LIFEAZ raises 13 million euros and imposes “medical device as a service” in the defibrillator

The medical device market is evolving slowly; it is structured around the simple model of equipment sold, installed, then maintained periodically; with Lifeaz, this pattern is changing to a logic of continuous service.

Received again on FWMedia, Johann Kalchman, co-founder and CEO of Lifeaz, discusses this transformation and a new fundraising of 13 million euros announced today.

From a clinical observation to a mission of democratization

The origin of the project dates back to the professional experience of the founders, “With one of my partners, Martial, we worked in pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. So we knew the technology that protects people at very high risk. », and the trigger comes when faced with a figure: 50,000 cardiac arrests each year in France, for only 5% survival. “We said to ourselves: we have to change things, we have to democratize the deployment of defibrillator technology. » A second observation structures the reflection: “80% of cardiac arrests take place in private homes. » However, although defibrillators are multiplying in public places, this segment remains largely covered.

Lifeaz was therefore created to design “a technology, a defibrillator made for individuals”. Requests from businesses quickly poured in. Ten years later, the company boasts 25,000 customers, individuals and professionals combined.

An offer structured around rental

Lifeaz sells its equipment, but the majority of customers opt for rental. Johann Kalchman speaks of “a small revolution”. The model includes three bricks. The first is the material: “a very simple defibrillator to use by anyone, made in France”. The second is connected maintenance. “A third of defibrillators in public places in France do not work due to lack of maintenance. » In the rental model, the device sends “reports every week to ensure that it works at all times and especially in the event of an emergency”. An internal team ensures operational monitoring. The third brick concerns training. “We realized that there were not at all enough people trained in France. » The offer includes an educational application so that “all members of the family, all employees of the company dare and know how to intervene in the event of an emergency”.

The issue is also financial. To equip homes and small businesses on a massive scale, it was necessary to avoid high entry costs. “We couldn’t afford to sell a product for 1,000 or 1,500 euros with a technician coming every year. » The rental is “of the order of a telephone subscription”, around thirty euros per month depending on the offer.

A strengthened regulatory framework

The defibrillator is a class III medical device, the highest regulatory level. “Everything that arrives on the market must follow very strict French and European standards, with very extensive testing. » Lifeaz obtained European medical certification more than five years ago, then the new MDR classification in 2025. “We can sell today everywhere in France and Europe. »

Connectivity is one of the specific features of the product. It not only allows maintenance, but also remote updates. “Defibrillators can be updated remotely to correct problems, improve performance or add features. »

Among these developments: usage alert, transmission of electrocardiograms to emergency services, geolocation in the event of theft, demonstration mode or monitoring of storage conditions.

Training: physical and digital

This is today one of the major axes of the startup which wants to massify training. In France, 20 to 30% of the population is trained in life-saving procedures, compared to more than 80% in certain Nordic countries. “My dream is that in France 80% of people are trained. » Johann Kalchman calls for training at school, during the driving test, in the workplace or during parenthood. Lifeaz deploys a hybrid strategy: free application with “around a hundred small modules”, videoconference workshops and a network of more than 300 partner trainers working face-to-face.

The objective is both not to forget the gestures learned and to remove psychological blockages. “The worst examples are when someone tells us: I arrived to intervene and it had been ten minutes and no action was made even though the defibrillator was there. »

A lift to accelerate

The 13 million euro fundraising brings together GO Capital, BNP Paribas and Mirova, alongside historic investors XAnge, Mutuelles Impact and Impactivist. In total, Lifeaz has raised “a little over 20 million in ten years”.

The funds will be directed towards innovation, commercial growth and European development. The company is already present via distributors in Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary and Ireland, and is considering direct deployment in certain countries.