French digital health insurer Alan has acquired Senegalese healthtech company Tanel, marking the company’s first expansion into Africa and adding a new cross-border exit to Francophone West Africa’s startup ecosystem. Tanel operates in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, where it provides digital health coverage tools for employers and employees while connecting members to a broad network of pharmacies and healthcare providers. The transaction gives Alan an established regional platform, local operating expertise, and access to healthcare relationships that can support a wider African expansion strategy.
Alan Enters the African Market
Founded in France, Alan has built a digital health insurance model that combines coverage with preventive services and technology designed to improve access to care. The company already serves more than 1.2 million members across France, Spain, Belgium, and Canada, and the Tanel acquisition extends that footprint into a region where digital insurance and healthcare infrastructure are still developing. Alan has identified Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire as attractive markets, citing a combined health insurance opportunity of roughly €600 million and annual growth of about 10%.
Tanel’s Growth in West Africa
Tanel was founded in 2021 by Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop to modernize how companies manage employee healthcare and how workers access medical services. The company initially developed solutions around pharmacy operations before expanding its platform across the wider patient journey and building direct relationships with healthcare providers. It now serves around 70,000 members across more than 400 companies and connects users with more than 1,200 pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
From Investor to Acquirer
Alan’s relationship with Tanel began before the acquisition, with the French company participating in Tanel’s 2024 seed funding round and subsequently working closely with its founders. That earlier investment gave Alan greater familiarity with Tanel’s technology, market knowledge, and operating model as the startup expanded its presence in West Africa. The acquisition therefore builds on an existing strategic relationship rather than introducing the two companies to each other for the first time.
Integration and Product Development
Following the transaction, Tanel will continue operating with its existing team while gaining access to Alan’s technology, product capabilities, and broader resources. The two companies plan to integrate parts of their offerings, improve the digital patient experience, and expand services such as telehealth and preventive healthcare support. Tanel’s local network and market knowledge are expected to complement Alan’s digital insurance infrastructure as the combined business develops a broader healthcare proposition for African employers and members.
Expansion Ambitions
The companies intend to strengthen their positions in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire before pursuing expansion into additional African markets. Their longer-term objective is to reach more than one million members across Africa by 2030, using Tanel’s regional experience as a foundation for further growth. The strategy is expected to combine local partnerships, technology-led service delivery, and a broader range of healthcare products as Alan develops its presence on the continent.
Founders and Investors Remain Central
Ndoye and Diop will continue leading Tanel’s operations and supporting Alan’s expansion in Africa, while Tanel’s workforce is expected to remain in place. The acquisition also creates an exit for Tanel’s founders and investors, including Ventures Platform, AAIC Investment, and several angel investors. For the region’s venture market, the deal offers another example of a locally built healthtech company attracting an international strategic buyer while preserving its operating team and growth mandate.
Alan’s acquisition of Tanel gives the French insurer an immediate foothold in West Africa and provides Tanel with additional technology, capital resources, and international operating experience. The deal also highlights the growing strategic value of healthtech platforms that combine insurance, digital infrastructure, and established healthcare networks in markets where access remains fragmented. If the integration progresses as planned, the combined business could become a significant player in expanding digital health coverage across Africa while strengthening a rare exit story for Francophone African technology.