In a groundbreaking moment for African entrepreneurship in health technology, Zimbabwe-born entrepreneur Fungai Ndemera has been recognized as one of the twelve finalists in the KPMG UK Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards 2025, highlighting her remarkable commitment to transforming primary care.
For Fungai, the finalist placement is more than an accolade, it is a vindication of a mission-driven career.
“This recognition means so much, it’s a celebration of innovation, resilience, and purpose. For me, this journey has always been about using technology to bridge health inequalities and improve access to care for underserved communities through CheckUp Health UK, our AI-powered, multilingual digital health GP Practice platform, co-developed with the NHS,” she said in a LinkedIn post.
Her company, CheckUp Health UK, is dedicated to addressing healthcare challenges faced by underserved communities. By implementing AI-driven, multilingual digital GP platforms developed in partnership with the NHS, she aims to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of their background or circumstances.
On 23 October, Fungai and eleven other contenders will present their ventures live to a panel of external industry experts. From that field, four winners, one per category, will be selected. The live pitches promise sharp scrutiny and showcase ideas from some of Britain’s most ambitious Black entrepreneurs.
From Zimbabwe to the Forefront of AI Healthtech
Fungai’s journey underlines the potential of diaspora leaders to drive innovation bridging continents. Her trajectory began with a one-way ticket from Zimbabwe to the UK, followed by studies in nursing and a drive forged by personal loss: she lost both her father and father-in-law in 2004 to undiagnosed diabetes. That tragedy became her purpose.
Today she steers a growing portfolio. As Founder and CEO of CheckUp Health, she leads the development of AI-multilingual healthcare platforms; as Co-founder of The Flame Lily Healthcare and Founder of Independent Care Solutions UK, she brings more than 24 years’ experience in scalable health and social care ventures.
Her awards and recognitions include the Women in Business Excellence Award at the AfBC African Business Awards, shortlisting at two Medilink Midlands Business Awards, and ranking #2 in TechRound’s BAME 50 Entrepreneurs Under 50.
CheckUp Health: Intelligent, Inclusive and Transformative
Based in Wolverhampton, CheckUp Health is asserting itself as a breakthrough in primary care digitisation. Its team is diverse and experienced, claims more than a century of combined healthtech and clinical expertise. Their offering empowers clinicians and GP administrative staff with tools that enhance decision-making and streamline workflows.
Key differentiators:
- AI customisation: practices can tailor algorithms to reflect clinical priorities.
- Multilingual capability: critical for inclusive care in diverse communities.
- Workflow integration: tools are designed to slot into existing practice systems, not replace them.
This approach positions CheckUp Health as a “partner in revolutionising healthcare,” not merely a vendor.
Why This Matters And Why Now
The UK, like many nations, faces mounting pressure in primary care: demographic shifts, clinician shortages and demand from underserved populations. Digital platforms that augment clinician capacity and widen access are no longer novelties, they are strategic necessities.
For African entrepreneurs observing from the continent, Fungai Ndemera’s recognition is more than symbolic. It says that a healthtech venture rooted in mission, backed by technical relevance and operational clarity, can compete on the British stage and by extension globally.
Her work also underscores a broader truth that the value of combining domain experience (nursing, regulation, service delivery) with software and AI fluency. That hybrid competence is proving decisive in healthtech.
What to Watch on 23 October and Beyond
The eyes of the UK startup sector will turn to the live pitching event. Should Fungai succeed in her category, the win may unlock new capital, industry partnerships and elevated visibility. Even as a finalist, the exposure offers immediate benefit.
Strategically, this moment places CheckUp Health in a stronger position to enter new markets. Having proven co-development with the NHS and secured validation from KPMG’s external adjudicators, the business may now accelerate its expansion possibly into African markets where the need for inclusive digital care is both urgent and under-resourced.
A Beacon for African Innovation
Fungai Ndemera’s path is a reminder that business with purpose need not be rhetorical. Starting from personal pain, she has built a venture that addresses systemic inequities. Her recognition in the 2025 KPMG UK Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards casts a spotlight on what African healthtech can achieve, that is, rigorous technologically driven solutions for real problems.
For entrepreneurs particularly those from Africa, her story offers a pragmatic lesson to combine lived experience, domain mastery and technical innovation. That synthesis is what turns mission into proposals that appeal to judges, investors and ultimately, health systems.
In the coming weeks, all eyes will be on 23 October, when the finalists face off. Regardless of the outcome, Fungai’s rise has already staked a claim ‘African voices are shaping the future of global health technology on their own terms.’
