Healthcare for all

• 500-backed e-pharmacy startup Dawaai has raised US$8.5 million in a round led by 500 Startups. It plans to use the investment to continue building the pharmaceutical supply chain infrastructure in Pakistan and further develop its technology.
• Dawaai works directly with pharmaceutical companies and large distributors to sell authentic medicines to individuals and MSME pharmacies at what it says are the lowest possible prices.
• The startup claims to have served 11 million people in the country in the last seven years. It currently delivers medicines in 98 cities and said it has grown its revenue by 350% in the last twelve months.
• According to Furquan Kidwai, founder and CEO of Dawaai, many customers who order medicines from their platform are chronic patients. He added that some of the doctors who use its platform to offer consultations have doubled their income.
• Read the full article on MENAbytes here.

Learning anywhere

• 500-backed Bangladesh-based super app Shohoz has launched edtech platform ‘Shohoz Learn’.
• The app is rolling out with an award-winning collection of more than 100 kids’ ebooks with an audio reader and assessment tools from publishing company Scholastic.
• The startup plans to increase the variety and volume of edtech tools by introducing classrooms, dashboards, discussion boards, educational video content, podcasts, and more on the app.
• Founder and managing director Maliha Quadir said, “Education is the pillar that can totally transform a country. Digital education is really the way to democratise quality education.”
• Read the full article on The Independent here.

Unity in charity

• 500-backed startup Esports Players League (ESPL), an esports tournament organizer, recently partnered with the Paytm Foundation, a public charitable trust. The partnership aimed to raise funds for oxygen concentrators amid the coronavirus pandemic in India.
• Together, they formed the #GamersAgainstCOVID initiative and have raised ~US$4,000 as of June 4th.
• The money was raised through donations from various professionals’ and influencers’ online streams.
• CEO Michael Broda said, “As a global esports company devoted to grassroots esports development, we feel a strong connection to our communities in the regions we operate in. Whilst our country partner Paytm is doing what they can to help those in desperate need, we felt it was our duty to support however we can.”
• Read the full article on Sportskeeda here.

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500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. In Southeast Asia, 500 Startups invests through the pioneering 500 Southeast Asia family of funds. The 500 Southeast Asia funds have backed over 240 companies across multiple sectors from internet to consumer to deep technology. It continues to connect founders with capital, expertise and powerful regional and global networks to help them succeed.

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