Senphytomed is a small but rapidly growing company proudly based in Senegal. It’s aim is revolutionizing the use of medicinal plants in the cosmetic and dietary supplement industry. Established with a focus on promoting local Senegalese plants and integrating them into valuable products, the company has already made a significant impact on the national market. With two permanent employees and three part-time workers, Senphytomed processes Moringa oleifera, Senna italica, and Daucus carota to create a range of natural products that are gaining recognition.
Aliou Diallo, is one of the founders and says that he is proud to be bringing the benefits of these Senegalese plants to the world: “Our knowledge of these plants was further reinforced during our training in the Master of Phytotherapy and Cosmetology at the University of Dakar. Although these plants are already used here in the fields of pharmacy and cosmetics, our objective is to develop our products internationally.”
In 2019, Senphytomed participated in the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) program. The KIC program provided the business with tools and insights that proved transformative. “The course content was enriching and addressed the concerns of entrepreneurs,” Aliou recalls. The program allowed Senphytomed to transition from prototype development to full expansion. Using the all-important business model canvas learned during the course, the company was able to better identify product-market fit, ensuring their offerings met the needs of their growing customer base.
The support from KIC didn’t stop there. At the conclusion of the program, Senphytomed was awarded $10,000 in funding, which helped fuel the development of new products. But for Aliou it was the KIC network that proved invaluable, connecting the company to other businesses in the ecosystem. “Companies like Senbioagro that we met during the KIC programme were in the same field as us, and we were able to share our experiences together and support each other in the areas of packaging and product analysis. These links and skill exchanges have proved extremely useful.”
Despite being in the early stages of its growth, Senphytomed is ambitious. The company’s long-term goal is to penetrate both national and international markets, growing from a small business into a medium-sized enterprise and helping Senegal to be recognised on the world stage. The aim is to break into large retailers, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical wholesalers while increasing production levels without compromising quality.
Aliou says that each day at Senphytomed brings its own challenges and is typically a flurry of activity. “It’s always a busy day with work in the office! The biggest fear I have is not receiving enough orders during the day and needing to catch up the next day. For the manager, it is a daily challenge to find a balance between product sales and merchandise purchases.”
Despite the occasional sales challenge, Aliou is grateful for the opportunities that KIC have afforded the Senphytomed team and recommends that any aspiriring entrepreneur takes the plunge and signs up with KIC. “In my opinion it is an interesting and valuable experience for all entrepreneurs regardless of the stage that their particular project is at. The program helps to perfect the level as a startup but also to lead them to other phases and allow them to do that with support and learning, which is always the most effective.”