PIC CAPTIONS: Fares Messedi, founder and CEO at Saydalid, a health tech startup that is using an innovative Saas to revolutionize how pharmacists and patients interact with each other. Image: Supplied / Saydalid
Fares Messedi, founder and CEO at Saydalid is thrilled at the traction and attention his startup is receiving since his startup won the AfricArena Best Health Tech Startup at this year’s AfricArena Tunis Deep Tech & AI. He speaks to AfricArena’s Jabulile Sonya Ngwenya about why Saydalid’s innovative system is making waves within Tunisia’s pharmaceutical sector.
Fares says Saydalid is “a digital platform designed to empower pharmacists by enhancing their daily operations and patient interactions.” In essence, Saydalid is an innovative Saas model that provides a stimulated experience of interacting with a pharmacist at the counter.
Fares who is a pharmacist and entrepreneur shares that after he and his two co-founders, Rayen Miaoui, also a pharmacists and Iyadh Khalfallah a software engineer witnessed some of the challenges both pharmacists and patients experienced at the counter without sufficient digital assistance, they decided to find a solution, and the result was the creation and launch of Saydalid into the Tunisian tech ecosystem. “We saw a clear need for a solution that could empower pharmacists with real-time tools to improve decision-making, streamline operations, and enhance patient care. This shared experience motivated us to create a platform that addresses these gaps and elevates the overall quality of service in pharmacies.”
The co-founding trio bootstrapped and launched Saydalid during the pandemic. Recalling the experience, Faresi chuckles. “We initially built Saydalid using our own funds, completely bootstrapping the startup. This approach required us to be resourceful and strategic in our development, prioritizing essential features and minimizing expenses while maximizing our impact. By relying on our personal investments, we maintained full control over our vision and direction, which allowed us to develop a product that truly reflects the needs of pharmacists and their patients.”
Saydalid which launched during the pandemic is emerging as a leader within Africa's pharmaceutical market, currently estimated at $13.54 billion and expected to keep growing, reaching a market value of $16.38 billion by 2029. Fares admits launching their startup during the pandemic was an eye-opening experience as “it presented unique challenges and opportunities. On one hand, the global health crisis highlighted the urgent need for digital solutions in healthcare, as pharmacists faced unprecedented pressures and the demand for efficient, accessible services surged. This environment motivated us to rapidly develop and deploy our platform, ensuring that pharmacists could better serve their patients with the necessary tools and resources. However, we also encountered obstacles as building a cohesive team in a virtual setting required innovative communication strategies and a strong commitment to our shared vision.”
Each co-founder brings unique expertise to the table to ensure Saydalid remains a continuously interactive, robust, innovative cutting edge digital platform tailored to the real, day-to-day needs of pharmacists and patients.
“I've always been fascinated by technology, and pharmacy is my true calling—it’s my choice of heart. I’ve long believed in the potential of pharmacy and its critical role in a country’s healthcare system. I wanted to drive meaningful change, to be the change I want to see in the world,” Fares tells AfricArena. “As this is our first entrepreneurial venture, we’re experiencing it intensely. The journey is both challenging and incredibly rewarding, fuelling my passion to make a lasting impact through Saydalid and to empower pharmacists to deliver the best possible care.”
“Our solution integrates seamlessly into the pharmacy's workflow, providing personalized product recommendations, stock management tools, and decision support systems,” says Fares. “We focus on improving patient outcomes by offering expert advice on medication, dietary supplements, and health products, while ensuring strict adherence to regulations.”
Fares tells AfricArena that with “features like customizable recommendations, contraindication warnings, and access control for team members, Saydalid helps pharmacists streamline processes and deliver consistent, high-quality service to their patients. Additionally, Saydalid offers valuable insights through data analytics, enabling pharmacies to optimize their operations, improve customer satisfaction, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.”
Every founder recalls that pivotal moment where everything clicked in place and they were encouraged to keep on innovating and making a difference. “We realized the need for Saydalid when we began collecting feedback from our first users. The responses highlighted how significantly our product aided them in their daily activities, allowing them to provide better advice and support to their patients. Hearing about their improved workflows and enhanced patient interactions confirmed our belief that there was a genuine demand for a solution that streamlines pharmacy operations and empowers pharmacists with the tools they need to deliver optimal care. I recall a specific case where a pharmacist using Saydalid was able to detect serious drug interactions for a patient. Thanks to the insights provided by our platform, the pharmacist intervened promptly to correct the prescription, ensuring the patient's safety and well-being.”
