What EchoFirst does

EchoFirst SAS is a French clinical ultrasound training organization headquartered in Normandy, operating as an officially certified organisme de formation. The company delivers hands-on, practice-intensive ultrasound training courses for healthcare professionals across general, musculo-skeletal, cardio-pulmonary/hemodynamic, abdominal, pulmonary, thyroid, breast, testicular, obstetric, pelvic, spinal, shoulder, liver, and emergency/FAST applications, structured in Level 1 (initiation) and Level 2 (advanced) tiers. Training is delivered using virtual reality simulators and next-generation ultrasound equipment in small groups (1 machine per 2 participants, 1 trainer per 4 trainees), with a medico-legal and economic module covering French billing codes and a secure messaging platform (Team'Doc) for post-training community support.

The business model is a professional-services training operation. EchoFirst sells seats directly to individual healthcare professionals and arranges customized on-site training for hospital departments, with disclosed unit pricing of 500 euros per participant for Level 2 abdominal training. Crucially, the company holds both QUALIOPI (national quality certification) and ODPC (Continuing Professional Development) accreditations, which make its courses 100% reimbursable through French DPC/OPCO financing — a structural advantage that underpins its B2B and B2C demand. Distribution runs entirely through its own website (echofirst.fr) with online registration and payment, supported by earned media in Forbes, BFMTV, Le Figaro, Le Point, and What's Up Doc.

EchoFirst is a privately held S.A.S. with registered capital of €100 and a 5-employee footprint, led by legal representative Félix Amiot. It is a member of the French Healthcare Association and operates partnerships with Invivox (webinars), Echo-Loco (MSK video content), Team'Doc (secure messaging), DOK+PERF (training content), and Credit Agricole (payment processing). The company serves a diversified healthcare-professional customer base spanning general practitioners, emergency physicians, MSK specialists, advanced practice nurses, and hospital medical teams, with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.

Name

EchoFirst

Legal name

EchoFirst S.A.S.

Website

https://echofirst.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EchoFirst is a French clinical ultrasound training organization delivering hands-on, simulator- and equipment-based courses to healthcare professionals across general, MSK, cardio-pulmonary, and emergency specialties, with QUALIOPI and ODPC certifications enabling 100% reimbursement through French CPD funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ultrasound & Echography Systems (HLAHABAD)

Keywords

• Clinical ultrasound training
• Medical imaging education
• POCUS training courses
• Healthcare professional training
• Musculoskeletal ultrasound courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Tollevast

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Courses: EchoFirst provides paid clinical ultrasound training courses for healthcare professionals. Courses are priced per participant (e.g., abdominal ultrasound Level 2 at 500 euros). Payment options include credit card, bank transfer, and financing through DPC (Développement Professionnel Continu) organisms or OPCO (training fund collection organisms).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EchoFirst is a French official clinical ultrasound training organization (organisme officiel de formation) that delivers hands-on ultrasound courses to healthcare professionals. Its curriculum covers general, musculoskeletal, cardio-pulmonary and hemodynamic, abdominal, emergency (FAST/eFAST), and specialty ultrasound applications, delivered via multi-day in-person sessions using virtual reality simulators and next-generation ultrasound equipment. Courses are structured in Level 1 (initiation) and Level 2 (perfectionnement) tiers, are certified QUALIOPI and ODPC, and are eligible for 100% reimbursement through French continuing professional development funding.

