In a continent where access to affordable and reliable medical diagnostics remains a pressing challenge, MDaaS Global is stepping in as a bold change. Founded with the mission to provide world-class diagnostics to underserved communities, MDaaS is reshaping the healthcare landscape in Nigeria and beyond.
Revolutionizing Healthcare In Africa: The MDaaS Story
But what does this change look like? How is MDaaS turning bold ideas into tangible impact?
With a vision that goes beyond mere access, they are challenging the status quo and proving that affordable healthcare can be a reality.
MDaaS is more than a story—it’s a revolution in accessible healthcare.
This article explores the MDaas story and extracts real-life lessons for healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs, especially those wanting to innovate healthcare in Africa.
The Brains Behind MDAAS
MDaaS Global started in 2016 as an importer of refurbished medical diagnostic equipment in Nigeria. The company pivoted in its second year to become a service provider for hospitals, doctors and patients from its own stand-alone diagnostic centres, trading as BeaconHealth Diagnostics.
MDAAS (an acronym for medical diagnostics as a service) was born out of a vision to make quality healthcare accessible to all.
The founders recognised a glaring gap in diagnostic services across Africa, where millions suffer due to delayed or inaccurate diagnoses.
In 2015, Oluwasoga Oni stood at a crossroads. While pursuing a master’s degree in Systems Engineering and Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he enrolled in a class that posed an ambitious challenge: design a business that could impact a billion lives.
For Oluwasoga, the mission was personal. Growing up in Nigeria, he had witnessed his father’s struggles running a small-town hospital—challenges rooted in the lack of access to reliable, affordable medical equipment.
By January 2016, Oluwasoga turned this deeply personal problem into a bold solution: MDaaS Global, a company committed to revolutionising access to quality medical equipment for Nigerian hospitals.
MDaaS was not just Oluwasoga’s vision—it was a collaborative effort shaped by a powerhouse team of co-founders, each bringing their unique expertise to the table:
Opeyemi Ologun, an engineer with a strong background in operations and sales in Nigeria, provided critical insight into the local healthcare landscape.
Joe McCord, with a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, contributed his extensive experience managing supply chains across 11 African countries.
Genevieve Barnard Oni, whose background in Public Health and International Development and advanced degrees in Business and Public Administration, brought a global perspective to the team.
“Our diverse backgrounds, experiences, and strengths were extremely helpful in the early days when it was really just the four of us.”— Oluwasoga Oni recalled.
This multidisciplinary team was forged during that pivotal MIT class, where Oluwasoga met Joe and Genevieve.
Their complementary skills—spanning software engineering, systems engineering, supply chain logistics, and healthcare operations—formed the backbone of MDaaS’s success.
Interestingly, Genevieve and Oluwasoga share a partnership that transcends business—the couple has been married for over three years, co-running MDaaS into a million-dollar company.
Milestones Achieved By MDaaS
It is my dream to build the largest network of physical and virtual diagnostic and primary care facilities in Africa – Olusoga Oni.
Olusoga Oni and his team have been building this dream together since 2017.
Here’s a brief rundown of the progress and achievements of MDaas since inception.
1. 2017: Launch Of First Diagnostic Center
MDaaS opened its first diagnostic centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, offering comprehensive services such as digital X-rays, ultrasounds, and laboratory testing. The centre became operational in November 2017 and achieved profitability within five months.
2. Expansion Across Nigeria: Since establishing its first centre, MDaaS has launched six additional diagnostic centres in cities, including Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo States. They plan to expand to locations like Kwara, Edo, Kogi, and Kaduna.
3. Funding Rounds:
2019: Secured a $1 million seed round to expand operations.
2021: Raised $2.3 million in a seed round extension led by Newton Partners to expand physical diagnostic centres in multiple states.
March 2024: Raised $3 million in pre-Series A funding led by Aruwa Capital and Newton Partners, with Ventures Platform participating. The funds will support the expansion of BeaconOS and diagnostic centres across all Nigerian states. MDaaS has raised $6.8 million to date.
4. Service Growth: MDaaS has performed over 80,000 diagnostic tests. Built a network of over 750 clinicians and partnerships with 500 healthcare facilities and 10 HMO networks.
