Cerballiance

What Cerballiance does

Cerballiance is a French private medical biology laboratory network operating as the community-based ("ville") division of Cerba Healthcare Gestion (GEIE), with headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux. The company runs a distributed platform of more than 700 local, COFRAC-accredited (NF EN ISO 15189) laboratories across metropolitan France and overseas territories (Réunion, Martinique), organized through 27 regional operational hubs. It serves approximately 70,000 patients per day with a workforce of 8,000 collaborators, offering routine biology, preventive care (Biopredix), fertility and spermiology testing through 17 dedicated PMA labs, pediatric services, oncology screening, gynecology, and infectious disease testing including COVID-19 PCR and STI screening.

The company's technology stack centers on a centralized Health Data Warehouse (Entrepôt de Données de Santé, CNIL-authorized under decision DT-2024-007) that has aggregated pseudonymized laboratory data network-wide since 1 January 2023, supported by the Espace Patient portal for result delivery, Doctolib-integrated appointment booking, online pre-registration, MSSanté-secured transmission to the national Dossier Médical Partagé, and home sampling logistics. Patient-experience services such as CerbaKids, CerbaZen (virtual reality for anxious patients), and CerbaMam differentiate the front-end experience. Website and patient portal infrastructure is hosted on AWS and Atos Infogérance respectively, with health data hosted by an HDS-certified European provider.

Cerballiance's revenue model is dominated by French social security billing under the Nomenclature des Actes de Biologie Médicale, with 60% covered by Sécurité Sociale and the residual ticket modérateur absorbed by supplementary mutuelles; full coverage applies for CMU/AME holders, ALD patients, maternity cases, and other exempted categories. Hors Nomenclature examinations, COVID-19 PCR without prescription (post-March 2025), and home visits without prescription are charged directly to patients. A secondary revenue stream is emerging through data-monetization: pseudonymized laboratory data is made available to pharmaceutical companies (Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Sobi, Diagnostica Stago) and academic partners under secured project spaces within the EDS, with CROs such as CEMKA and Héva operating as implementation partners.

Name

Cerballiance

Legal name

Cerba Healthcare Gestion, Groupement européen d'intérêt économique

Website

https://cerballiance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cerballiance operates France's largest private medical biology network of more than 700 COFRAC-accredited laboratories across metropolitan France and overseas territories, serving approximately 70,000 patients daily with routine, preventive, fertility, and specialized diagnostic testing reimbursed through the national health insurance system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Laboratory Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Reference & Esoteric Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAJ)

Keywords

• Medical biology services
• Clinical diagnostics
• Laboratory testing network
• Preventive health screenings
• Biological analysis services

Headquarters

HQ city

Issy-les-moulineaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical biology analysis services (Sécurité Sociale / Tiers Payant): Cerballiance operates as a French medical biology laboratory network billing under the French social security system. Examinations are covered at 60% by Sécurité Sociale (Health Insurance). The remaining balance (ticket modérateur) is covered by supplementary health insurance (mutuelle). The network practices tiered pricing (tiers payant) with Sécurité Sociale and most mutuelles. Certain examinations not covered by Assurance Maladie (Hors Nomenclature) are charged directly to patients.
2. Out-of-pocket examinations: Examinations classified as Hors Nomenclature (HN) are not covered by the Nomenclature des Actes de Biologie Médicale (NABM) and are charged directly to the patient. COVID-19 PCR tests without prescription are also charged to the patient unless eligible for full coverage.
3. Health data research services: Cerballiance participates in research projects where pseudonymized laboratory data is made available to pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and clinical research organizations under data access agreements. Data is processed within secured project spaces within the health data warehouse.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cerballiance operates France's largest network of community medical biology laboratories, providing routine and specialized diagnostic analyses (blood tests, fertility/spermiology, pediatrics, pregnancy biology, oncology screening, gynecology, preventive health checks, COVID-19 PCR and serology). Services are delivered via 700+ walk-in local laboratories with optional online appointment booking (Doctolib), home sampling, and a digital patient results portal (Espace Patient), plus specialized patient experience brands (CerbaKids, CerbaZen, CerbaMam). All laboratories are COFRAC-accredited under NF EN ISO 15189, and aggregate pseudonymized data feeds a CNIL-authorized Health Data Warehouse used for epidemiological research.

