Henri Ousmane Gueye is the winner of the 2024 Africa’s Business Heroes Grand Prize. He takes this win back to Senegal, where he is digitizing healthcare through his company, Eyone, and collaborating with stakeholders across government and the private sector. His journey has been anything but smooth. It has required risks, sacrifices, and unwavering determination. In the article below, we sit down with him as he reflects on co-founding and building Eyone, his experience applying to ABH three times, and the lessons he has learned about resilience and persistence. This victory is particularly significant as it marks the first for Francophone Africa.
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Eyone is transforming healthcare through digital solutions. What inspired you to launch the company, and what specific gaps in the industry were you aiming to address?
From the time I was in university, I have been deeply passionate about entrepreneurship, particularly the idea of creating something meaningful in my country. However, it was a personal tragedy that truly shaped my journey. I lost my mother-in-law to lupus, and during her care, we encountered numerous challenges. Her medical records were scattered across different hospitals, and there was no cohesive system to ensure continuity of care. This painful experience opened my eyes to the critical need for a connected healthcare system, one that ensures patients, doctors, insurers, and public institutions can access the right information at the right time. EYONE was born to address this fundamental lack of coordination within the healthcare system. We aim to digitize and connect the entire healthcare ecosystem to make care safer, more efficient, and accessible to everyone, especially in regions where health data is fragmented or still paper-based.
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After building a successful career in France, you decided to return to Senegal to launch Eyone. What motivated that decision, and what were the biggest adjustments you had to make as an entrepreneur back home?
I had built a comfortable life and career in France, but deep down, I always felt that my true impact would be in my home country. I wanted to contribute to something meaningful and help solve real problems, not only in my country but across the continent. The decision became even more personal after the loss of my mother-in-law. I realized that I couldn’t stay in my comfort zone and merely criticize the system back home while it was failing so many people. So, I made the difficult choice to leave behind financial stability and build EYONE from the ground up in Senegal.
The biggest challenge was learning to operate in an environment with fewer resources, less structure, and many informal dynamics. Things move at a different pace compared to France, where I had already established myself as an independent consultant. But I also discovered an incredible sense of resilience, creativity, and opportunity here. I had to unlearn some habits and adapt quickly, but it was all worth it.
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Senegal and Francophone Africa have unique healthcare and business landscapes. How has operating in this region shaped your approach, and what opportunities do you see for health tech innovation here?
Operating in Francophone Africa requires a pragmatic approach. We face challenges such as limited infrastructure and a lack of funding, but the demand for innovation is immense. As a result, we design solutions that are robust, scalable, and tailored to local realities, with an inclusive and iterative approach. What’s particularly exciting is that this region is primed for leapfrogging. We have the opportunity to implement smart, integrated, mobile-first health systems without the legacy constraints that other regions face. There is a significant opportunity for health tech to drive real systemic change, not just in care delivery, but also in financing, data-driven policymaking, and public health.
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Can you share with us who your clients are at the moment and the impact you have already had on the healthcare system in Senegal?
Our clients include both public and private health facilities, health insurance providers, mutual organizations, and government institutions. We also collaborate with SONATEL, one of our earliest partners, clients, and now a strategic investor.
Today, EYONE manages over one million patients through a digital healthcare platform that tracks their medical history, care journey, and access to services. We have digitized hundreds of facilities across Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Gabon, streamlining care, reducing fraud, and improving patient outcomes.
Our platform provides real-time data to support better decision-making for health authorities and enhances transparency and efficiency in reimbursements for insurers. Overall, we have fostered greater trust and coordination within a system that was once fragmented and largely paper-based.
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You operate at the intersection of healthcare and technology. What are some of the biggest challenges in driving digital adoption in this space, and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges is trust. Many stakeholders, especially in healthcare are used to paper-based systems and manual processes. There’s often resistance to change, especially from medical staff who are already overwhelmed. Infrastructure gaps are another issue: intermittent internet, unreliable power supply, and lack of digital skills can slow down adoption.
We overcome these challenges through a human-centered approach. We co-design with users, train them continuously, and make sure our tools solve real pain points. Our platform is intuitive and works even in low-connectivity environments. Having an interoperability engine certified by IHE standards has also helped. It allows us to integrate with existing systems and makes adoption smoother. But above all, we listen, we adapt, and we build trust over time.
