Grace Ashiru
French health insurance company Alan has entered the African market following its acquisition of Senegalese digital health firm Tanel, giving the company an established presence in a West African health insurance market estimated at nearly €600 million.
The acquisition marks Alan’s first expansion into Africa and gives the company access to Tanel’s operations in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, where the health insurance market is estimated to be growing by about 10 percent annually.
Rather than establishing operations from the ground up, Alan will build on Tanel’s existing customer base, healthcare partnerships and knowledge of local regulations as it seeks to expand across the continent.
Tanel currently serves about 70,000 members from more than 400 companies and has a network of over 1,200 pharmacies and healthcare providers in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
Alan plans to introduce more of its technology and prevention-focused health services through the platform, including digital healthcare and telehealth solutions.
Alan co-founder and chief executive Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve said Tanel provides the company with an established foundation for its African expansion, particularly through relationships already developed with customers, healthcare providers and regulators.
The two companies have set a target of serving more than one million members across Africa by 2030. Their initial focus will be on expanding operations in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire before moving into English-speaking markets in West and East Africa.
Alan already serves more than 1.2 million members across France, Spain, Belgium and Canada, and its entry into Africa represents another stage in the company’s international expansion.
Tanel founders Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop will remain in charge of the company’s operations and will also lead Alan’s expansion across Africa. Tanel’s existing employees will be retained following the acquisition.
The transaction also provides an exit for some of Tanel’s early investors, including Ventures Platform and AAIC Investment.
Ventures Platform managing partner Dotun Olowoporoku described the deal as a significant development for the Francophone African technology ecosystem, where successful startup exits remain relatively uncommon.
The acquisition also highlights the growing strategic value of African health technology companies as international businesses seek established local platforms through which they can enter the continent.
Alan will now seek to turn Tanel’s existing infrastructure into a wider African health platform while adapting its insurance and preventive healthcare model to countries with different regulatory environments and levels of health insurance coverage.
The company is betting that combining its technology with Tanel’s established healthcare network and local market experience will allow it to expand more quickly across Africa and take advantage of the growing demand for health insurance and digital healthcare services.
