Nigerian health technology startup Helium Health has received a $2.5 million (approximately NGN 3.4 billion) grant from Google.org to deploy clinical AI models in primary maternal healthcare.

The company was selected as the only Nigerian organisation among 15 global recipients of the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation, a program that supports organisations partnering with governments to improve public services. Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, provides these awards as grants rather than investments, meaning the funding carries no equity or repayment terms. Alongside the funding, the cohort will participate in a dedicated Google.org Accelerator, receiving support from Google engineers and AI product experts — pairing capital with hands-on technical assistance rather than funding alone.

The Nigerian rollout and implementation roadmap for the initiative were formally presented in Lagos during a joint executive briefing with the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, led by executives from Google and Helium Health. The deployment will span Lagos, Delta, Kano, and Oyo States, with Lagos State serving as the primary operational launchpad, in line with the state's push to modernize primary healthcare delivery and digital innovation.

"For the past decade, Helium Health has been building the technology and partnerships needed to improve healthcare delivery across Africa. Through our maternal health initiatives, we've already reached over 3.5 million women, and Google.org's support gives us an opportunity to build on that foundation, scale what works, and reach even more women with quality maternal healthcare," said Dimeji Sofowora, CEO of Helium Health.

"Nigeria accounts for nearly three in every ten maternal deaths globally. Behind every maternal death is a woman whose family expected her to come home. Our goal is to reach an additional 1.9 million women over three years and contribute to a 30% reduction in maternal mortality. Ultimately, we want to ensure that no woman loses her life simply because she didn't know she was at risk or couldn't access the care she needed," added Dr. Shona Oluwatola, Head of Public Health at Helium Health.

"AI holds incredible potential to transform public services, but there is often a gap between promise and practice," said Maggie Johnson, Global Head of Google.org. "By equipping the 15 selected organisations with funding and pro bono support from Google's own AI experts, we are empowering the people closest to the problem to show what is truly possible. Together, we can ensure that AI makes a profound, positive difference in the everyday lives of communities worldwide."

With the grant, HeliumMum is leveraging AI to help pregnant women identify pregnancy risks early and access appropriate care, seamlessly connecting them with healthcare providers equipped with electronic medical records and AI-powered clinical decision support. The initiative will also give governments actionable data to strengthen maternal health services and improve outcomes. For readers following the program, the concrete markers to watch are the phased launch from Lagos across the four named states, the company's participation in the Google.org Accelerator, and progress against the stated three-year targets of reaching an additional 1.9 million women and contributing to a 30% reduction in maternal mortality.