Senegal - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Sammanté has developed a digital health voucher system, aiming at providing individuals in vulnerable situations with the means to cover their medical expenses effectively. The platform formalizes and digitizes existing informal support networks.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Our solution revolves around the implementation of a digital health voucher system, aimed at providing individuals in vulnerable situations with the means to cover their medical expenses effectively. We've devised a platform that formalizes and digitizes existing informal support networks. Through this system, sponsors, whether individuals or organizations, can purchase health vouchers for beneficiaries. These vouchers serve as a financial resource that can be easily exchanged for electronic funds when medical needs arise, ensuring a transparent and efficient process. To enhance accessibility, we provide a 24/7 operational assistance system via WhatsApp, available in written and oral formats, and in local languages. Moreover, our solution promotes freedom of choice by allowing beneficiaries to utilize their vouchers at any public healthcare facility equipped for electronic transactions, thereby eliminating the constraints of an exclusive provider network.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The central challenge we aim to address is the lack of effective universal healthcare coverage systems, a widespread challenge across developing countries, including Senegal. Statistics from the World Bank indicate alarming rates of poverty, with 32.9% of Senegal's population living below the $1.9 PPP threshold in 2019, despite some poverty reduction progress. This vulnerable group struggles to access essential services such as food, education, healthcare, nutrition, water, sanitation, and electricity, forcing many Senegalese to abandon education for unstable jobs to support their families. Currently, existing private and mandatory insurance mainly serves formal workers, leaving over 84% of the population uninsured. Healthcare costs are excessive, with many allocating more than 50% of their annual income to healthcare, exacerbating financial instability. Consequently, individuals rely on informal support networks, including family, friends, and employers, to cover healthcare needs.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

> End-to-End 100% digital process - same day payments to health providers or refunds if costs have been covered by the beneficiary. Sign up, payments and claims all processed digitally > Accessibility - unlike standard insurance or similar products, there is no closed network of health providers we work with. Beneficiaries can go to any public health facility/provider, hence increasing their options when it comes to choosing a health provider by multiple folds > Reactivity and choice of communication channels - our support service is available 24/7 over traditional communication channels but also platforms such as WhatsApp where illiterate people can chat with us using voice notes in French or local languages

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our social business primarily benefits individuals in vulnerable situations, particularly those in the informal sector with limited access to healthcare coverage. We target low-income families, informal workers, and marginalized communities in urban and rural areas across Senegal. By providing affordable and accessible healthcare solutions, we aim to empower these individuals and improve their overall well-being.

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-01-01

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Sammanté was created within Haskè Ventures, a venture studio dedicated to creating and supporting businesses in Senegal and Francophone West Africa. Haskè Ventures focuses on high-impact sectors such as education, healthcare, financial inclusion, climate, logistics, among others, providing valuable resources, mentorship, and support to help startups thrive. Haskè group is partly owned by Madjiguene Sock who is a seasoned entrepreneur and senior business executive. Her track record includes setting up a consulting firm in West Africa starting in Senegal and expanding to three other countries in the region; launching and managing a chain of coffee shops in Dakar; and co-founding the Women’s Investment Club Senegal including WIC Capital, a fund focused on women-owned ventures in Senegal and Côte d‘Ivoire. She has designed numerous programs and initiatives to strengthen the private sect Website: https://www.haskeventures.com/

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.sammante.sn

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

f) Healthcare (healthcare equipment and services)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

The service has been designed around the needs of the underserved and vulnerable populations. Allowing them to enjoy minimal health services which they do not have access to - for many reasons but mostly because of cost.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

3

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

3

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Our activity will create employment directly and indirectly while creating much needed services/products in the health sector

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Digitalising the process of subscribing to this type of service, process claims and payments is highly novel. This is possible as our product is not an insurance product per se, a sector that still functions in a very old-fashion way in our markets - brick and mortar businesses, paper heavy processes, etc.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

We definitely, through our service, contribute to reducing inequalities when it comes to health and the observed impacts on the different socio-economical strata of society

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

2

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

2

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

In this rollout phase of the project, we actively work with partners/stakeholders of the value chain - partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, health service providers, insurers and other players - so as to improve general healthcare access

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

2

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

2

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

2

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

2

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our product, although simple, is a major innovation in the space when comparing it to others. Regular insurance plans are priced higher, offer better coverage but only cater to a very small pool of the population (mostly people who have a status of employee or working in their own capacity but having the means to pay high premiums). On the other hand, there are very cheap insurance products usually subsidised by the state, for the more vulnerable part of the population - problem here is that claims/reimbursements etc take a lot of time to be processed and overall service/experience is bad. We have identified that the market would welcome a mid-range priced product, offering better coverage than the existing lower-end plans, being fully digital, reachable 24/7 and being able to payout claims or reimburse within a 24hr window. Additionally, we converse with clients in their language of choice (french or wolof) and made it so illiterate people can use the service with no ext assistance

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Pl see answer above

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?