If there was one industry that I always wish technology would make easy, it is the health industry. And so far, with the rise of HealthTech startups, it seem my wish would be granted.
Allodoc is a HealthTech startup based in Cameroon and founded by a Medical student. The company seeks to improve the healthiness of users and improves medical awareness. It does all of this by leveraging technology.
In a chat with TechMoran, Temgoua Sonfack who is the founder of Allodoc shared what propelled it’s creation, how it is being funded and their future plans. Do enjoy.
In just a sentence, pitch your startup to us.
Allodoc is the solution to improve our medical daily through a mobile application, a web application and an offline component
Why did you choose the HealthTech industry to launch a startup? Was it triggered by any personal experience?
I am a medical student, specifically in dental surgery and it is around my theoretical and practical training at the Université des Montagnes that I realized that better could be done to alleviate the health problems in Africa especially with the rise of digital. The deaths and medical complications I was confronted with each day affected me a lot and I decided to help to remedy this, not only as a dentist but as a tech-lover. And so I chose the field of e-health to reach a large number of people and improve their medical daily.
Since the launch of Allodoc, how has growth been? Impressive, or not?
The launch of the prototype of the service proposed in the city of Bangangté in the West of Cameroon has received good feedback and currently we are lacing official platform throughout the department of MIFI which counts more than 85 trainings which we register with the signed agreement of each responsible.
The population of the MIFI and even those passing through the department will be able to locate local health facilities and make medical appointments. It’s just fantastic.
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What do you think of as the greatest challenge in the Health sector of Africa?
The biggest challenge in the health sector in Africa is the timely care of people in need of care.
Tell us about the team behind Allodoc.
The team behind Allodoc is made up of young and brilliant Cameroonians who are passionate and motivated by the idea of improving the health system: they are mainly NOUTSA Stéphane (programmer), TCHUISSEU Mathieu (communication and of finance), TEMGOUA Martial (marketing) and myself (promoter).
How is Allodoc funded? Bootstrapped, or otherwise?
Allodoc is funded by bootstrapping
How do you feel pitching your startup at the Seedstars Douala event?
Having the opportunity to pitch at the seedstars event for me is a great honor, I feel a little anxious but it will go, I will give everything and carry high the values of Allodoc.
What is the greatest challenge Allodoc has faced since its launch?
The biggest challenge is financing. For the time being, we are working with the capital that we have been able to harvest but this is still insufficient to carry out this project.
What are your short and long term goals as a startup?
In the short term, to have a database containing the updated list of the legal health facilities of the country, the facilitation of the making of appointments. In the long term, job creation and we intend to become an emergency standard for better management of emergencies.
If there was one thing you could have done differently since you started Allodoc, what would it be?
Before starting, I first spent a year asking myself questions like:
a. Would it work?
b. What will people say about me?
c. Will I have the funds to get started?
If it were to be done again, I would not lose a year to ask myself questions, I would launch directly.
Do you think there are enough HealthTech companies around to serve the target population?
In the end the target population is global so you will agree with me that there is not yet enough Health tech society to serve this population.
Tell us your believed recipe for success.
I would not speak of secrecy or magic but rather of motivation because my motivation, which motivates us all is the satisfaction of our common interest (helping to build a better health system) and satisfaction of the personal interest of each.
