Lifen: Revolutionizing Health Data Management with Stellar Founders and Unprecedented Growth

Founding Visionaries

Lifen, originally christened as Honestica, was the brainchild of a team of formidable pioneers in 2015. Franck Le Ouay, who previously co-founded Criteo, teamed up with Silicon Valley-trained entrepreneur Alexandre Hucker and Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former Health Minister under Jacques Chirac’s tenure. United by their vision, this trio aimed to redefine the realm of health data management.

Innovation and Growth

Pioneering the e-health domain, Lifen’s platform serves as a bridge for physicians to share vital medical documents with fellow professionals, patients, and healthcare institutions. Not just any bridge, though: one equipped with an integrated medical directory, automatic recipient detection, and full compatibility with all established medical software. This has not only set Lifen apart but also catapulted it to the forefront of industry standards. Its wide-reaching impact extends to patients who can effortlessly access their medical records. Currently, Lifen is a hub for two million medical documents every month, connecting 240,000 physicians.

Lifen stands out with a distinct advantage: it’s inter-operable with all Electronic Patient Records (DPI), making it compatible with every existing professional software. Their secret weapon? Integrating through universally present printers in every medical establishment. This means any document – from blood “tests to x-rays – can be sent within seconds, seamlessly converting it for compatibility with the receiving software.

“It acts as a universal adapter in healthcare,” explains Franck Le Ouay. “Once Lifen is up and running, just click ‘send’, pick a recipient from our continuously updated directory, and you’re all set.”

This low-tech solution is both time and cost-efficient. Sending a report through Lifen costs about €0.65, a fraction of traditional mailing costs. Lifen claims that it could cut down a hospital’s postal expenses by two-thirds, translating to saving a secretary about an hour of work every day.

Safety is paramount in healthcare, and Lifen respects that. With two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption, and compliance with HDS and ISO 27001 norms, they’ve got it covered. “We don’t store health data; it merely transits, encrypted, through our service,” assures Le Ouay.

Lifen addresses a significant gap in healthcare communication between local healthcare establishments and larger hospitals, aiming for cohesive patient care. Shockingly, about 25% of medical procedures currently are deemed redundant or unnecessary. Le Ouay sheds light on this inefficiency, “A patient might get an x-ray at a local clinic one day and repeat the same at a hospital the next simply because the initial scan isn’t accessible. This not only exposes the patient to extra radiation but also results in wasted time and resources for the hospital.”

Financial Journey and Backing

Lifen’s ascendancy in the e-health market was underpinned by critical financial milestones:

• Seed Round (June 2015): Although shrouded in confidentiality, this round cemented Lifen’s first steps in the market.
• Series A (March 2018, €7.5M): Spearheaded by Daphni and Serena, this phase paved the path for Lifen’s subsequent growth.
• Series B (June 2019, €20M): Orchestrated by Partech and bolstered by existing and new backers, this round reflected Lifen’s burgeoning stature.
• Series C (November 2021, €50M): The latest funding infusion, marshaled by Creadev and Lauxera Capital Partners, echoes the rising trust investors have in Lifen’s trajectory.

Stalwarts like Creadev, Lauxera Capital Partners, Partech, Serena, and MACSF have been instrumental in Lifen’s remarkable voyage, symbolizing the startup’s immense promise.

Future Endeavors

Stationed in Paris and powered by a 160-strong workforce, Lifen has grand ambitions for its homeland, France. The startup is gearing up to weave its technology into more than 1,500 hospitals by the year 2025.

Post-COVID Digitization Imperative

The aftermath of COVID-19 has accentuated the dire need to digitalize healthcare mechanisms. In an era where the sanctity and efficiency of data management is crucial, Lifen emerges as the antidote to the frailties of the prevailing system.

Dedicated to augmenting interoperability with Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and with a consistent growth narrative, Lifen is poised to sculpt the future contours of the e-health ecosystem.