Advent France Biotechnology

Alain Huriez

Chairman and Managing Partner

Alain is Chairman and Managing Partner of Advent France Biotechnology.

Alain brings over 30 years of experience in the Life Sciences sector. He started his career in the mid 1980’s as head of the emergency room in a large teaching hospital (CHU Amiens) and practiced as a General Practitioner for four years.

He spent 12 years in biotechnology drug development and regulatory strategy before being appointed Vice President of Quintiles in Europe. Later on he became a Life Sciences entrepreneur, Associate Partner at Truffle Capital, CEO of Neovacs and TcLand (TcLand Expression and Effimune). He has successfully founded 5 French biotechnology companies. He has been involved in personalized medicine, biomarker and high value diagnostics through his work as Founder and Chairman of EPEMED, the European Personalized Medicine Association. Alain joined Advent Life Sciences in 2012 and founded Advent France Biotechnology with Matthieu Coutet in 2016.

Alain’s medical and biotechnological background, experience as an entrepreneur and a leading executive, expertise in clinical development and financing as well as his networks are keys to identifying early-stage biotechnology projects and to mentoring managers into building successful businesses.

Alain graduated as a Medical Doctor from Picardie Jules Verne University (Amiens). He holds a MBA and a Master in Pharmaco-Economics from La Sorbonne University (Paris).

Matthieu Coutet

Managing Partner

Matthieu is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Advent France Biotechnology.

Matthieu brings 12 years of experience in venture capital and operations, having spent a decade in tech transfer as Managing Partner at Inserm Transfert Initiative. He handled investments in 14 seed-stage companies. He also served as VP Operations & Business Development at TherAchon and AAVlife, 2 French biotechnology start-ups, and as a board member of 7 others (Axilum Robotics, BioAxial, Aelis Farma, Enyo Pharma, Hemarina, Sensorion and Eyevensys). Matthieu founded Advent France Biotechnology with Alain Huriez in 2016.

Matthieu not only brings an experience of early stage investor managing financial and operational strategies, but also a strong network of researchers, entrepreneurs and technology transfer officers with whom he has forged significant partnerships.

Matthieu holds a Masters in Finance & Management and an MSc from ESIEE (Paris).

Anne Horgan

Partner

Anne was Senior Associate at Sofinnova Partners (2013-2017). She brings more than 13 years of experience in the Life Sciences sector, acquired as a Business Development Executive at Cancer Research Technology (2007-2013) and Senior Medicinal Chemist at Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd (2003-2007). Anne's experience includes equity financing (seed and series A), tech transfer & scouting, business development and biotech R&D.

Anne carried out postdoctoral research at Yale University after gaining her PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Bristol. She holds a diplôme d'ingénieur from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Rouen, specialising in Chemistry. She is an author on seven peer-reviewed papers and an inventor on eight patent families. As part of the investment team at Sofinnova Partners, Anne supported investments in 5 companies which have raised over €60M to date through seed and Series A financings and listing on EuroNext.

Anne is a member of the evaluation committee at Paris Biotech Santé (Paris incubator) and a member of the selection committee & jury at BioVision Investors Conference.

Adrien Clavairoly

Associate

Adrien recently joined Advent France Biotechnology. He brings a scientific expertise that is key in assessing the potential of new therapeutic innovations. Prior to joining Advent France Biotechnology, he co-founded the Biotech start-up incubator La Paillasse (Paris).

Adrien holds a Masters in Molecular Biology and a Masters in Integrative Biology from the Pierre et Marie Curie University (UPCM, Paris). He holds a PhD in Neurosciences from the Pierre et Marie Curie University (UPMC, Paris) carried out at the Brain and Spine Institute (ICM, Paris).

Arnaud Foussat

PhD Operating Partner

Arnaud was Senior VP, Corporate Development and Alliance management at TxCell, a French biotechnology company dedicated to the development of innovative cell-based treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases. He is an immunologist specialised in immunotherapy and T lymphocyte biology. The research conducted by Arnaud was focused on understanding the biology of Treg cells and in improving the manipulation and production of these cells for human use.

Graduate of Institut Pasteur of Paris, Arnaud Foussat obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Paris VII in 2000. He then joined a French academic laboratory belonging to the French National Institute of Scientific and Medical Research (INSERM). He focused his scientific efforts on the elucidation of the migratory pathways of Type 1 Treg cells in normal and pathological conditions. A. Foussat joined TxCell in 2004 where he developed Treg cells based cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders.

Brigitte Neveu

CFO

Brigitte is acting Chief Financial Officer for Advent France Biotechnology. She brings over 20 years of experience in venture capital, managing finances, compliance and operations at CDC Participations and Cobalt Capital.

Brigitte is in charge of Advent France Biotechnology’s middle office, corporate legal and litigations, financial operations, accounting and administration as well as liaising with external compliance officers.

BBrigitte graduated from HEC business school (Paris) and INTEC (Cnam, Paris).

Geoffroy de Ribains

Operating Partner

Geoffroy is Operating Partner of Advent France Biotechnology

Geoffroy brings 20 years of experience in venture capital and operations He has spent 12 years at E.de Rothschild Investment Partners (now Andera Partners) and Atlas Venture where has been directly involved in a total of 20 new investments, 6 M&A transactions (Biospace Lab, Endosense, Novagali, Pangenetics, Sapiens and Vessix Vascular), and in the boards of 7 companies (Biospace Lab, Endosense, Genkyotex, Meristem Therapeutics, Poxel, Theraptosis, Sapiens). He was also co-founder and CEO of Step Pharma, a Paris-based start-up active in immunology and cancer where he led the discovery of a new class of small molecule enzymatic inhibitors from target to preclinical candidate stage and raised €16M in equity.

Geoffroy joined AFB in October 2020.

Geoffroy has developed operational, strategic, transactional, business and corporate development expertise, as well as a broad international network in the industrial, financial, medical and academic communities.

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