Product overview

Cerballiance operates as a network of over 700 medical analysis laboratories across France, offering a comprehensive portfolio of diagnostic and preventive health services. The core offering consists of routine and specialized biology testing, with patient-facing digital services including the Espace Patient portal for online result viewing, Doctolib-integrated appointment booking, and home blood draw services. Specialized care pathways include CerbaKids (pediatric services with playful environments), CerbaZen (virtual reality anxiety management), and CerbaMam (pregnant women support). The network provides screening services without prescription including STI/HIV testing and COVID-19 PCR/serological testing, supported by a CNIL-authorized health data repository (EDS) enabling epidemiological research projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Espace Patient: Online patient portal for accessing test results and managing laboratory appointments
• CerbaKids
• CerbaZen
• CerbaMam
• Biologie Prédictive (Biopredix)

Products and services

• Cerballiance laboratory network (Réseau de laboratoires) Core service offering: nationwide network of over 700 local medical analysis laboratories providing routine and specialized biology testing (routine blood tests, preventive health checks, fertility testing, pediatric services, pregnancy monitoring, oncology screening, gynecology, and STI screening) for the general public and healthcare prescribers under NF EN ISO 15189 accreditation.
• CerbaKids Specialized pediatric service within the Cerballiance network featuring a dedicated playful environment, adapted reception, and educational tools designed to make blood draws more comfortable for children.
• CerbaZen Anxiety management service using virtual reality headsets that allow anxious patients to relax in a distracting environment during blood sampling at Cerballiance laboratories.
• CerbaMam Specialized service for pregnant women providing biological advice, tailored reception, and an examination calendar guiding patients through biology testing throughout pregnancy.
• Bilans sans ordonnance (No-prescription health assessments) Preventive medical screening tests and standard health assessments available without prescription or appointment at all Cerballiance laboratories, intended for individuals seeking proactive monitoring of their health.
• Dépistage IST sans ordonnance (No-prescription STI screening) STI screening including HIV testing available without prescription, without appointment, and without advance payment at all Cerballiance laboratories, allowing confidential direct access to sexual health testing.
• Prélèvement à domicile (Home blood sampling) Home blood draw service for patients with medical prescriptions requiring at-home sample collection, or for patients unable to visit a laboratory, arranged by contacting the nearest Cerballiance site (covered by Sécurité Sociale when prescribed, patient-paid otherwise).
• PMA & Spermiologie (Fertility and spermiology) Specialized fertility and spermiology services providing reproductive health assessment and assisted reproduction (PMA) support, delivered through 17 dedicated fertility laboratories within the Cerballiance network.
• Biologie préventive / Biopredix (Preventive biology assessments) Preventive biology assessments (Biopredix program) designed to identify health risks and detect early signs of disease before symptoms appear, offered as part of the network's preventive health check-up lineup.
• Biologie de la femme enceinte (Pregnancy biology services) Specialized biological testing services for pregnant women covering routine and targeted pregnancy monitoring analyses throughout gestation.
• Test PCR COVID-19 Nasopharyngeal PCR test for detecting COVID-19 infection, described as the gold standard with highest sensitivity for COVID diagnosis, available across Cerballiance laboratories.
• Test sérologique COVID-19 Blood test detecting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, useful for retrospective diagnosis of past COVID-19 infection or measuring immune response after vaccination.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000 patients served per day across the network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cerba Healthcare GestioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cerba Healthcare Gestion (GEIE) is the group entity that operates the Cerballiance website and manages the health data warehouse (EDS). It implements research projects across the Cerballiance network and handles the operational management of the EDS, acting as a key infrastructure partner.
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025GSK sponsors the HELIOS study on hepatitis B epidemiology in France in 2025 using laboratory data from Cerballiance and the specialized Cerba laboratory. The study aims to produce prevalence data and characterize biological markers of hepatitis B. Héva is the CRO implementing the study.
• Diagnostica Stago SASminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Diagnostica Stago sponsors a clinical performance evaluation study of STA-Néoplastine CI+ and STA-Néoplastine R hemostasis reagents at Cerballiance Hauts-de-France sites. Residual patient samples are used for IVD performance evaluation under CE marking. Stago acts as data controller.
• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Henri Mondor (APHP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CHU Henri Mondor's hepatology department leads the hepatic fibrosis screening study in Ile-de-France, partnering with Cerballiance Paris & IDF Est, Cerballiance IDF Sud, and Cerballiance IDF Ouest. The study uses biological data (ASAT, ALAT, platelets) to evaluate non-invasive liver fibrosis screening feasibility.
• HévaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Héva is the clinical research organization (CRO) implementing the HELIOS hepatitis B epidemiology study on behalf of GSK. Héva accesses pseudonymized data on a dedicated secured project space within the Cerballiance data warehouse.
• Cerba Healthcare GestionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Cerba Healthcare Gestion leads the IST-SO study evaluating the impact of the no-prescription STI screening initiative launched 1 September 2024 in Cerballiance laboratories. The study characterizes the screened population and quantifies positivity rates by pathway (with/without prescription), sex, and age group.
• Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum) sponsors the EPI-TRIG epidemiological study on severe hypertriglyceridemia in France (March 2024 to March 2026), using pseudonymized laboratory data from Cerballiance's health data warehouse. Cerba Healthcare Gestion acts as the implementation partner. The study aims to estimate prevalence and patient profiles of severe HTG.
• Hospices Civils de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Hospices Civils de Lyon (National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses) co-leads the RELAB surveillance network alongside Institut Pasteur and Cerballiance. The network conducts year-round community respiratory virus surveillance (influenza, VRS, SARS-CoV-2) using pseudonymized laboratory data and positive sample transfers.
• Institut PasteurcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Institut Pasteur (National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses) co-leads the RELAB surveillance network alongside Hospices Civils de Lyon and Cerballiance. The network monitors respiratory virus circulation using pseudonymized laboratory data from participating network laboratories.
• Cerba Healthcare Gestion (Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cerba Healthcare Gestion leads the MCR (Ciblage des patients avec altération de la fonction rénale) study targeting patients at risk of rapid kidney function decline, using data from the Cerballiance health data warehouse. The study aims to identify patients with DFG between 45-90 mL/min/1.73m2 for early intervention.
• Cerba Healthcare GestionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cerba Healthcare Gestion leads the RefBioPilot study to establish biological reference values for the French population using data from Cerballiance network laboratories, focusing on three biomarkers: ASAT, ferritine, and PTH. This is an internal research initiative aimed at improving biological interpretation accuracy.
• BioGroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023BioGroup laboratories participate in the RELAB respiratory virus surveillance network alongside Cerballiance, Hospices Civils de Lyon, and Institut Pasteur. Both laboratory networks contribute pseudonymized laboratory data for respiratory virus epidemiology monitoring.
• Boehringer IngelheimminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Boehringer Ingelheim sponsors the CKD-BIO study on chronic kidney disease in France (2022-2023 data), coupling Cerballiance laboratory results with the French National Health Data System (SNDS). Cerba Xpert acts as trusted third party for NIR/date-of-birth linkage. CEMKA is the CRO implementing the study.
• Cerba XpertminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Cerba Xpert acts as an independent trusted third party in the CKD-BIO study, responsible for securely transmitting NIR and date of birth to CNAM for SNDS data linkage. Cerba Xpert has no access to the health data from the Cerballiance network, maintaining strict separation between identification data and health data.
• CEMKAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022CEMKA is the clinical research organization (CRO) implementing the CKD-BIO chronic kidney disease study on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim. CEMKA accesses pseudonymized laboratory data on a secured project space and performs data analyses.
• DoctolibminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoctolib provides the online appointment booking platform used by Cerballiance laboratories. Patients book laboratory appointments through Doctolib, selecting their preferred date and time to reduce in-lab wait times.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Synlab: European medical diagnostics provider with significant French presence following its acquisition of Labco. Operates routine and specialty lab services under the same NABM reimbursement framework and competes with Cerballiance for physician relationships and patient access.
• Eurofins Genoma (Eurofins Clinical Diagnostics France): French arm of Eurofins' clinical diagnostics network offering medical biology and specialty testing services. Overlaps with Cerballiance in routine and specialized diagnostics under French reimbursement, particularly in molecular diagnostics.
• Inovie: Major French medical biology network with hundreds of laboratories operating under similar Sécurité Sociale reimbursement and NABM tariff dynamics. Competes directly for prescriber referrals and patient walk-in volumes across multiple French regions.
• Biogroup: One of the largest French private medical biology networks and an explicit collaborator of Cerballiance in the RELAB respiratory surveillance network. Directly competes in routine and specialized biology across French regions with a comparable multi-site, walk-in, prescriber-referred model.

