SENEGAL—Global health insurance company Alan has completed the acquisition of Tanel, a Dakar-based digital health company operating in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, marking Alan’s first expansion into Africa and a significant exit for Francophone Africa’s healthtech sector.
Founded in 2021 by Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop, Tanel developed digital tools to help companies manage employee health coverage and give workers easier access to healthcare.
The platform has grown to serve about 70,000 members across more than 400 companies and connects users with more than 1,200 pharmacies and healthcare providers in the two countries.
Alan first invested in Tanel during its 2024 seed funding round and subsequently worked closely with its founders.
Through the partnership, Alan gained insight into Tanel’s technology, local expertise and relationships within the healthcare sector.
The acquisition provides Alan with an established platform from which to expand into sub-Saharan Africa.
It also gives the company access to a team familiar with local healthcare systems, regulations, and customer needs.
Plans for expansion
Following the acquisition, Tanel will continue operating with its existing team, while gaining access to Alan’s technology, product expertise and resources.
The companies aim to reach more than one million members across Africa by 2030.
The companies will initially strengthen their operations in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire before expanding into English speaking markets in West and East Africa.
They also plan to integrate their products, improve the digital patient experience and introduce additional services, including telehealth and preventive healthcare support.
Alan currently serves more than 1.2 million members across France, Spain, Belgium and Canada.
Its model combines health insurance with preventive services designed to encourage people to address health concerns earlier.
Alan said the health insurance market in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire is worth nearly €600 million (US$698 million) and is growing by approximately 10% annually.
The company plans to build on Tanel’s healthcare partnerships and local expertise as it introduces its services to the African market.
Founders to lead African operations
Alan CEO and co founder Jean Charles Samuelian Werve said the acquisition would help the company bring its approach to healthcare to new markets.
“Technology can help deliver that at scale, but it has to be paired with teams that understand their markets,” he said, adding that Tanel had built strong relationships with users, companies, healthcare providers and regulators.
Ndoye and Diop will continue to lead Tanel’s operations and Alan’s expansion in Africa, supported by Alan’s international teams.
Tanel’s entire workforce will remain with the company.
The founders said they created Tanel after identifying gaps in healthcare infrastructure and began developing solutions for pharmacies before expanding across the wider patient journey.
“Joining forces gives us more technology and resources to move faster,” they said.
Investors secure exit
The acquisition also provides an exit for Tanel’s founders and investors, including Ventures Platform, AAIC Investment, and angel investors Dr Mussaad M. Al Razouki, Alyune Blondin Diop, and Charles “Chuck” Slaughter.
Dotun Olowoporoku, Managing Partner at Ventures Platform, said African technology companies continue to see relatively few exits, particularly in Francophone Africa.
He said Alan’s acquisition demonstrates the potential of locally built companies to create long-term value and could encourage more investment in businesses addressing essential services across the continent.
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