LifeQ Partners with AAIC Investment to Improve Health Care in Africa and Lead Health Tech Revolution
Harnessing the power of wearable devices, South Africa-based biometrics leader partners with leading Japanese investment firm to advance health care in Africa, other emerging regions & the developed world by providing better access to basic care
LifeQ, the company that uses globally recognized watch brands to generate personalized, clinical-grade health insights, announced its partnership with AAIC Investment, a Singapore-based investment firm focusing on fast-growing companies within the healthcare sector in Africa. LifeQ co-founder Laurence (Laurie) Olivier, CEO, made the announcement.
“LifeQ is proud to partner with AAIC Investment, who are deeply committed to improving healthcare in Africa and catalyzing value transfer between all their stakeholders,” stated Mr. Olivier. “There is an urgent need for access to basic care and preventative healthcare, which forms a critical part of solving the global epidemic of chronic disease, over-medication, and unhealthy lifestyle factors. LifeQ’s accessible, real-world healthcare solutions through wearable devices will have a significant positive impact for both consumer and clinical applications across Africa and beyond.”
Established in 2013, AAIC Investment is the fund management arm of AAIC Holdings. In 2017, it established the first Japanese fund (Africa Healthcare Fund, AHF1), specializing in investment within the African healthcare space, and in 2022, launched the Africa Innovation & Healthcare Fund (AHF2), which invests in innovative companies towards sustainable economic growth and solving social issues; LifeQ is a recipient of both funds. AAIC had already commenced connecting LifeQ with their Japanese stakeholders before their investment was finalized.
“LifeQ is an excellent example of a highly innovative company with origins in Africa that has transformative value beyond the borders of the continent,” stated Susumu Tsubaki, CEO and Representative Partner of AAIC Group. “We are encouraged by the strong interest already demonstrated by major Japanese companies to leverage and represent LifeQ as part of their own offerings in Japan and elsewhere.”
For over a decade, LifeQ’s team of specialists has worked with the world’s largest silicon and electronics companies, including prominent global entities such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Fossil Group, Montblanc, Motorola, Suunto, and HannoverRe, along with leading semiconductor manufacturers like Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Pixart to develop an unrivaled set of skills, tools, and software for the measurement of biometrics on a range of wearable devices, specializing in wrist-based.
Additionally, LifeQ’s new mobile application, configured for both Apple and Android, will be available in late November 2023. Through this app, both consumer, business, and clinical users may access in-depth biometrics and data that go well beyond the typical smartwatch—and integrate this information for a better, longer, and healthier life.
LifeQ’s unique use of computational systems biology brings predictive models that are based on knowledge and causative relationships and are contextualized with respect to existing scientific knowledge and causal relationships. Working closely with experts in clinical and preventative health, LifeQ harvests the most actionable insights for consumers, wearable device companies, insurers and reinsurers, health-tech companies, clinicians, researchers, and analytics companies.
LifeQ brings the latest in wearable-based sensing technology together with a deep understanding of human physiology in the development of mathematical models required to deliver outputs that provide deep insight into human health. This unique holistic approach underpins all solutions and is the linchpin and foundation of causal relationships, starting with the vast number of additional biometrics sensed by LifeQ’s on-device firmware.
“LifeQ is an outstanding example of great health tech that originates from Africa, with significant relevance throughout this continent of over 1.2 billion people and other emerging and developed regions, including Asia,” stated Nobuhiko Ichimiya, Managing Director of AAIC Nigeria. “From senior care, corporate health and safety, and life insurance, we are excited at the ways LifeQ’s technology may positively and effectively impact the world.”
LifeQ has two key value propositions: enabling everyday affordable wearable devices to provide near clinical-grade health information streams and using this data to generate health and wellness solutions for consumer, business, and clinical applications. LifeQ is rapidly becoming the preferred health enabler and benchmark for the world’s top consumer electronics companies, empowering their devices to propel the next wave of digitally enabled insurance and health management, and it has already had a significant, life-changing, and even life-saving impact on real users’ lives.
About LifeQ
Founded in 2010 (incorporated in 2014), LifeQ has become the leading independent provider of biometrics and health insights derived from wearable devices. Trusted by some of the world’s most prominent brands, including Tag Heuer, Louis Vuitton, Hublot, Montblanc, Fossil Group, Samsung, Suunto, Xiaomi, and Motorola, LifeQ’s solutions go beyond the everyday smartwatch. By providing a 24/7 lens into the body, LifeQ offers a comprehensive view of the way various everyday behaviors and environments influence the health of users, covering a fast-expanding suite of physiological systems of the human body. The generation of highly accurate biometrics for consumers, athletes, and the acutely and chronically ill allows for the earlier detection of health problems, better management of existing problems, and the prevention of disease. Consumers, wearable device companies, insurers and reinsurers, health-tech companies, clinicians, researchers, and analytics companies all benefit from LifeQ’s multiplicity — representing the future of healthcare. For more information, please visit www.lifeq.com.
About AAIC Investment
Established in 2013 and headquartered in Singapore, AAIC Investment is the fund management arm of AAIC Holdings. AAIC Investment began by supporting the activities of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms of Japanese corporations in 2014 before establishing the first Africa-focused Japanese fund (the Africa Healthcare Fund, AHF1) in 2017. In 2022, it launched the Africa Innovation and Healthcare Fund (AHF2), which reached its first close at the end of March 2022. AAIC Investment has invested in 45 companies through AHF1 and AHF2, focusing on healthcare in Africa (as of September 2023). AAIC Investment seeks to create a sustainable growth model; synergize Japan’s strength with emerging country growth-combine people, funds, knowledge, and information; realize a mutually beneficial relationship for Japan and emerging countries, providing all necessary support; and establish an extensive team whose experience and contacts will provide market insights and relationships critical to the ability to execute investments and add value to portfolio companies. For more information, please visit https://aaicinvestment.com.
Contact: Deborah Geiger Berry
Geiger Communications
deborah@geigercommunications.com
516-423-9848
