Fleri

Cross-border health insurance marketplace for African diaspora families

Distribution & Sales Startup Seed

Overview

Fleri is a cross-border health insurance marketplace for African immigrants in the US, Canada, and the UK to purchase private health coverage for family members living in Africa. The platform separates the insurance payer (the diaspora member) from the beneficiary (the family member abroad), allowing immigrants to pay monthly premiums on behalf of relatives in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mali, Senegal, Algeria, and Cameroon -- without sending cash transfers.

Founded in 2020 by Sam Baddoo, a Ghanaian immigrant, and launched in November 2021, Fleri partners with local insurers and HMOs in each covered country. Each insured beneficiary is assigned a dedicated family care manager who conducts bi-weekly check-ins, delivers monthly wellness reports, and coordinates appointments with partner clinics and hospitals. The platform also offers a health emergency fund with 14-day zero-interest repayment, prescription purchasing, and group chat between diaspora family members, beneficiaries, and care representatives.

Fleri raised approximately USD 1.23M in seed funding from investors including Village Capital, African Diaspora Network, Ohio Impact Fund, Launch Africa Ventures, and Founders Factory Africa. The company participated in the Techstars Toronto accelerator and the Norrsken Accelerator. During its beta phase in April 2022, 150 diaspora members purchased coverage for 350 beneficiaries across Ghana and Nigeria. The user base grew to over 4,000 members by 2023. Fleri targets the approximately 32 million Africans in the diaspora globally and addresses the broader USD 48B remittance flow from which roughly 25% goes toward healthcare costs.

Products & Services

FleriHealth

A health insurance marketplace enabling African diaspora immigrants to compare and purchase private health insurance plans on behalf of family members in Africa. Plans start at USD 50 to USD 120 annually per member and cover individual, family, and senior plans, as well as categories including Mental Health, Chronic Care, Elderly Care, At-Home Care, and Emergency Response.

Key Features

Diaspora-payer, Africa-beneficiary model separating premium payer from coverage recipient
Country-based care representatives speaking local languages coordinate care logistics
Direct acceptance of Fleri coverage by partner clinics and hospitals

Target Users: African immigrants in the US, Canada, and UK purchasing coverage for family in Africa

Family Care Management

A managed-care layer included with each covered beneficiary. A dedicated family care manager conducts bi-weekly check-ins via WhatsApp, delivers monthly wellness reports, and arranges specialist appointments and healthcare coordination.

Key Features

Bi-weekly WhatsApp check-ins with beneficiaries
Monthly wellness reports delivered to the payer
Appointment and specialist coordination with in-country partners

Target Users: Diaspora payers and their insured beneficiaries in Africa

Health Emergency Fund

A short-term credit facility providing beneficiaries with immediate access to healthcare funds, repayable within 14 days at zero interest.

Key Features

Zero-interest 14-day repayment window
Immediate fund access for emergency healthcare needs

Target Users: Insured beneficiaries in Africa requiring urgent care access

Prescription Fulfillment

Direct purchasing of prescriptions for beneficiaries, currently available in major cities across covered African markets.

Target Users: Beneficiaries in urban centers within Fleri coverage countries

At a Glance

Founded: 2020
Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Employees: 11-50
Funding: Seed

Category & Focus

Category: Distribution & Sales
Subcategories: Embedded Insurance Health Insurance Marketplace Cross-Border Insurance
Insurance Verticals: Health
Target Customers: Consumers

Customers

African diaspora members in the US, UK, and Canada (primary payers)
Family beneficiaries in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mali, Senegal, Algeria, and Cameroon