What Yemaachi Biotechnology does

Yemaachi Biotechnology is a Ghana-based precision oncology company founded in June 2020 by Yaw Bediako, David Hutchful, Joyce Ngoi, and Yaw Attua-Afari. The company operates a clinical genomic research platform leveraging next-generation sequencing, including whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and liquid biopsy-based cfDNA analysis, to characterize cancer biology in African populations and build what it describes as the world's most diverse cancer bio-database. Headquartered in Accra with offices in Washington DC and Nairobi, Yemaachi operates a B2B enterprise and consortium-driven go-to-market model targeting pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and academic research institutions.

The company's flagship initiative, The African Cancer Atlas (TACA), launched in February 2025 with Roche as anchor partner, aims to sequence 15,000 genomes from 7,500 African cancer patients across multiple African countries. Supporting TACA, Yemaachi deployed Ghana's first Illumina NovaSeq X Plus sequencer in July 2025. Complementary offerings include the Sheba HPV Test (an at-home cervical cancer screening kit piloted in Accra and Kumasi), the AfriCAN pan-African cancer research network spanning 24+ institutions across 9 countries, and specific research studies such as BreCXome (whole exome sequencing of breast cancer in 106 Ghanaian women) and the AMBER liquid biopsy study with Lucence.

Yemaachi generates revenue through a mix of pharmaceutical consortium fees (TACA), usage-based molecular diagnostic services (Sheba HPV Test), and research grants and awards (including the $25M Cancer Grand Challenges SAMBAI award). It maintains ISO 27001 and HIPAA compliance for handling genomic and health data. Strategic partnerships span Roche, Illumina, Lucence, Oxford Nanopore, Bio Usawa, Institut Pasteur Tunis, and H3D Centre at the University of Cape Town, with primary customer segments being pharmaceutical companies seeking diverse genomic data, hospitals and clinical centers for collaborative research, and academic institutions for genomic studies.

Name

Yemaachi Biotechnology

Legal name

Yemaachi Biotech

Website

https://www.yemaachi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yemaachi Biotechnology is a Ghana-based precision oncology company that builds Africa's most diverse cancer genomic database through NGS-based research, the TACA consortium, and a pan-African clinical research network serving pharmaceutical, hospital, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Oncology Genomics Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services (HLAGANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genetic & Prenatal Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAH), Biostatistics, Statistical Computing & Clinical Programming (SAS/R/Pipelines) (HLACAOAO), Genetic & Genomic Testing (germline, somatic, carrier, pharmacogenomics) (HLAAALAD)

Keywords

• Cancer genomics research
• Molecular diagnostic services
• Precision oncology
• Next generation sequencing
• Clinical genomic database

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Partnerships and Consortium Fees: Yemaachi generates revenue through pharmaceutical partnerships and consortium membership fees. The TACA consortium brings together pharma partners with Roche as anchor partner, providing funding as well as technical input and support. African-based researchers receive free access to the database.
2. Molecular Diagnostic Services: Revenue from molecular diagnostic testing services including the Sheba HPV Test for cervical cancer screening, which uses at-home sampling with real-time qPCR analysis.
3. Research Grants and Awards: Funding from cancer research awards and grants including the $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges award as part of the SAMBAI consortium, and Wellcome Trust funding for the WWW Consortium.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yemaachi Biotechnology is a precision cancer genomics company that leverages next-generation sequencing (whole exome, whole genome, and liquid biopsy-based cfDNA analysis) to build Africa's most diverse cancer bio-database. The company sells molecular diagnostic services (such as the Sheba HPV Test for cervical cancer screening), operates The African Cancer Atlas (TACA) consortium with Roche to sequence up to 15,000 African cancer genomes, and runs the AfriCAN Cancer Research Network spanning 24+ institutions across 9 African countries. Its offerings target pharmaceutical companies seeking inclusive genomic data, hospitals and research institutions for clinical collaborations, and individual women for at-home HPV screening.

Product overview

Yemaachi Biotechnology is a genomics research company offering a portfolio of cancer research services and molecular diagnostic products. Core offerings include the Sheba HPV Test (an at-home cervical cancer screening kit), The African Cancer Atlas (TACA, a pan-African genome sequencing initiative), and the AfriCAN research network spanning 24+ institutions across 9 African countries. These are complemented by specific research studies including BreCXome (whole exome sequencing of breast cancer) and the AMBER liquid biopsy study. The company also operates sequencing infrastructure including Illumina's NovaSeq X Plus and conducts pharmacogenomic research, with major partnerships with Roche (as TACA's anchor partner), Bio Usawa (monoclonal antibodies and genomic solutions), and Lucence (liquid biopsy diagnostics).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AfriCAN: African Cancer Research Network - a pan-African clinical cancer research network bringing together clinicians, researchers, and key opinion leaders in oncology across Africa.

