Emna Jellouli’s career has taken an unexpected path. Today, she is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Smart Med SA, the start-up which has developed the e-health platform med.tn. She began her career with a master's degree in biotechnology from the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, joining her family’s business in distribution of medical equipment. In this role, she led the company to expand, including manufacturing and exporting medical sinks.

However, in 2017, she ventured into a new professional endeavor, joining the media industry as the marketing manager of Express FM, a Tunisian radio station focused on economics. Always a scientist at heart, Mrs. Jellouli also started collaborating with two friends on a project called med.tn, to connect patients to doctors, pharmacies, and paramedical directories, and offer them health-related quality content.

In 2019, Mrs. Jellouli launched Smart Med SA to exclusively manage med.tn. Smart Med SA raised 2,000,000 TND to take the platform med.tn to the next level. The core foundation of the company's business model rested on establishing partnerships with advertisers, including health insurance companies and para-pharmaceutical brands. Having considerable experience in the medical field and a valuable network that she developed during her time in the media industry, Mrs. Jellouli assumed the position of marketing and communications manager of the company.

Within a few months, the start-up witnessed great success, attracting more than 800,000 visitors and engaging with nearly 7,000 specialists and health care providers. It quickly became a reliable reference for people searching for medical advice. In fact, participants from eight countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Algeria were using med.tn to make online appointments, seek medical advice, and receive confidential answers from verified doctors. 

However, to expand their activities in Africa and the rest of the world, the company needed to comply with Tunisian regulations according to the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data (INPDP) and international data security standards. 

In 2020, JOBS helped the company set up an implementation process for ISO 27001 standards and for obtaining the European Union's Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) certification. JOBS also awarded a grant to the company to help update and restructure its online platform and its data-management system. 

Thanks to JOBS’ assistance, Smart Med SA protects its clients’ sensitive medical data and now provides better services.

“In February 2023, we added a new feature in our solution for doctors to manage appointments and patients’ data and we are currently seeking to promote it in Tunisia and abroad. Our growth would most likely have stagnated without the support of JOBS.”
Emna Jellouli
Co-founder – Smart Med SA