LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Nextwear Technologies, the first wearable technology startup in Nigeria, developing technology worn close to the body to solve health issues.
Kemisola Bolarinwa is the founder of Nextwear Technologies, the pioneering wearable technology startup launched in Nigeria in 2020, and which now employs 9 people. She is a distinguished Robotics and Embedded System Engineer with over 13 years of exceptional tech expertise. Through Nextwear Technologies, Kemisola designs and develops innovative wearable technology that addresses health-related challenges. One of her notable contributions to the field is the invention of the groundbreaking wearable Smart Bra Cup Diagnostic Device, designed to detect the earliest stages of breast cancer—an unprecedented advancement in healthcare technology that has earned her global recognition and awards.
Kemisola’s dedication to leveraging technology for the betterment of society extends beyond her achievements. She ardently advocates for STEM education, particularly for girls, to bridge the gender gap prevalent in STEM fields. As the president of the Women-in-ICT Foundation, she serves as an influential role model and advocate for encouraging girls' participation in the male-dominated tech industry.
Kemisola's passion, ingenuity, and notable contributions to the field have earned her numerous awards and recognitions, both locally and internationally. Most notably, she was inducted into the prestigious Nigerian Women First Achievers Hall of Fame by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Her commitment to promoting gender equality and women empowerment through gender-responsive technology and innovations garnered her a recognition award from UN Women.
Among her accolades, she received the Lord's Achievers Award for Best Innovative Excellence in Science, the Standard Chartered Bank Women In Technology Award, and the Origo Canada Innovation Impact Award. Additionally, Kemisola was honored as a Global SDG Advocate and Practitioner by Alphazulu Advocate, UK, and received the Health Tech Innovation of the Year Award at the Africa Tech Festival.
Her outstanding leadership qualities and dedication to driving positive change led to her membership in the prestigious Barack Obama Africa Leaders network and receiving the Royal African Young Leadership Award. Kemisola Bolarinwa’s professional journey exemplifies her unwavering commitment to advancing technology, promoting gender equality, and significantly impacting healthcare innovation.
Lioness Weekender spoke to the pioneering and impact-driven Kemisola Bolarinwa about her entrepreneurial journey, her vision for harnessing technology to positively impact lives, and her hopes for the future.
What does your company do?
Nextwear Technologies is the first wearable technology startup in Nigeria, developing technology worn close to the body to solve health issues. We are on a mission to provide affordable and accessible technology to monitor and identify early health challenges.
What inspired you to start your company?
I'm inspired to start my company because I'm driven to solve critical health challenges using groundbreaking technology. Growing up in a developing country, I've witnessed firsthand how healthcare inequality can tragically cost lives. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the lack of accessible and affordable health screening machines is a glaring issue we're determined to tackle head-on. Access to health monitoring and screening machines such as X-ray machines, Mammograms, ultrasound scanners, MRI machines, and laboratory equipment is uneven. The high cost of purchasing and maintaining medical equipment poses a significant barrier. Public healthcare facilities often struggle with budget constraints, making it challenging to invest in expensive medical technologies.
Our mission is clear: to provide cost-effective health monitoring solutions that reach even the most underserved communities.
Personal loss has driven me—the experience of losing a loved one to late-stage breast cancer fuels my determination. We're developing advanced screening technology to detect abnormalities early, potentially saving lives. By combining passion with deep technological expertise, our goal is not just innovation, but significant improvements in society's health outcomes. We envision a future where healthcare is fair and accessible to everyone, regardless of their status.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our business stands out because we combine cutting-edge technology with a profound commitment to addressing critical health challenges, particularly in underserved communities. Here’s what makes our product special:
Innovative Technology: We utilize cutting-edge ultrasound and AI technology to provide accurate, non-invasive, and painless breast cancer detection, setting a new standard in early detection.
Accessibility: Our device is designed to be portable and easy to use, making it accessible to women in underserved communities and enabling widespread adoption in various healthcare settings.
Affordability: We aim to make our diagnostic device affordable for clinics and patients, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to essential health screenings.
Partnership and Collaboration: Our strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations like the Medicaid Cancer Foundation enhance our capabilities and ensure our device meets the highest standards of efficacy and safety.
Social Impact: By focusing on early detection, we aim to reduce breast cancer mortality rates, particularly in regions with limited access to traditional healthcare facilities, thereby significantly improving women's health outcomes.
User-Friendly Design: The smart bra is easy to wear and use, integrating seamlessly into daily life, encouraging regular use and early detection practices.
Tell us a little about your team:
Bolarinwa Kemisola. Embedded Hardware expert/ Team Lead. She is a Robotics and embedded system Engineer with exceptional tech skills. Her unique expertise has been broadly demonstrated in various roles such as Automation Engineer, Lead Robotics Engineer, and Consultant IoT/Embedded Engineer with a significant record in the wearable technology field.
