Jonh Kamara created his platform to save millions of Africans from his painful experience. The platform aimed at helping reduce misdiagnosis cases in Africa earned him the confidence of several investors, who have committed funds for his expansion phase. 

Tech veteran John Kamara (photo) is the founder of AfyaRekod, a healthtech combining artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to store users’ health information. With 20 years of professional experience in various fields like gaming, e-commerce, and telecommunications, the Kenyan entrepreneur is now committing his expertise and energy to guarantee better healthcare for patients across Africa.

In fact, he created AfyaRekod in 2020, following the demise of one of his close friends in Lagos, Nigeria.  “...My friend was diabetic. But that wasn’t enough to kill him. He was rushed to the hospital with a seizure, and the doctors treated exactly what they saw. They were blindsided because they had zero idea of everything that happened before he got there,” Kamara told TechCabal explaining the origin of his platform. 

His platform collects and securely stores users’ health data. That way, anytime those users are taken to a hospital, doctors can check their health history via the AfyaRekod app or a USSD code for informed decisions.  

In February 2022, the startup raised US$2 million from notable investors, including Japanese Next Chymia, to upgrade its product offering and enter new African markets. 

Apart from the health industry, John Kamara is also active in the gaming industry. In 2020, he co-founded ADA Animation, with Joy Mwangi. Through ADA Animation, the aim is to “build capacity in the animation industry, tell animated African stories and catalyze the animation industry for growth.”

He began his professional career as director of business development of the US tech firm Sun Microsystems. From there, he went on to become director of strategy for Google. He also served many internationally renowned firms on several continents. From 2014 to 2018, he served as the Director of Digital Growth & Development for Global Gaming Africa. He is currently the Director of Strategy at the Data-Driven Innovation Center at the Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science and Technology (NM-AIST). 

Melchior Koba