Products and services

• Sheba HPV Test An at-home cervical cancer screening kit that enables women to self-collect a vaginal sample using the Evalyn Brush; samples are analyzed via WHO-recommended real-time qPCR for 15 medium-to-high-risk HPV strains (including HPV 16 and 18), with results returned within 72 hours. Targeted at women in Ghana with planned expansion throughout Ghana and East Africa.
• The African Cancer Atlas (TACA) A pan-African consortium and bio-database initiative that sequences tumor and paired-normal genomes from African cancer patients to enable biomarker discovery, drug target identification, and inclusive cancer therapeutics development for global pharmaceutical partners and African researchers.
• AfriCAN (African Cancer Research Network) A membership-based research collaboration network that provides African clinicians, researchers, and institutions with access to preliminary findings, therapeutic special interest groups, virtual and in-person symposia, and consortium-led cancer research projects.
• Whole Genome Sequencing Services Large-scale whole genome sequencing services using Illumina's NovaSeq X Plus platform, generating African-population genomic data for pharmaceutical and academic research partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000 genomes to be sequenced from 7,500 African cancer patients through TACA initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• RocheflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnchor partner for The African Cancer Atlas (TACA) consortium. Roche provides funding as well as technical input and support through their African Genomics Program. TACA aims to sequence 15,000 genomes from 7,500 African cancer patients.
• Bio UsawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to co-develop monoclonal antibodies and genomic-driven solutions tailored for African patients. Focus areas include pharmacogenomic research, therapeutic co-development, and capacity building across infectious diseases, cancer, and eye diseases.
• Institut Pasteur TuniscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership investigating genomics in inflammatory breast cancer in African patients. This represents the largest sequencing-based study of IBC conducted to date in Africa. Samples sequenced at Yemaachi lab in Accra, analyzed by Tunisian bioinformaticians.
• LucencecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on the AMBER study using Lucence's LiquidHALLMARK liquid biopsy assay to evaluate utility of cfDNA testing for actionable mutations in Ghanaian metastatic breast cancer patients.
• H3D Centre, University of Cape TowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to understand pharmacogenomics of African populations and genetic landscape of cancer. Benefits from H3D's expertise in drug metabolism assays for identifying genetic variations associated with liver cancer.
• IlluminacoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for arrival of NovaSeq X Plus sequencer to Ghana - the first of its kind in the country. Illumina's sequencer provides unprecedented speed, scale and accuracy for Yemaachi's genomic research.
• Oxford NanoporecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for PROGRESS study, pioneering next-generation sequencing for minimal residual disease detection in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Ghana.
• SAMBAI ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner15-institution consortium across 4 countries recipient of $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges award to investigate cancer inequities. Yemaachi leads Ghana activities with Pediatric Oncology Units at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye, and Greater Accra Regional Hospitals, plus Newcastle University.
• African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting TACA consortium and research collaborations.
• Crick African NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYemaachi CEO was inaugural Crick Africa Network Fellow. Network establishes ties between African institutions and Francis Crick Institute for collaborative research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 54gene: Nigeria-founded African genomics company that built a pan-African biobank and partnered with pharma on African genomic data. Most directly comparable to Yemaachi's TACA consortium model, though 54gene faced significant operational and funding challenges, making it a cautionary African genomics peer.
• SOPHiA Genetics: Switzerland-based AI genomics platform serving hospitals and pharma with NGS data analysis and interpretation across rare diseases and oncology. Comparable to Yemaachi in providing genomic data analytics infrastructure for clinical and research use cases, though at greater scale globally.
• Guardant Health: US-based liquid biopsy leader with Guardant360 and Reveal assays for cancer detection and MRD. Comparable to Yemaachi via its AMBER study partnership with Lucence; both companies develop cfDNA-based liquid biopsy diagnostics for cancer applications.
• Helix Inc: US population genomics company operating large-scale genomic databases with health system and biopharma partners. Directly comparable to Yemaachi's data-pharma model; one of Yemaachi's own business development leads (Akwasi Asabere) maintains a dual role at Helix, indicating active knowledge transfer between the two models.
• Personalis: US cancer genomics company offering whole-genome sequencing-based liquid biopsy (NeXT Personal) and pharma research services. Comparable to Yemaachi in combining NGS-based cancer diagnostics with pharma research partnerships for biomarker and drug discovery.
• Color Health: US population genomics and cancer screening company offering genetic testing at scale for health systems and employers. Comparable to Yemaachi's model of combining population-scale genomic data generation with downstream diagnostic products (like Sheba HPV) targeting diverse populations.
• Natera: US molecular diagnostics company specializing in cell-free DNA testing for oncology (Signatera), women's health, and organ health. Comparable to Yemaachi via cfDNA technology overlap (Natera was exclusive partner of the Yvonne Awards ceremony where Yemaachi's Emmanuella Amoako was recognized), with overlapping focus on MRD detection.

Broad incumbents

• Tempus Labs: US-based precision medicine company building one of the world's largest libraries of clinical and molecular data, partnering with pharma for drug discovery. Comparable to Yemaachi's data-pharma partnership model at vastly larger scale, with overlap in cancer genomic data and pharma licensing.
• Foundation Medicine: Roche-owned cancer genomics company providing comprehensive genomic profiling of tumors via FoundationOne. Directly relevant as the established cancer genomic profiling standard Yemaachi's TACA consortium complements for African populations; owned by Yemaachi's TACA anchor partner.

Emerging players

• Bio Usawa: Rwanda-based African biotech developing affordable monoclonal antibody therapeutics, with explicit co-development partnership with Yemaachi since October 2025. Comparable as an emerging African biopharma peer, with strategic ties that connect Yemaachi's genomic data platform to downstream therapeutic development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yemaachi
• Xx.com/YemaachiBio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors11 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Yemaachi Biotechnology