These positive user feedback spurred the Saydalid team on to ensure their solution continuously meets and exceeds client expectations.
Winning the Best Health Tech Award at the AfricArena Tunis Deep Tech & AI Summit has made a difference to us, Fares tells AfricArena. “It has provided us with greater visibility and recognition for the hard work we’ve put into developing our platform. Additionally, the exposure we gained at AfricArena has opened doors for us on an international level, allowing us to connect with a wider audience and showcase our innovative solution to a global market. This recognition has been instrumental in attracting attention to our mission, further motivating us to continue refining and expanding Saydalid to meet the evolving needs of pharmacists and their patients.”
Saydalid’s most recent business achievement “is securing a strategic partnership with the leading ERP pharmacy management system in Tunisia. This collaboration allows us to further streamline pharmacy operations by integrating our platform seamlessly with existing systems, enhancing the efficiency and precision of stock management, and improving decision support for pharmacists.”
Fares says bootstrapping their venture gave them “an inherent advantage” during the funding winter. “Our operations were already designed to be lean and resilient without relying on external investment. We focused on efficiency, prioritizing essential features, and carefully allocating resources to ensure sustainable growth. This approach allowed us to be flexible and adaptive, navigating challenges with minimal financial risk.”
A day in the lives of the co-founders, Fares shares, “is not complete without at least one interaction with a user, whether it’s gathering feedback or welcoming a new pharmacy to our platform.” Customer engagement, he says is important to be able to “deeply understand their needs and ensure Saydalid evolves to support them effectively.”
Since the team is young, the biggest challenge they have faced in their startup journey in what they view as the ‘traditionally rigid field of pharmacy’ are the “significant challenges rooted in age-related biases as this industry places high value on experience, which initially made it difficult for us to gain credibility,” Fares says, “Additionally, accessing our clients wasn’t always straightforward; many pharmacists are in remote areas, making it challenging to reach them consistently. The national economic crisis also posed difficulties, as investors have become more cautious and seek greater security before committing funds.”
The team’s response to these challenges, he says, is rooted in “resilience, unwavering consistency, taking calculated risks, trusting our instincts, and remaining steadfast in our mission. Staying true to our vision and maintaining a persistent work ethic has allowed us to steadily overcome these obstacles, earning the trust of our clients and advancing our solution, step by step.”
As entrepreneurs, “we are constantly getting advice from all sides. But one of the best pieces of advice we received early on was surprisingly simple yet profoundly impactful: “If your startup fails, it’s because you built something people didn’t need. Focus on understanding what people truly want, go out, meet them, and challenge your assumptions.” This advice has been a guiding principle for us, driving us to stay close to our users, continually validate our ideas, and ensure that Saydalid addresses real, tangible needs.”
After a successful start, Saydalid is focused on expanding its client base and signing new partnerships, both within Tunisia and internationally. “We’re continuously developing new features to ensure that our product stays aligned with real market needs, making it increasingly valuable for pharmacists in their daily work, and we’re preparing for our upcoming funding round, which will enable us to accelerate product development, market expansion, and solidify Saydalid’s position as a trusted digital assistant for pharmacy professionals. Saydalid is looking to raise $80,000 in a seed round in 2025. These funds, he says, will be invested in product development, market expansion, and growth marketing. “This funding will enable us to accelerate our roadmap, enhance Saydalid’s features, expand into new markets, and increase awareness around the value our platform brings to pharmacists and their patients.”
Fares has a message for aspiring founders building tech solutions that serve the pharmaceutical industry, “Pharmacy is a sector that’s open to technology yet significantly underserved in many regions. My advice is to leave your desk and go meet your future users. Don’t talk too much—listen deeply. Try to understand their needs, knowing they may not always be able to articulate what they want. Ask open-ended questions and be curious. Also, don’t reinvent the wheel; instead, focus on building partnerships to accelerate your growth. Collaborating with industry players can open doors, speed up sales, and help establish trust more effectively in this field.”
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