Kayode Falasinnu, Financial Advisor. Kayode is the Chief Executive Officer of AVA Group. He joined the organization with over 15 years commercial banking and investment banking/capital market experience. He worked in commercial banking with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc before joining BGL Plc where he worked in corporate finance and Investment banking for 3 years. After BGL, Kayode was team lead, corporate finance at Kedari Capital Limited where he led a corporate finance team on both public and private sector transactions.
Joshua Isaac, Embedded System Engineer. An embedded system engineer with a good knowledge of electronics, python, C/C++, and Dart programming language with 8 years of experience in the field. Had experience with hardware components and microprocessors.
Dr. Olawale Ogunlana, Medical Advisor. Dr. Olawale Tokunbo Ogunlana, being among the most sought-after Health and Wellness Influencers in Nigeria is proof of his multitalented as a Medical Doctor, a Media Personality, Business Leader, and Philanthropist. He's a licensed Medical Doctor with over 11 years of experience in Clinical Practice, setting up and leading a thriving Private Practice in Lagos, Nigeria since 2016.
Dr Agu Collins Agu, Technical Advisor. Dr Agu, the Pioneer Director of Research & Development of NITDA, is essentially a researcher and a tech native committed to building young people into techies. He holds a top-level Doctorate Degree in Engineering Sciences from the National Technical University at Kharkiv City, Ukraine where his PhD dissertation yielded an invention – a hydrocarbon-based solid substance for combined processing of materials using electro-conductive abrasive tools under (Ukraine Patent № 58078, 25th March 2011)
Everistus Nwogo, Software Engineer. He's an embedded system /software engineer with a good knowledge of python, C/C++, and Dart programming language with years of experience in the field. Had experience with hardware components like raspberry pi, NodeMcu, Arduino, and some microprocessors. He worked effectively with frameworks and SDKs like flask and flutter.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Growing up in a developing country, I witnessed firsthand inequalities in healthcare and the impact they had on people's lives. This ignited a desire to find innovative solutions to bridge these gaps and improve health outcomes, particularly in underserved communities. I pursued an education in technology and engineering, equipping myself with the knowledge and skills needed to drive meaningful change. My professional experiences and healthcare experience have provided me with a solid foundation to understand the complexities of health challenges. The turning point in my entrepreneurial journey came with a personal loss—my aunt succumbed to late-stage breast cancer. This heartbreaking experience galvanized my resolve to develop a solution that could aid in the early detection of breast abnormalities. I founded my business with the mission to create accessible and affordable technology for health monitoring and early detection of health issues.
While I don't come from a traditional entrepreneurial background, my journey has been shaped by a strong entrepreneurial spirit. My family and mentors have always encouraged innovation and problem-solving, fostering a mindset that embraces challenges and seeks out opportunities to make a difference. This supportive environment has been instrumental in my growth as an entrepreneur.
My entrepreneurial journey is fuelled by a relentless pursuit of innovation and a deep-seated belief in the power of technology to transform lives. As we continue to grow and evolve, our goal remains steadfast: to make healthcare more equitable, accessible, and effective for everyone, regardless of their background or status.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Our vision is to create a world where every individual, regardless of their location or financial status, has access to advanced and affordable technology for early health monitoring and detection. Looking ahead, we aspire to expand our impact by further developing and deploying innovative solutions like our Smart Bra Cup Diagnostics Device. We plan to broaden the availability of our diagnostic devices to reach underserved communities worldwide, ensuring equitable access to life-saving technologies.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The most satisfying aspect of being an entrepreneur for me is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Knowing that our innovations in health technology could potentially save lives or improve the quality of life for individuals brings immense fulfillment. Being able to bring my life saving to reality to improve health outcomes in underserved communities, fuels my passion and drive. Additionally, the journey of entrepreneurship itself—facing challenges, learning continuously, and growing personally and professionally—brings its own sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. My ability to create positive change and contribute to a better future through innovation is what gives me the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
The biggest piece of advice I can give to other women looking to start up is to believe in yourself and your vision wholeheartedly. Have confidence in your ideas and capabilities, embrace challenges as opportunities, surround yourself with mentors, advisors, and peers who support and believe in your vision, and don't stop acquiring knowledge.
To find out more about Network Technologies and its pioneering work, contact Kemisola Bolarinwa via email: kemisolabolarinwa@gmail.com or visit the company’s website www.nextweartech.net or social media platforms:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/bolarinwakemis2
Twitter: https://x.com/bolarinwakemis2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolarinwa_kemisola/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemisola-bolarinwa-399694182/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextweartech/
X: https://x.com/Nextweartech
