How Opian came to be.
From a single idea in 2022 to a platform now operating at national scale across Ethiopia, with expansion underway across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Opian founded
Zelalem Gizachew Belachew starts Opian Information Communication Tech PLC with a conviction: software should make existing health system processes faster and better, not ask people to learn a new way of working. Personal investment of ETB 500K. Focus: building ForLab+, a platform to automate government supply planning.
First deployment in Ethiopia
ForLab+ begins pilot with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. Integration with existing quarterly supply planning cycles. Early adopters: regional offices and district health offices using the system for demand forecasting and medicine procurement. Real-world feedback shapes product direction.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnership begins
BMGF recognizes ForLab+ as a sovereign supply chain solution aligned with national planning structures. Partnership funding enables scaling beyond pilot. Opian begins hiring engineering and delivery teams. Focus shifts to national rollout across Ethiopia.
National scale milestone
ForLab+ reaches 5,100+ health facilities across Ethiopia. ~7,000 active users spanning planners, pharmacists, and logisticians. Platform processing quarterly supply planning for all regions. Ministry of Health adopts ForLab+ as part of national supply chain architecture. Revenue growth to ETB 105.8M (FY 2025–26).
Link v1.0 enters testing
Clinical decision system for Ethiopian hospitals and health centres reaches version 1.0. 15 integrated modules from registration to pharmacy. CDSS engine covering 200+ primary care algorithms. Designed for offline-capable operation. Testing in select facilities to validate clinical workflows before national rollout.
Sub-Saharan Africa expansion
Phase 1: Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique (immediate). Phase 2: DRC, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe (12–18 months). Phase 3: Rwanda (mature product rollout). Each country deployment follows the same principle: align with existing ministry workflows, keep data sovereign, build measurable value.