Axmed

In a world where the geography of one's birthplace too often dictates the quality of healthcare they can access, Axmed stands as a beacon of hope and innovation. The company's journey began with a simple, yet profound belief: access to high-quality medicines and healthcare should be a universal right, not a privilege reserved for the few. Founded on the pillars of compassion, innovation, and equity, Axmed embarked on a mission to dismantle the barriers that stand between patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the healthcare they desperately need. This mission was fueled by the firsthand experiences of its founders, including CEO Emmanuel Akpakwu, who grew up in Nigeria and witnessed the dire consequences of inadequate access to essential medicines. He, along with co-founders Felix Ohnmacht and Sofia Radley-Searle, leveraged over 30 years of collective experience in healthcare, finance, and public-private partnerships, much of it gained at leading pharmaceutical companies like Novartis and GSK, to establish Axmed. They conceived the idea during their studies at Harvard, driven by an ambition to tackle this global challenge.

Axmed's story is not just about medicines; it's about changing lives, communities, and eventually, every corner of the LMIC world. The company operates a two-sided B2B marketplace platform designed to optimize the procurement process for healthcare providers in emerging and growth markets. This platform aggregates demand for both off-patent and patented medicines, creating larger, more cost-effective order volumes for manufacturers while simultaneously enhancing buyer leverage on cost and availability. It further streamlines the process by curating and consolidating Requests for Proposals and efficiently mapping out supply logistics. Axmed's innovative approach aims to lower the barriers to accessing costly medicines for patients and providers, while enabling manufacturers to expand their footprint in underserved markets. The company's core solutions include the Axmed Medicines Platform, a dynamic medicines marketplace, and Axmed Global Health Advisory, which provides expertise to healthcare entities looking to effectively serve patients across LMICs. Initially focusing on markets in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, Axmed is already in discussions with countries elsewhere and plans to expand its operations into the Caribbean. The company's commitment to healthcare equity has attracted significant support, including grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, underscoring the transformative potential of its vision.