Ballas invest

What Ballas invest does

Ballas Invest is a Paris-based private business angel firm that provides seed and early growth capital to European digital health startups. Founded and led by Laurent Van Lerberghe (formerly CSO at Sanofi and VP Commercial at Abbott) and Dr. Sandrine Van Lerberghe (endocrinologist), the firm operates as a solo practitioner-style vehicle with approximately 10 staff, and its network spans major pharmaceutical partners including AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Viatris. The firm does not charge disclosed management fees; its revenue mechanics are driven by equity stakes, portfolio exits, IPOs, and secondary sales realized across its portfolio of roughly 10 companies.

The portfolio covers four operational verticals: AI drug discovery, AI diagnostics, patient care, and digital therapeutics. Notable holdings include Wandercraft (humanoid and medical exoskeletons, including a $75 million Series D closed in June 2025 and the Calvin-40 industrial humanoid), Hexoskin (wearable health monitoring, which secured FDA 510(k) clearance in November 2025), and Heloa (a consumer platform used by more than 200,000 families, expanding into Europe, LATAM, the US, and Asia). The firm has extended its footprint beyond direct investing through ecosystem-level commitments: chairing HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance Europe (April 2024) for US market access, an e-health research chair with 3iL Ingénieurs (June 2024), and engagement with TechBio and Quantum BioSpace verticals.

Strategically, the firm has built outward in 2024-2025, formalizing data and AI as an internal function with the appointment of a Chief Data Officer in April 2025, and earning recognition as one of the Top 12 Business Angels in France (2025) and a Top 100 Influential Personality in Pharma (2025). The dominant business risk is concentration: with a small portfolio of ~10 companies and event-driven revenue, any single exit outcome disproportionately determines realized annual revenue.

Name

Ballas invest

Legal name

ballas invest

Website

https://ballasinvest.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ballas Invest is a Paris-based private business angel firm providing seed and early growth capital to European digital health startups, with a portfolio spanning AI drug discovery, AI diagnostics, patient care, and digital therapeutics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Investment

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences Growth Equity (FSANACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD), AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Seed investing
• Digital health
• Business angel
• Healthcare startups

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: As a business angel investor, Ballas Invest generates returns through equity investments in early-stage digital health startups. Returns realized through portfolio company exits, IPOs, or secondary sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ballas Invest is a European Digital Health Business Angel that provides seed and early-growth equity capital to European digital health startups, alongside hands-on strategic mentorship, go-to-market and growth strategy guidance, product development support, and access to a network of pharmaceutical and clinical partners. The firm invests in approximately ten portfolio companies spanning AI drug discovery, AI diagnostics, AI clinical trial platforms, wearable remote monitoring, AI family health, exoskeleton robotics, caregiver support, reproductive health decision support, genomic medicine, and TechBio ecosystems. Returns are realized through portfolio company exits, IPOs, or secondary sales of equity stakes.

Product overview

Ballas Invest is a European Digital Health Business Angel specializing in Seed and Early Growth investments across Europe. The investment portfolio includes 10 portfolio companies offering distinct AI-powered healthcare products: Wandercraft (self-balancing exoskeletons - Atalante X for rehabilitation and Eve for personal mobility, plus Calvin-40 industrial humanoid robots), Hexoskin (FDA 510(k) cleared medical-grade smart garments for continuous ECG and respiratory monitoring), Heloa (AI family health super-app from pregnancy to age 7), Qynapse (AI neuroimaging platform for CNS disorders), MyMonka (AI caregiver support platform), Milo (ECLEVAR's AI clinical trial platform), LynxCare (decentralized trials platform), WhiteLab Genomics (AI for genomic medicine discovery), Elixir Health (AI reproductive health decision support), and Quantum BioSpace (TechBio ecosystem). The portfolio spans AI diagnostics, digital therapeutics, remote patient monitoring, clinical research automation, and family health management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed and Early Growth Equity Investments in European Digital Health Startups

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability18 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 3iL Ingénieurs LimogescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2024Joint launch of e-health chair initiative aimed at significantly increasing digital health engineers in Europe. The partnership includes scholarships, mentorship, teaching support, internship opportunities, and startup stimulation programs. Collaboration involves Limoges University and Limoges Hospital.
• HITLAB (Breakthrough Alliance Board - Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2024Laurent van Lerberghe serves as Chair of Breakthrough Alliance Europe, facilitating partnerships and fostering innovation across the European continent. The board acts as a bridge for European digital health technologies to enter the US market and vice versa, particularly in France and Belgium.
• Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph Marie-LannelonguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership with leading French hospital for exoskeleton rehabilitation and patient care applications. Major healthcare institution in the Ballas Invest ecosystem.
• American Hospital of NeuillycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic healthcare partnership with leading private hospital, supporting innovative healthcare delivery and patient care solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Peers

• Debiopharm Innovation Fund:

Direct peers

• Speedinvest: Speedinvest is a Vienna-based European early-stage VC running a dedicated Health & Bio vertical. Comparable to Ballas Invest given shared European scope, digital health specialization, and seed/Series A focus.
• Elaia Partners: Elaia is a Paris-based early-stage deep tech VC with life sciences and digital health exposure. Comparable to Ballas Invest as a French early-stage technology investor with AI/healthcare portfolio overlap.
• XAnge: XAnge is a French early-stage venture capital firm with an active digital health portfolio (e.g., Doctolib early backer). Directly comparable to Ballas Invest as a Paris-based European seed/early-growth investor in technology-enabled health and software businesses.
• Nina Capital: Nina Capital is a Barcelona-based specialist digital health VC investing at seed and Series A across Europe. Highly comparable to Ballas Invest given shared European digital health focus, similar stage, and similar check sizes.
• Karista: Karista is a Paris-based early-stage VC historically focused on digital and healthcare technologies. Directly comparable as a French seed/early-growth investor with digital health exposure and similar LP base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballas-invest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Ballas invest