Q3. In a very simple form, what is Zoie, what is your funding stage and what is your revenue model?

We are a healthcare company that leverages technology to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. Initially, our focus was on women's health and family health. Recently, we launched a new product specifically designed to serve blue-collar workers, who often lack healthcare benefits as part of their jobs. At Zoe, our mission is to serve underserved communities, starting with women's health and extending to employees and blue-collar workers who typically do not have access to comprehensive healthcare benefits. In terms of funding, we are in the seed stage.

Q4. What challenges are you currently facing in promoting your business?

That's a great question. Startup life is really, really tough. Had I known how difficult it would be, I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to take the leap. In the corporate world, I was climbing the ladder, but I felt a strong compulsion to build something that could make a difference.

There are many challenges in the startup world. I'll touch on three that we've encountered:

The first challenge is building the actual product and understanding your user. Early on, there are so many assumptions about what your user needs, likes, and dislikes. You have to take your vision and idea and turn it into a real product. This was an initial challenge for us - figuring out how to build a product that would make a positive impact while meeting the needs of our users.

The second challenge is scaling the platform. It's great when you have a platform, product, technology, or service that people are using and liking. But then the question becomes: how do you move from a few users to many? Scaling requires a lot of energy, patience, and experimentation with different approaches. It can be very discouraging at times, especially when you know the product and idea are great, but you're struggling to get it into the hands of more people.

The third challenge is founder health, which is often not talked about enough. As a founder, you face immense stress and pressure, which can take a toll on your energy, mental well-being, and ability to lead. It's crucial to learn how to manage anxiety, fear, worry, and stress, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is something I'm still learning to do in a sustainable way. The worst thing that can happen, and it does happen to many companies, is founder burnout. It's essential to ensure that founders have the health and care they need as they navigate this challenging journey. 

On how we’ve attempted to solve these challenges:

First, you really have to talk to your users. You cannot just sit behind your laptop and assume what they need; you have to go to the ground. So, we spent a lot of time conducting focus group research and interviews with potential users to truly understand their needs.

The second thing with building the product was starting very simply. Often, when people develop technology platforms, they think it needs to be a fancy, sophisticated, and complicated system. Instead, we focused on what we could build quickly to get it out there and test it. Starting small allowed us to refine and scale the product over time. On the growth aspect, it's really about experimenting and trying different growth channels. Different strategies work for different companies. We went through a challenging process of trying various growth activations until we found the ones that worked. Then, we doubled down on those successful strategies. Part of this process involves ensuring we have the right experts to help accelerate the business. As a founder, it's crucial to recognize when you need help and bring in the right people to take your business to the next level because you can't do it all alone

The last thing around health is something I'm still navigating. It's incredibly challenging, and I often feel extremely stressed and anxious. One thing that has definitely helped me is having a wonderful support system. The support system around a founder—supportive friends and family—is so important. I'm very privileged and blessed to have that. These people support me, keep me grounded, and remind me of what's important in life. This support has been a huge help for me.

Q5. What has been the support you have garnered so far from the ecosystem and what do you think is lacking?

That's a fantastic question. We’ve been very fortunate to have access to a supportive ecosystem and wonderful supporters throughout our journey, which is not always the case for many startups.

Being part of incubators, accelerators, and now the UNDP's Toshika program has been a tremendous privilege. These programs provide invaluable guidance from experts who have walked the path before us. This support has been foundational in our early years, helping us refine our product and technology, navigate regulations, and make significant progress. 

Additionally, access to funding through these programs has been crucial. It has enabled us to grow and establish ourselves, which might have been challenging otherwise. The combination of ecosystem support and funding has been instrumental in our trajectory, and I believe both are essential for startups to succeed.

And I think without this initial support from the ecosystem, I don't think we would have been able to make the progress that we've without these supports. I think these programs need to exist to help entrepreneurs because I think there is a big difference between if you've been through an incubator accelerator or had that kind of support versus if you didn't. So, we need more of these incubation programs plus funding.

Q6. What potential does your company have? How does it differ from other similar startups that are your competitors?

We want to grow. We see ourselves really being the home of healthcare and to serve people not just in South Africa, but also around the world, especially around the continent where we know the need for healthcare is so great. 

We continue to differentiate ourselves in several key ways. Firstly, we have a strong focus on serving underserved communities that are often overlooked by others. While many companies take a more general approach, targeting multiple segments, we specifically address the needs of these underserved groups. This targeted focus allows us to effectively solve unique problems and meet the specific needs of these individuals and communities.

The other way we are very different is that we focus a lot on preventive care. We're not just treating illness, but we are giving people the tools to manage their health care proactively and having preventative interventions to be able to look after themselves. This approach helps to prevent overloads and protects the healthcare system. This is a great differentiator because it means we can engage with our customer much more regularly and more frequently because we don't just engage with them when they are sick but throughout their normal lifestyle.

Q7. How are Zoie’s activities linked to the SDGs?

Yeah, that's a great question. I love that the UN SDG helps us, as we build an impactful business, to focus on the ways we can make a difference. A key aspect for us within the SDGs is focusing on equality, women's empowerment, and gender equality. This is crucial because, unfortunately, in the world we live in, particularly in Africa, gender equality remains a significant issue. A part of this issue is the disproportionate lack of resources, information, and education for women. Through the Zoe Health BTC Women's Health platform, we aim to address and serve women, contributing to this SDG.

The second SDG we focus on is decent work. Decent work is important because it empowers many families. With our employee benefits platform, we believe that those with basic work deserve decent benefits that help them in their day-to-day lives, just as those with white-collar office jobs already have. Those who need these benefits the most often lack access to them, and our platform aims to bridge this gap.

Additionally, the third SDG we align with is good health and well-being, which encompasses everything we do at Zoe Health. Taken together, we align with SDGs 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10.