March 2024: In 2024, the startup has 16 diagnostics clinics in Nigeria and is expanding into Cameroon under the brand BeaconPasteur Healthcare.
“Our expansion into Douala is not just about geographic growth; it’s a vital step toward ensuring equitable healthcare access across borders.” – Oluwasoga Oni, CEO and co-founder of MDaaS Global.
Through The Innovative Eyes Of MDaaS
The business idea had been percolating for a while as I grew up around health care, “My father is a medical doctor who has run a hospital in a small town in Nigeria for over 35 years, and I witnessed the issues he faced accessing medical equipment. So the challenge of accessing quality medical equipment is close to home for me.” – Oluwasoga told TechCabal.
The Problem:
In sub-Saharan Africa, 4 in 10 people lack access to healthcare, with quality facilities concentrated in urban areas.
Even then, 40% of medical equipment is often out of service, leading to reliance on self-diagnosis and delayed care. In Nigeria, this contributes to a life expectancy of just 55 years.
Africa’s population is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, with a rising middle class driving an increase in non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension—illnesses that demand consistent, high-quality care. These diseases now compound an already heavy burden of infectious diseases.
Yet, for most Nigerians, quality care remains a luxury: 70% of healthcare spending comes straight from individuals’ pockets, and only 3% of the population has health insurance. This leaves the majority unable to afford life-saving treatment when needed most.
The Solution:
MDaaS is revolutionising healthcare for Africa’s next billion by bringing affordable, tech-enabled diagnostic centres to underserved communities across Nigeria.
Through BeaconHealth Diagnostics, they have built 17 centres in 8 states, focusing on tier 2 and 3 cities where quality diagnostics are scarce.
With state-of-the-art equipment—X-rays, ultrasounds, ECGs, EEGs, and full lab facilities—each centre costs $90K to set up.
Despite this low cost, MDaaS serves over 200K patients and maintains an unheard-of NPS (Net Promoter Score) of >85 in the healthcare ecosystem.
Local doctors trust MDaaS, with 1,100+ referring patients to these life-saving facilities. This approach represents a reimagining of healthcare that prioritises accessibility and is strategically designed for the future.
The Impact:
MDaaS is transforming healthcare for low- and middle-income Nigerians—55% of whom are women—by offering high-quality diagnostic services at affordable prices.
They are set to improve diagnostic accuracy for maternal health, malaria, HIV, TB, and infectious and non-communicable diseases, enabling timely, precise interventions that reduce disease incidence and treatment costs. This commitment to quality care is reflected in an outstanding patient satisfaction score.
Private health infrastructure is vital in a country where public healthcare spending is among the lowest in Africa. Nigeria’s healthcare system is overwhelmed with fewer than 50 oncologists, fewer than 100 neurologists, and under 1,000 paediatricians.
MDaaS is stepping in to fill this gap, improving accessibility and creating a sustainable, scalable model that helps combat Nigeria’s growing health crisis, one diagnostic centre at a time.
Lessons For Africa’s Healthcare Innovators
- Healthcare innovators in Africa should be thinking of how to improve access to quality healthcare, focusing on underserved and underprivileged groups and regions.
- Africa has a very unique healthcare ecosystem. The solutions that work are those created and designed by innovators and entrepreneurs who understand the fundamental dynamics of how things work and are attuned to the current cultural dynamics.
- Implementing digital technologies in the quest to improve healthcare access in Africa is a vital strategy that can’t be overlooked or swept aside. Innovators and entrepreneurs must ensure that they are, in every way, utilising technology in their solutions.
- Africa may lack the funds needed, but we have the labour and talent. Utilising homegrown talents brings a different flavour, where you’ve minds and brains that have a special connection to the problem we’re solving.
Final Thoughts
MDaaS Global is transforming healthcare across Africa by ensuring rural communities have access to quality medical equipment and diagnostic services.
This initiative is narrowing the gap in healthcare delivery and addressing a critical need for accessible care.
Picture an Africa where healthcare is no longer a privilege but a right—where lives are saved because essential tools and services reach even the most remote areas.
MDaaS is paving the way for this reality, proving that impactful solutions are possible.
The journey to revolutionising healthcare in Africa is underway, and the question is: How will you be part of this change?
