Prosus-backed French healthtech company Alan has acquired Senegalese digital health provider Tanel, marking its first expansion into Africa and giving the European health insurer a foothold in Francophone West Africa.

The deal comes as global investors increasingly target Africa’s digital health and insurance markets, where technology is being used to improve access to healthcare and streamline coverage.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Tanel was valued at about $7.5 million in a 2024 fundraising round. The transaction also represents a notable exit for early investors including Nigeria-based Ventures Platform and Japan’s AAIC, a healthcare-focused investor active in Africa.

Alan’s African expansion

Tanel will be rebranded under the Alan name, while co-founders Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop will remain involved in the business and lead its African operations. The company plans to use Senegal as a base for expansion into English-speaking markets in West and East Africa.

Tanel, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Dakar, provides digital tools that help companies manage employee health coverage while giving workers easier access to healthcare. It operates in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire and serves about 70,000 people across more than 400 companies, with a network of more than 1,200 pharmacies and healthcare providers.

Its customers include ride-hailing company Yango and fast-food chain KFC. Ndoye said Alan and Tanel initially discussed a Series A funding round before deciding an acquisition would offer greater strategic value.

A $5.5 billion healthtech company

Alan was founded in France in 2016 by Jean-Charles Samuelian and Charles Gorintin. The company combines health insurance, healthcare access and prevention through a single digital platform rather than treating them as separate services.

Alan now serves more than 1 million members across France, Spain, Belgium and Canada, providing insurance services to corporate customers including Volkswagen Spain and France’s finance ministry.

In June, Alan raised €480 million ($555 million) in a Series G funding round led by Prosus, valuing the company at €5.5 billion ($6.3 billion). Prosus invested €400 million ($463 million) in the round, which also included Teachers’ Venture Growth, Index Ventures and Dara Holdings.

Alan reported more than €800 million ($926 million) in annual recurring revenue in the first quarter of 2026 and said it was profitable in France.

Africa becomes the next growth market

The Tanel acquisition gives Alan access to a young and rapidly digitizing African healthcare market while extending its prevention-focused insurance model beyond Europe and North America.

The deal also comes amid rising investment by prominent footballers in African technology. Kylian Mbappé, France’s national team captain, became an Alan investor and ambassador in March, joining other footballers among the company’s backers.

Prosus, the Amsterdam-based global technology investor, led Alan’s latest funding round as part of its broader strategy around technology, AI and consumer platforms. The acquisition positions Alan to use Tanel’s Senegalese base as a launchpad for a broader African healthtech expansion.