is a nonprofit impact investor that supports women-led businesses across Africa operating in health, nutrition, and livelihoods. Through flexible financing instruments, strategic partnerships, mentorship, and business support, EIV helps female entrepreneurs build scalable businesses that deliver both financial sustainability and social impact.
For more information, visit: https://www.eha.ventures/
Media Contact: Sumayyah Ibrahim | Email: sumayyah.ibrahim@eha.ventures
Investor Contact: Evelyn Castle | Email: evelyn@eha.ventures
Cascador is a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders building businesses that make an impact. Through Cascador ScaleUp, its flagship program, Cascador works with an elite cohort of entrepreneurs to strengthen their leadership and sharpen their strategy, preparing them to scale successfully. ScaleUp alumni gain exclusive access to the Catalytic Fund, which deploys up to $5M USD in capital annually through a blend of debt and equity investments. Since 2019, Cascador has supported 70 companies who have collectively raised over $125 million. Today, alumni are driving innovation, creating jobs, raising investment capital, winning awards, and changing the face of the African economy.
Learn more at www.cascador.org
Media Contact: info@cascador.org