Others

• Doctolib: Online appointment booking platform integrated with Cerballiance's patient-facing services. Not a competitor but a critical channel partner that also serves competing lab networks — making it a strategic dependency and ecosystem participant rather than a direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Sonic Healthcare: Global medical diagnostics provider with strong European laboratory operations. Comparable to Cerballiance in combining routine community lab access with centralized specialty and reference testing capabilities across multiple geographies.
• Quest Diagnostics: US-headquartered clinical laboratory giant offering routine and esoteric testing, including reference laboratory services comparable to Cerba's central lab function. Operates at significantly larger scale but illustrates the international blueprint for a distributed lab network with a data and specialty backbone.
• Cerba Healthcare (parent): Parent entity operating the central Cerba specialized biology laboratory, which receives complex sample referrals from Cerballiance and other French labs. Direct internal counterpart rather than external competitor, but functions as the centralized specialty lab serving the same end customers.
• Unilabs: Large European diagnostics network offering clinical laboratory services across multiple countries with a French footprint. Comparable business model (medical biology networks serving patients and prescribers) but operates at broader geographic scale.

Regional players

• Laborizon Biogroup Bretagne: Regional French laboratory network under the Biogroup umbrella, comparable in service mix to Cerballiance's regional entities but operating in a different geographic catchment. Useful as a regional-density benchmark for Cerballiance's network economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cerballiance
• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/Cerballiance
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/cerballiance
• Instagraminstagram.com/cerballiance_officiel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cerballiance