The recently announced partnership between the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and Catalpa Ventures, a newly launched VC, aims to foster innovations in digital health and bridge the gap between scientific research and venture capital.
This five-year partnership marks a significant step forward for Luxembourg’s healthtech scene. Catalpa Ventures aims to back early-stage tech companies in healthcare, with a follow-through and follow-up approach past series A.
“When determining where to initiate our VC activities, choosing Luxembourg was a logical decision for us,” said Dr. Thomas Goergen, one of Catalpa’s founding partners.”
Dr. Thomas Goergen, one of Catalpa’s founder partners.
Having established operations in Luxembourg in January 2024, the VC firm is dedicated to technology-driven solutions that enhance human health. The fund is led by four founding partners: Daniel Kranz, Dr. Thomas Goergen, Dr. Christian Goergen, and Willibrord Ehses, a former partner of Mangrove Capital.
Catalpa Ventures recently added a new senior partner, Prof. Dr. Sperling, who holds various scientific board positions worldwide, including at the Medical Faculty of Charité University Berlin.
A long-term partnership
Catalpa Ventures aims to boost its investment game by tapping into LIH’s scientific experience, providing startups with specialized guidance and support from LIH’s scientific community. The partnership lays out a plan for teamwork, including backing LIH in hackathons, and competitions, and helping create new businesses in Luxembourg.
“We believe that the numerous opportunities for knowledge transfer arising from this partnership and the availability of Catalpa’s financial and investment expertise to our researchers will create a bridge between research and its commercialisation.”
Prof. Ulf Nehrbass, CEO of the LIH.
Both sides are committed to a long-term partnership that bridges research and finance in Luxembourg, aiming to draw in innovative e-health companies and fully leverage digital health and research potential.
A note-worthy investment of Catalpa Ventures, is the digital application of RetroBrain, already used in over 600 nursing homes today.
