Senegalese telecommunications leader Sonatel has spearheaded a $1 million funding round for Eyone, a healthtech company focused on digitizing medical processes and improving real-time access to patient records in Africa. The round included $855,000 from Sonatel’s Venture Innovation Fund (VIF) and $145,000 from BICIS, the Senegalese arm of BNP Paribas.
The funding is set to accelerate Eyone’s efforts to expand its reach across Africa, integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and enhance its ability to connect healthcare systems digitally. The move aligns with growing regional and global interest in leveraging technology to modernize healthcare delivery.
Founded in 2015 by Henri Ousmane Gueye and John Diatta, Eyone provides a platform that centralizes medical data, enabling healthcare providers and patients to access shared medical records seamlessly. The platform aims to address long-standing inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, such as redundant diagnostic tests and delays in obtaining patient histories.
The company’s flagship product, the Dossier Patient Unique Partagé (Shared Patient Record), has already been deployed in Senegal, where it serves as a critical tool for improving the quality and continuity of care.
“Patients often waste valuable time repeating medical histories and undergoing unnecessary tests, while healthcare professionals lack access to reliable data,” said Gueye. “Eyone’s solutions simplify these processes, ensuring faster, data-driven care.”
Eyone has expanded its operations beyond Senegal, establishing a presence in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, and France. This regional and international reach demonstrates the scalability of its solutions in both emerging and developed markets.
Sonatel, a subsidiary of the Orange Group, has positioned itself as a key player in digital transformation across West Africa. Its investment in Eyone indicates its commitment to fostering innovation that addresses critical societal needs. By supporting Eyone, Sonatel leverages its telecommunications expertise to help build a connected healthcare ecosystem.
BICIS, one of Senegal’s leading banks, has similarly shown its support for innovative ventures. Its financial backing of Eyone reflects confidence in the startup’s business model and its potential to contribute to Senegal’s digital and economic development.
Eyone plans to use the $1 million investment to:
- Expand Across Africa: Targeting new markets in West and Central Africa, where digital health infrastructure remains nascent.
- Integrate Artificial Intelligence: Incorporating AI to enhance decision-making, resource allocation, and predictive analytics for improved patient outcomes.
- Scale Workforce Capacity: Hiring specialized talent in technology, healthcare, and business development to sustain its rapid growth.
This multi-pronged strategy aims to position Eyone as a leader in digital health innovation across the continent.
Henri Ousmane Gueye, Eyone’s CEO, brings over a decade of experience in software engineering and entrepreneurship. After earning a master’s degree in software engineering in France, he worked at Capgemini, Lyxor, and BNP Paribas Arbitrage before co-founding Eyone.
Under Gueye’s leadership, Eyone has gained recognition for its contributions to healthcare innovation. In 2017, the company won the second prize in the national phase of the Orange MENA Social Entrepreneur Prize.
The funding round highlights a growing recognition of technology’s role in addressing healthcare challenges in Africa. By digitizing medical workflows and ensuring real-time access to data, Eyone’s solutions could reduce inefficiencies, improve patient care, and lay the groundwork for a more integrated health system.
Sonatel’s involvement signals broader opportunities for collaboration between telecommunications providers and healthtech startups in Africa. As Eyone scales its solutions and integrates AI, the company is poised to contribute meaningfully to the continent’s digital health transformation.
The investment reflects not only a vote of confidence in Eyone’s capabilities but also a step forward in addressing systemic healthcare issues through innovative solutions. With strong support from both private and financial sectors, Eyone’s journey may serve as a model for the future of healthtech in Africa.