Product overview

EchoFirst® is an official clinical ultrasound training organization (organisme officiel de formation) for healthcare professionals, offering a comprehensive curriculum of hands-on ultrasound training courses. The portfolio includes general ultrasound, musculoskeletal (MSK), cardiac and hemodynamic, abdominal, pulmonary, thyroid, breast, testicular, obstetric, pelvic, spinal, shoulder, liver, emergency/FAST, and specialized courses. Programs are structured in Level 1 (initiation) and Level 2 (advanced/perfectionnement) tiers. Training uses last-generation ultrasound machines and virtual reality simulators, includes a medico-legal and economic module covering billing codes (cotation), and is delivered by certified expert trainers. The company holds QUALIOPI and ODPC certifications, enabling 100% funding coverage through French healthcare professional development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Ultrasound Training (Échographie générale) General ultrasound training covering abdominal, vascular, gynecological, and FAST-echo modules, designed for healthcare professionals, with Level 1 (initiation) and Level 2 (perfectionnement) programs delivered through multi-day in-person sessions.
• Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Training (Échographie musculo-squelettique) Musculoskeletal ultrasound training focused on MSK pathologies, joint examinations, and echo-guided infiltrations, available at Level 1 (initiation) and Level 2 (advanced) intensities for physicians and sports medicine practitioners.
• Cardio-Pulmonary and Hemodynamic Ultrasound Training (Échographie cardiaque et hémodynamique) Cardio-pulmonary and hemodynamic ultrasound training covering cardiac assessment and pulmonary evaluation techniques, delivered as a Level 2 perfectionnement program for healthcare professionals.
• Abdominal Ultrasound Training (Échographie abdominale) Abdominal ultrasound training covering liver, kidneys, and abdominal organ imaging, with Level 2 advanced courses available (e.g., 16-hour October 2026 session in La Rochelle priced at 500 euros per participant).
• Emergency and FAST/eFAST Ultrasound Training (Échographie d'urgence) Emergency and trauma ultrasound training covering FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) and eFAST protocols for emergency physicians and urgentists.
• Specialty Ultrasound Courses (Prostate, Pulmonary, Thyroid, Breast, Testicular, Obstetric, Pelvic/Endovaginal, Spinal, Shoulder, Liver) Catalog of specialty ultrasound training courses covering prostate, lung, thyroid, breast, testicular, obstetric, pelvic/endovaginal, spinal cord, shoulder, and liver imaging, each targeting specific clinical use cases for healthcare professionals.
• Medico-Legal and Economic Module (Module médico-légal et économique) Medico-legal and economic training module covering legal aspects, French billing codes (cotation), and practice management for clinical ultrasound, included as part of the training curriculum.
• Customized In-House Training (Formation intra-hospitalière) Customized on-site clinical ultrasound training programs delivered at hospital departments and medical services, tailored to the institution's workflows and financed through OPCO hospital training budgets.
• Free Ultrasound Webinars (e.g., Lung Ultrasonography and COVID-19) Free online webinars on lung ultrasonography and COVID-19 application, organized in collaboration with Invivox to introduce beginners to clinical ultrasound with practical video demonstrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trainees achieve immediate clinical competency, with many reporting daily use of ultrasound in practice within weeks of training completion.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Echo-LococoreTechnology or IntegrationEcho-Loco, founded by Dr. Michel Chahbenderian (EchoFirst trainer), is a partner educational platform offering video clips on MSK ultrasonography. It is listed as a resource partner and referenced across EchoFirst's training materials.
• InvivoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEchoFirst and Invivox co-organized free webinars on lung ultrasonography and COVID-19 application, demonstrating a co-development and co-marketing partnership in ultrasound education.
• French Healthcare AssociationminorOthersEchoFirst is an official member of the French Healthcare Association, gaining visibility within the broader French healthcare ecosystem.
• DOK+PERFminorOthersDOK+PERF is featured as a training and ultrasound partner on EchoFirst's website, representing a referral and content collaboration relationship.
• Credit AgricoleminorOthersCredit Agricole provides electronic payment processing services for EchoFirst's online transactions, including secure payment for training courses and DPC financing transfers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CAE Healthcare: Large medical simulation and training company offering ultrasound simulation as part of a broader healthcare education portfolio. Comparable as a broader incumbent in simulation-based clinical training, though EchoFirst specializes narrowly in ultrasound.
• Laerdal Medical: Global medical simulation and resuscitation training company with adjacent ultrasound/simulation products. Comparable as an established player in simulation-based clinical education, but with a much wider portfolio than EchoFirst's ultrasound focus.

Direct peers

• Intelligent Ultrasound: UK-based company offering AI-driven ultrasound simulation, education, and training solutions for point-of-care ultrasound. Closely comparable product overlap: clinical ultrasound training delivered via simulation technology for practicing physicians and sonographers.
• Invivox: French medical professional training platform that connects physicians with expert-led courses and webinars. Directly comparable to EchoFirst: both target French healthcare professionals with paid CPD training, and EchoFirst already partners with Invivox on lung-ultrasound and COVID-19 webinars.
• HeartWorks (Inventive Medical): Provider of echocardiography and ultrasound simulation training for clinicians and sonographers. Comparable to EchoFirst's cardio-pulmonary and hemodynamic ultrasound track, with similar hands-on simulator-based pedagogy.
• SonoSim: US-based provider of ultrasound training solutions combining cloud-based learning with hands-on simulation. Directly comparable: trains healthcare professionals on clinical ultrasound using simulation tools, similar core product mechanism to EchoFirst's VR-plus-equipment stack.

Emerging players

• Surgical Science (Simbionix): Developer of virtual reality simulation solutions for medical training including ultrasound-guided procedures. Comparable through its VR simulation technology stack and clinical training use cases, though it spans broader surgical/endovascular domains.

Others

• 3B Scientific: Global supplier of medical simulation equipment and educational models for healthcare training. Comparable as an enabling supplier of training equipment/simulators used by clinical ultrasound training programs like EchoFirst's.

Regional players

• Medaviz: French online medical training and telemedicine platform serving healthcare professionals. Comparable as a French-language, French-market digital channel for healthcare professional education, though broader in scope than EchoFirst's ultrasound focus.
• DPC training organizations (e.g., AFORS, CNGE): French professional DPC-accredited training bodies delivering continuing medical education to French physicians. Comparable as competitors and peers within the same QUALIOPI/ODPC-accredited CPD market for French healthcare professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/echofirst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 EchoFirst