Former footballer and model Kain Roomes and his entrepreneur father Laban Roomes are taking their startup XRP Healthcare public on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange.
The listing, which was announced on May 17, follows a letter of intent signed on May 14 with AAJ Capital 3 Corp. XRP Healthcare was created to modernize healthcare in Africa by using cryptocurrency tools, artificial intelligence, and real-world services.
For further context, the Dubia-based company runs a digital health platform and owns a growing network of pharmacies in Uganda. The company uses the XRP Ledger to track drug supply chains and patient outcomes.
“In the West, we take reliable pharmacies and access to medication for granted,” said Laban Roomes. He added, “In parts of Uganda, that just isn’t the case. This is about changing that and starting on the ground, not in the metaverse.”
Meanwhile, Kain Roomes said their plan is to buy and upgrade pharmacies in Uganda, making medicine more affordable. The market there is very scattered, and they’ve already acquired seven locations. The goal is to create one connected system across the country. “We’re scaling slowly and building trust instead,” Laban said.
The company’s listing values it at 16 million Canadian dollars, or around $11.5 million USD. Kain added that going public is about growth and being transparent. “We want transparency, regulation, and the capital to grow responsibly. But this isn’t about a windfall. It’s about making sure the model works in Uganda, and eventually across Africa,” he said.
Kain’s journey into crypto began in 2018 when he sold a Rolex watch for £7,000 (around $8,820 at the time) worth of Bitcoin. That investment grew to £100,000 ($133,498) and helped him recover from debt. He had earlier played football for QPR, Tottenham, and Arsenal youth teams, and later modeled for brands like Nike and Adidas. His crypto success inspired both him and Laban to explore blockchain more deeply.
Laban, now 55, is known for building Goldgenie, a luxury gold-plating company that secured investment on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. He’s used that experience to help guide the startup’s real-world expansion. Together, the father-son duo decided to enter healthcare, a sector they believed needed urgent help and offered real impact.
XRP Healthcare also created a crypto wallet that lets users manage digital tokens and access U.S. prescription discounts. It plans to link this to a new AI-powered app offering health tips and pharmacy deals. Despite a rocky token launch, they raised $380,000 and now plan to grow into Rwanda and Kenya.