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Eyone was not built alone. You have co-founders who have been part of this journey. How did you come together, and what makes your partnership work?
This kind of project is complex and to face it, you need strong bonds. People you can go to war with. The reason we’ve held on through all the ups and downs is because we’re childhood friends. The three of us grew up together, played together, and tried many other entrepreneurial ventures before EYONE.
Those deep roots are what keep us going in the toughest moments. We know each other inside out, strengths, weaknesses, limits and that allows us to truly complement one another. It’s not just a business partnership, it’s a brotherhood.
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You applied to Africa’s Business Heroes three times before winning. What kept you going despite the setbacks, and what did you learn from each attempt?
What kept me going was the conviction that what we’re building at EYONE matters. Even when we weren’t selected, I knew that our mission was real, urgent, and worth fighting for. Each attempt was a learning experience. The first time, we didn’t have enough traction. The second time, our business model was solid, but our biggest clients were still in the pipeline. Still, we used each rejection as an opportunity to grow — to refine our value proposition, deepen our impact, and become better storytellers.
By the third time, we weren’t just applying, we were ready. Ready with results, with clarity, and with the humility that only comes from failing and rising again. Sometimes, it’s not about proving yourself to others. It’s about proving to yourself that you won’t give up, that you stay focused on the mission because you know it can change your country and your continent.
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How has winning Africa’s Business Heroes changed the trajectory of Eyone? Are there new opportunities that are emerging as a result?
Winning Africa’s Business Heroes has been a turning point for EYONE. It gave us continental visibility and credibility, not just with investors, but also with governments, partners, and the general public. We felt that the entire country was proud of us as the first Francophone country to win this award. We received so many messages of support, and it felt like a strong signal for the entire local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Since the win, we’ve seen new opportunities, and even some previously blocked projects are now moving forward. We’re getting invitations to collaborate, to share our expertise, and to adapt our platform to new contexts. It also gave our team a huge confidence boost. It confirmed that we’re not just solving a local problem, we’re building something that can scale across Africa.
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Resilience is a key theme in your journey. Can you share a moment when you almost gave up, and what ultimately pushed you to keep going?
There was a moment when I had lost almost everything, financially and emotionally. I had invested years of my life, sacrificed personal comfort, and yet things still weren’t working as planned. Our vision was clear, but the reality on the ground was incredibly tough.
My wife was raising our children alone while I was building EYONE from the ground up in Senegal. I seriously questioned whether I could keep going. But what pushed me forward was the deep belief that if we could make this work, we could save lives and make Africa a better place to live for our families.
Another key factor was the presence of a few strong partners who truly believed in us and in our commitment. In those low moments, they had the right words, the kind that reach your heart and remind you why you started. In the end, resilience for me has never been about being unbreakable. It’s about remembering your why, and knowing that giving up would mean betraying that reason.
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What are your next big goals for Eyone? Where do you see the company in the next five years?
Over the next five years, we want EYONE to become the leading digital health platform across Francophone Africa. Our main goals are to expand into at least five new countries, deepen the integration of healthcare financing into our platform, and continue building an AI-driven infrastructure that supports clinical decisions and improves patient outcomes. We also aim to work more closely with governments to co-create digital public infrastructure that supports universal health coverage. Our mission is not just to connect systems, it’s to make healthcare safer, more accessible, and more efficient for everyone. In five years, we want EYONE to be recognized not only as a tech company, but as a driving force behind a more connected, equitable healthcare system across the continent.
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What advice would you give to entrepreneurs, particularly in Francophone Africa, who are facing repeated setbacks in their journey?
First, know that setbacks are part of the journey. They don’t mean you’re not good enough, they mean you’re trying to do something that matters. In Francophone Africa, the road is harder. We often start with less: less capital, less exposure, fewer support systems. But we have something powerful : grit, creativity, and a deep understanding of our communities.
There were times I doubted everything. When I lost my savings. When I saw people I love suffer because the system I was trying to fix wasn’t working yet. And still, I had to wake up and keep building, not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.
What kept me going wasn’t just vision. It was the people around me : my co-founders, my wife, early believers and the sense that quitting would mean letting down not just myself, but all those who trusted that we could change things. So my advice is this: build with people you trust. Focus on solving real problems. Stay humble, but never small. And remember: your journey isn’t just yours, it might open the door for someone else tomorrow.
