Tanel, the Senegalese digital health insurer founded to address gaps in the country’s largely paper-based health coverage system, has been acquired by French insurer Alan in a deal that could accelerate the company’s expansion across Africa. Tanel has built a network connecting patients to more than 1,200 pharmacies and healthcare providers and now covers about 70,000 people through more than 400 companies.
Founded in 2021 by Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop, Tanel set out to improve how employers manage health coverage for their workers. The founders initially tried to address healthcare challenges through in-home primary care and prescription delivery but found that the infrastructure needed to support those services was limited. They instead decided to build that infrastructure, starting with pharmacy management software before expanding across the wider patient journey.
The acquisition by Alan now gives Tanel a larger platform from which to develop that model and enter new markets.
Building a wider digital healthcare network
Tanel operates as a licensed insurer and carries the insurance risk itself, rather than simply administering coverage for another underwriter. The company mainly provides health plans to employers and has developed its own network of pharmacies, hospitals and clinics in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
This model allows covered patients to access healthcare directly without paying upfront and later seeking reimbursement. Tanel currently connects its users to more than 1,200 pharmacies and healthcare providers and covers approximately 70,000 lives. About 30,000 are paying customers, with policies also covering spouses and children.
Tanel was profitable in 2025, according to Ndoye, although the company did not disclose its revenue. At the time of the acquisition, Senegal accounted for 90% of its revenue, while Côte d’Ivoire contributed 10%.
The company raised $2.45 million before the acquisition, including $350,000 in pre-seed funding and $2.1 million in a 2024 seed round. Tanel was valued at $7.5 million during the 2024 fundraising.
Ndoye said the company had initially planned to raise a Series A, but discussions with Alan presented a stronger opportunity for growth. “That was actually our initial plan earlier this year,” he said. “But as we were discussing with Alan, we realised that it was a great opportunity to join forces because Alan has evolved beyond just health insurance.”
Tanel will be rebranded under the Alan name, while Ndoye and Diop will remain as general managers and report directly to Alan Chief Executive Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve. The existing Tanel team will also move into equivalent roles at Alan, with the business expected to remain operationally autonomous.
Alan gains entry into African market
For Alan, the acquisition provides its first entry into Africa and a foothold in francophone West Africa. The company serves more than 1 million members across France, Spain, Belgium and Canada, with corporate clients including Volkswagen Spain and France’s finance ministry.
The transaction follows Alan’s €580 million funding round, which valued the company at €5.5 billion. Alan generates about €840 million in annual recurring revenue but remains loss-making. Its backers include Index Ventures, Prosus and French footballer Kylian Mbappé, who is also an investor and ambassador.
Samuelian-Werve said the relationship between the two companies developed over about 18 months before the acquisition. “The compatibility of our approaches made this a natural fit,” he said.
The deal is also a notable exit for Tanel’s early investors, including Nigeria-based Ventures Platform and Japan’s AAIC, a healthcare-focused investor active in Africa.
Tanel’s acquisition comes as Senegal and other francophone African markets attract growing interest from European footballers and international investors. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, Barcelona defender Jules Koundé and AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan have invested in Senegalese cloud communications company LAfricaMobile and previously backed logistics company Paps Logistics.
Other footballers have invested across the continent, including Édouard Mendy in Ivorian payments start-up Julaya, Wilfred Ndidi in Nigerian fantasy sports platform Fanbants, and Jeremie Frimpong in Ghanaian remote work company Remoteli. Former France international Blaise Matuidi and former England defender Kieran Gibbs also invested in Sudanese fintech Bloom, now known as Elevate.
