What is the name of your organization?
Lifesten Health
What is the name of your solution?
Lifesten Health
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Lifesten health is your AI powered personalised health assistant that helps you develop health habits and rewards you as you improve your health.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kigali City, Kigali, Rwanda
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Rwanda
What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Lifesten addresses the growing crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the widespread lack of access to personalized preventive healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Africa. NCDs are now responsible for 74% of all global deaths, with cardiovascular diseases alone killing nearly 18 million people each year. Alarmingly, over 80% of premature NCD deaths occur in LMICs, where early detection and preventive infrastructure are often lacking. In sub-Saharan Africa, NCD-related deaths are projected to surpass infectious diseases by 2030, driven by rising rates of hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. For example, over 40% of adults in some East African countries suffer from hypertension, yet most remain undiagnosed or untreated due to limited access to affordable diagnostics and care.
In parallel, millions of individuals lack guidance on building healthy habits in physical, mental, and nutritional health. This has contributed to unhealthy behaviors such as sedentary lifestyles, tobacco and alcohol use, and poor diets, all of which significantly increase NCD risk. The result is a mounting burden on individuals, workplaces, and health systems, with late-stage diagnoses, rising treatment costs, and preventable deaths becoming the norm across many communities.
What is your solution?
Lifesten provides AI-powered preventive healthcare solutions through a mobile application tailored for individuals, workplaces, and governments in sub-Saharan Africa. At core is the AI-based transdermal optical imaging system that screens 13 key health indicators—including blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels—in under 30 seconds using a simple facial scan via smartphone. This allows users to receive instant, personalized health feedback and guidance for early action against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
To ensure inclusivity, Lifesten extends its reach to offline and underserved populations through trained community health agents (Lifesten Ambassadors). These ambassadors conduct on-site screenings via the app and deliver health education using the Lifesten system. During a pilot in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health (2023-2024), 1.6 million people were screened, demonstrating the model’s scalability and real-world impact.
The platform also includes gamified health challenges, daily journaling, and a reward system that incentivizes positive health behaviors. For institutions—such as governments, insurers, and workplaces—Lifesten provides custom dashboards for real-time health insights, decision-making, and impact tracking.
By combining AI diagnostics, behavioral nudging, and grassroots engagement, Lifesten delivers accessible, scalable, and data-driven preventive care in regions where traditional healthcare systems are often overstretched or inaccessible.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Lifesten directly serves urban and semi-urban working adults, particularly those aged 18–55, who are at high risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to rising stress, sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and limited preventive care access. These includes students, employees in SMEs, government offices, and corporate institutions, as well as youth and middle-class individuals in sub-Saharan Africa navigating work-life stress and lifestyle-related health risks. Women and men are served equally, with gender-sensitive features in the app.
This population is currently underserved by traditional health systems that prioritize curative over preventive care. Most do not undergo regular checkups due to cost, time constraints, or healthcare infrastructure gaps. In Rwanda alone, 60% of hospital deaths and 55% of admissions are due to NCDs, despite many being preventable.
Lifesten addresses their needs through a mobile-first, AI-driven platform offering quick, non-invasive health scans, personalized daily wellness challenges, and behavioral tracking. It also targets offline populations via trained community health agents. For governments,corporates and insurance companies Lifesten also provides dashboard with data analytics for health insight generation for decision making. By delivering early detection, nudges for behavior change, and accessible insights, Lifesten empowers people to take control of their health—before conditions become critical.
