LeapFrog Investments has bolstered its global healthcare team with the appointment of Dr Biju Mohandas as Partner and Global Co-Lead for Healthcare.

He will serve alongside partners Dr Felix Olale and Michael Fernandes, deepening LeapFrog’s distinctive investment expertise in this high-growth sector in emerging Asia and Africa.

LeapFrog’s healthcare companies include GoodLife, the largest pharmacy chain and healthcare provider in East Africa, and MedGenome, the leading South Asian genomic research and diagnostics company.

Together, portfolio companies have reached millions of people with healthcare, protecting and enabling many vulnerable families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Mohandas brings over two decades of investing, operating and leadership experience spanning 20 countries in Asia and Africa.

He joins LeapFrog after nine years at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) where he led its Healthcare and Education investment team in Sub-Saharan Africa and was the Global Sector Lead for Medical Devices.

During this period, he played a pivotal role in deploying over half a billion dollars in investments across ten countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to profitable exits and significant top and bottom-line growth, the impact of these investments is felt annually by 4.2 million people who have access to healthcare, and a further 200,000 students with access to education.

Dr Mohandas was one of the early professionals to venture into the impact investment space in emerging markets as head of Acumen in East Africa and part of their founding team in India.

He brings extensive experience of delivering returns and impact at scale.

Having began his career as an officer in the Indian Army Medical Corps’ field ambulance in North Eastern India, Dr Mohandas experienced, first-hand, the challenges preventing delivery of healthcare, education, energy, housing, food and water to people in low-income communities.

He has since dedicated his career to harnessing the power of private enterprises, capital and technology to achieve equitable access to these critical goods and services.

Dr Biju Mohandas, Partner and Global Co-Lead for Health Investments at LeapFrog Investments, said: “I have long admired LeapFrog’s vision and dedication to measurable impact and industry-leading returns. I share Leapfrog’s vision of making essential healthcare accessible to millions of underserved consumers. Profit with Purpose represents a powerful synergy at a moment in history when it’s profoundly needed. Reaching one billion people with essential services by 2030 is an inspiring challenge, and I’m thrilled to be joining LeapFrog on that mission.”

Dr Felix Olale, Partner and Global Co-Lead for Healthcare at LeapFrog Investments, added: “Biju is one of the strongest and most highly skilled investors I have had the privilege of working alongside. His acuity in investment is matched by an extremely admirable set of values and an unwavering commitment to impact. At a time of such global uncertainty, our healthcare team is dedicated to ensuring millions more people have access to safe and affordable health services and medicines. We’re delighted to welcome a stellar leader and emerging market champion to the team.”