Buying medicine in Africa should be a guarantee of health, not a gamble.
DawaScan uses Computer Vision to analyze the physical "DNA" of medicine packaging — detecting counterfeit drugs instantly, on any smartphone, even in low-data environments.
* Sources: Bahir Dar University study (27 surveys, 7,508 samples across Africa); UNODC Trafficking in Medical Products in the Sahel, 2023; WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System, 2017.
No scratch codes. No friction. DawaScan works on basic smartphones — even with low data — and delivers results in seconds.
Point your phone camera at any medicine pack. DawaScan reads holograms, micro-printing, and ink texture — the physical "DNA" that counterfeiters can't perfectly replicate.
Our Computer Vision model detects microscopic inconsistencies invisible to the human eye — the same flaws that reveal a fake. Results arrive in under a second, even on 2G.
Get an instant verified or flagged result. If counterfeit, DawaScan guides you on what to do next — protecting you, your family, and your community.
Designed specifically for rural families, local chemists, and patients who can't afford to get it wrong.
Unlike scratch-code systems that sophisticated counterfeiters easily bypass, DawaScan analyses the microscopic physical properties of packaging — hologram patterns, micro-printing precision, and ink texture — that are nearly impossible to fake at scale.
Core TechnologyFlags fake or substandard medicines immediately — before they are consumed. Clear, actionable results anyone can understand.
SafetyDesigned for the last mile — DawaScan works seamlessly on basic smartphones in low-data environments, reaching those who need it most.
AccessibilityEmpowers both local chemists verifying stock and patients checking their own purchases — democratising health security at every point in the chain.
CommunityBeyond verification, DawaScan will surface dosage guidance, drug interactions, and expiry checks in plain Swahili and English — so every scan is also an education. No medical background required.
UpcomingDawaScan was founded after our founder witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of counterfeit medication in her own community in Kenya — where over 20% of medicines on the market are fake or substandard, disproportionately affecting rural families and mothers.
Existing solutions like scratch-codes are high-friction and easily bypassed by sophisticated counterfeiters. DawaScan is different — a mobile-first, AI-powered tool that analyses the physical characteristics of packaging, not just a code that can be cloned.
We are building tech-driven, ground-up solutions for healthcare security — designed by Africans, for Africa.
We are turning the everyday smartphone into a life-saving shield. By empowering local chemists and patients to verify their medicine instantly, we are democratizing health security, restoring trust in local pharmacies, and protecting millions of families from the half a million deaths caused by fake drugs every year across Sub-Saharan Africa.
500,000 people die every year from fake medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are building the technology to end it.
Over 20% of the pharmaceutical market in Kenya consists of fake or substandard drugs — disproportionately affecting rural families and mothers who have no way to verify what they are buying. Scratch-code systems are high-friction and easily bypassed by sophisticated counterfeiters.
To eradicate the counterfeit drug crisis that costs lives and drains resources across East Africa — by building tech-driven, ground-up solutions for healthcare security that work for the communities that need them most.
A future where buying medicine in Kenya is a guarantee of health, not a gamble. Where every local chemist and patient has the power to instantly verify what they hold in their hands. Where responsible AI protects the most vulnerable.
Expanding across East Africa — Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda next. We are looking to connect with mentors, health-tech innovators, and partners passionate about transforming healthcare infrastructure in Africa. Let's build a safer future, one scan at a time.
Try DawaScan in your browser now, or download the full app for offline verification — built for the last mile, where connectivity is unreliable but safety cannot be.