A former clinical professional, now turned businesswoman who lost both her father and father-in-law to preventable chronic illness has built an AI-powered health technology platform that’s now been approved and is rolling out across NHS primary care settings.
Fungai Ndemera founded CheckUp Health Solutions after watching patients repeatedly present late with conditions that could have been managed earlier, a pattern that became painfully personal.
“I founded CheckUp Health after losing close family members to preventable chronic illness and spending years working inside overstretched health systems, realising that AI, when built with clinicians – can close the gaps that cost lives in underserved communities,” the founder told Founder Insights
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Before launching CheckUp Health three years ago, Fungai spent years building and operating healthcare and digital service organisations, working closely with frontline teams across primary care, social care and community services.
“I was building and operating healthcare and digital service organisations, working closely with frontline teams across primary care, social care, and community services,” she said.
“I spent years supporting overstretched systems, leading operational delivery, digital transformation, and compliance-heavy services, which gave me first-hand insight into where patients fall through the cracks and why clinicians need better tools, not more burden.”
The key moment came from watching patients repeatedly present late with manageable conditions.
“That pattern hit painfully close to home after I lost both my father and father-in-law to preventable chronic illness,” Fungai said.
“That was when it became clear to me that the failure wasn’t clinical expertise, but the systems around it, and that technology had to work with clinicians to close those gaps.”
CheckUp Health builds AI-powered healthcare technology that supports earlier detection, better clinical decision-making and more efficient care delivery.
The platform works alongside clinicians and healthcare organisations to reduce administrative burden, improve patient access and enable timely intervention – particularly for people who are most likely to be underserved by traditional health systems.
The company’s first customers came through trusted relationships and collaborative programmes rather than traditional sales.
“CheckUp Health was awarded the opportunity to develop our ideas through Innovate UK, which allowed us to work closely with healthcare professionals and communities during the COVID pandemic,” Fungai said.
“At that time, individuals from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were disproportionately affected, particularly those with long-term conditions.
“By co-designing solutions that enabled remote monitoring at home, supported by GPs, we were able to address an urgent clinical need while reducing exposure to COVID.
“Those early collaborations became our first users and champions, shaping the platform into something that was clinically relevant, culturally sensitive, and scalable.”
But the journey hasn’t been without challenges.
“My biggest challenge as a founder has been navigating the pace and complexity of highly regulated healthcare environments while building something genuinely innovative,” Fungai said.
“Working with large organisations and getting new technology trusted, approved, and adopted takes time, evidence, and resilience – especially when you’re driven by urgency rooted in personal experience.
“The challenge has been balancing that urgency with the patience required to build credibility, clinical trust, and long-term impact.”
The turning point came when the business evolved from concept to commercial reality.
“Things began to click when CheckUp Health evolved from an idea within my healthcare business into a focused spin-off,” Fungai said.
“The first major validation came in 2020, when the concept was supported through an Innovate UK grant.
“Momentum accelerated in 2022, when we won a contract to build a bespoke Primary Healthcare GP Practice Foundation Management Solution.
“Moving from concept and pilots into delivering a live, operational system for primary care was the point where the business truly gained traction and a clear direction.”
The milestone Fungai is most proud of is seeing the product approved and actively rolling out across primary healthcare settings in the UK.
“CheckUp Health began as a concept within my healthcare business, secured Innovate UK support, and went on to deliver a bespoke Primary Healthcare GP Practice Foundation Management Solution,” she said.
“Having that solution approved and adopted within the National Health Service represents years of clinical collaboration, regulatory rigour, and persistence – and it’s deeply rewarding to see it supporting real-world care at scale.”
The business has evolved from an idea embedded within Fungai’s existing healthcare business into a standalone, regulated digital health company that is now live, adopted and generating revenue.
One early lesson reshaped how Fungai builds the business.
“One early mistake was underestimating how long trust and approval take in highly regulated healthcare environments,” she said.
“I initially assumed that a strong solution and clear clinical need would be enough to move quickly.
“In reality, adoption requires patience, evidence, and deep engagement with governance and stakeholders.
“That lesson reshaped how I build, prioritising clinical collaboration, regulatory readiness, and long-term relationships from the outset rather than speed.”
Fungai describes her leadership approach in one word: collaborative.
“Because meaningful change in healthcare only happens when clinicians, communities, technologists, and institutions are brought together,” she said.
“My approach has always been to co-build, listening deeply, respecting expertise, and designing solutions with the people who will use them.
“That collaboration is what turns good ideas into trusted, adoptable systems.”
Beyond financial success, Fungai says the biggest reward has been fulfilment.
“The biggest reward has been fulfilment – seeing something born from personal loss and professional frustration translate into real-world impact,” she said.
“Knowing that the technology we’ve built is supporting clinicians, reaching underserved communities, and improving how care is delivered is deeply meaningful.
“It’s also brought a sense of alignment, building a business where purpose, values, and long-term impact are not in tension with growth, but reinforce each other.”
Looking ahead, Fungai has a clear north star driving the business forward.
“My north star is to ensure that no one dies or deteriorates from preventable conditions simply because systems failed to detect risk early or support clinicians in time,” she said.
“I’m driven by building technology that works quietly alongside healthcare professionals, scales across complex organisations, and closes health inequality gaps for underserved communities globally – turning early intervention into the norm rather than the exception.”
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