Egyptian diagnostic startup Reme-D raises $1.45 million to scale affordable testing across Africa

An Egyptian startup that makes affordable molecular diagnostic tests has closed a $1.45 million Pre-Series A round, with plans to expand production, enter new markets, and add tests for genetic diseases and cancer.

Reme-D, founded in 2022 by Salma Tammam, develops and manufactures tests for diseases including tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, and HPV at its facility in Cairo. What sets the company apart is its focus on tests that work without refrigeration, which matters enormously in remote or under-resourced settings where keeping reagents cold is often impossible.

The round was led by Anara Impact Capital, with participation from the Global Innovation Fund, Africa Health Ventures, and other investors. The funding follows a $500,000 investment from the Global Innovation Fund last April.

How does it work?

Since launching, Reme-D has developed and sold 30 diagnostic products and supplied more than 550,000 tests across Egypt, Kenya, and Sudan. Its customers include public and private laboratories, hospitals, and research institutions. The company has also filed a US patent application for its core technology.

One recent project shows the practical ambition behind the business. Reme-D equipped a solar-powered mobile laboratory commissioned by the WHO Egypt country office, used by Egypt's Ministry of Health to monitor vector-borne diseases in remote areas where permanent lab infrastructure doesn't exist.

With the new funding, the company plans to:

• Move to a 1,500 square metre facility in Cairo and upgrade equipment, increasing production capacity by ten times
• Expand into more African markets and build out regulatory capabilities
• Add new diagnostic products covering genetic diseases and cancer
• Make more products temperature-resilient for easier transport and storage in low-infrastructure settings

The company has grown from five to 50 employees since 2023.

Why does it matter?

Access to molecular diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa and the broader Global South has long been limited by two problems: cost and supply chain fragility. Most advanced diagnostic tests are manufactured in the US, Europe, or East Asia, then shipped to Africa, often requiring cold storage throughout the journey. When that chain breaks, the tests become useless.

Reme-D is building tests locally, keeping costs lower and cutting out some of the logistics complexity. Its temperature-resilient design also means tests can reach clinics and hospitals that have no reliable refrigeration.

Mohamed Hussain, Principal at Anara Impact Capital, said the firm was impressed by the team's ability to "combine deep scientific expertise with a clear understanding of the realities of delivering diagnostics in underserved markets."

Tammam put it plainly: "Success means that patients in Africa and the Global South are no longer blocked from life-altering disease diagnosis by cost or availability of an advanced molecular test in their area."

The context

Africa's diagnostics market has attracted growing investor attention in recent years, partly driven by lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed how dependent the continent was on imported testing products. Several African governments and development finance institutions have since pushed for local manufacturing of health tools, from vaccines to diagnostics.

Reme-D fits squarely into that push. The company's products have already appeared in international scientific publications, which adds credibility beyond commercial sales and suggests the technology meets rigorous standards. The US patent application signals that the company is also thinking about protecting its intellectual property as it scales.

For Africa-focused healthtech, local manufacturing combined with a scientifically validated product is a more durable position than distribution-only models, which remain vulnerable to global supply shocks. Whether Reme-D can hold that position as it grows into new markets will be the real test.