On September 2, the French health insurance unicorn Alan announced it was acquiring Tanel, a paperless health insurance startup serving Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa. But the most interesting part of the story isn’t the acquisition; it’s what it took to get here. Tanel pivoted through four different business models in as many years before it finally landed on the one that worked. Today on the Africa Health Ventures podcast, we speak with Tanel’s founder and CEO, Mouhamed Ndoye, about the pivots, the early believers, the ones who told him “this will never work,” and the strategy that eventually led him to unlock product-market fit. This isn’t a story about an acquisition; it’s a story about learning a market deeply enough to know when to pivot – and when to double down. IN THIS EPISODE (02m42s) From New York to Senegal: Mouhamed shares his origin story as a member of the diaspora who decided to return to Senegal amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (07m39s) Building the roads before the cars: From in-home primary care and prescription delivery to pharmacy software and digital insurance claims, Mouhamed unpacks the many pivots of Tanel before it eventually became a paperless health insurer. (13m24s) The first big break: Mouhamed recalls how Tanel landed its first major corporate client, KFC, by tackling a pain point felt deeply by human resources departments within large and small businesses. (15m43s) That time we almost didn’t make it: a candid look at the moments when Tanel was on the brink of running out of cash and the early backing from the Silicon Valley incubator On Deck Health that allowed the company to survive. On Deck Health was led by Owen Willis, who now runs Opal Ventures and continues to invest in US pre-seed healthtechs. (19m13s) From early investor to acquirer: Inside Alan’s acquisition of Tanel: Mouhamed shares how Tanel met Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve (“JC”), the founder of the French health insurance unicorn Alan, and how he pitched the Africa opportunity. (24m32s) Beyond the exit: the impact that lasts: Mouhamed reflects on the real-world impact of making healthcare paperless and painless, including an encounter with an early skeptic now turned champion. (29m30s) Founder to Watch: Jessica Long and Sidy Niang of Maad If you enjoyed this conversation about building and scaling health insurance in Africa, check out similar interviews covering health insurance in Africa: Bente Krogmann of mTek, Ikpeme Neto of WellaHealth and Femi Kuti of Reliance Health. KEY QUOTES “When I was getting my apartment in Senegal, I told the landlord that I would only be there for three months. I actually put all my belongings in a storage unit in Austin, Texas. I kept that storage unit for five years. It’s only until last year that I finally got my stuff out of it.” “We realized we were building cars, but the roads didn’t exist. So we needed to build the roads.” “When you build a company, it’s ironic, but the people you love are trying to dissuade you from building the thing you love. And that’s what entrepreneurship is. You have to understand that. You have to know that there’s a reason why you want to start your own thing.” “When you build in an emerging market, the growth patterns can be exponential. Whereas if you’re building in a developed market, you’re competing against other companies that are very similar to you, and have the same financing as you. But when you’re building in emerging markets, you can be a leader very quickly. You can grow very quickly. Because your average competitor is 10 years behind.” About Tanel Founded in 2021, Tanel is a digital health company operating in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The company provides businesses, their employees and individuals with digital access to health coverage and care. The platform digitises coverage administration and the patient journey, including benefit tracking and access to pharmacies and healthcare providers. Tanel currently covers approximately 70,000 lives across more than 400 companies and connects users to a network of more than 1,200 pharmacies and providers. After starting with pharmacy management software, the company now aims to expand the digital infrastructure needed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible across Africa. About Alan Alan is the new standard in prevention insurance, and the first company that integrates insurance, prevention, digital health, and care into a single experience. Prevention insurance acts before you need it, because care should start before symptoms. Present in France, Spain, Belgium, and Canada, Alan now supports over 37,000 companies, as well as self-employed workers and retirees. In 2026, the company generated over €800 million in annual recurring revenue and is valued at €5.5 billion. CONNECT WITH AFRICA HEALTH VENTURES Africa Health Ventures invests in high-growth healthcare businesses to improve health for the next billion. 👍 Share your reaction to this podcast on LinkedIn 📰 Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about deals opportunities, and jobs relevant to healthcare ventures in Africa 🎙️ Subscribe to this podcast wherever you get your podcasts 🪙 Nominate an African startup for seed funding Get full access to Africa Health Ventures at rowenaluk.substack.com/subscribe
