The Palace of Versailles hadn’t witnessed such excitement in a long time. At the heart of this success, one sector particularly stood out: health. French Healthcare Association, alongside its institutional partners, organised a dedicated Life Sciences side event that perfectly illustrates why France is becoming a destination of choice for international healthcare investors.
On May 19th, within the gilded halls of the historic monument, President Emmanuel Macron presided over the 8th edition of the Choose France summit, an event that marked a historic turning point for French economic attractiveness. With €40.8 billion in announced investments and 53 confirmed projects, this 2025 edition shattered all records since the summit’s inception in 2018.
Healthcare at Choose France 2025 : a success built on solid foundations
The numbers speak for themselves. Never before had a Choose France summit generated such a level of foreign commitment. From sustainable fuels to critical metals, data centers to healthcare infrastructure, strategic sectors driving France’s reindustrialisation are massively attracting international capital.
“This success is no coincidence—it results from our innovation, training, and energy policies. It recognises our excellence and expertise,” explains Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry and Energy. This analysis resonates particularly strongly in the healthcare sector, where French excellence now radiates far beyond national borders.
When French healthcare startups meet with the world
Against this exceptional backdrop, French Healthcare Association orchestrated a masterstroke. In partnership with the Health Innovation Agency (AIS), France Biotech, PariSanté Campus, and Business France, the association organised a side event called “Life Sciences Meetings.” The objective was clear: create direct connections between thirty carefully selected French startups and international investors attending the summit.
The focused, business-to-business format hit the mark. Dosens of qualified meetings took place in a professional environment conducive to high-level exchanges, far from the hustle and bustle of traditional large trade shows. The selected companies were not chosen randomly. Invivox, OSO-AI, RadioLogs, Rofim, Withings… Whether operating in biotech, medtech, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, or diagnostics, all these French gems carry innovations capable of transforming healthcare systems globally.
Strong French government Support for healthcare at Choose France
The event benefited from top-level political support. Introduced by Frédéric Rose, Prefect of Yvelines, it featured significant institutional interventions. Charles-Édouard Escurat, interim Director General of the Health Innovation Agency, emphasised the strategic importance of a sovereign innovation ecosystem. Even more symbolic, Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health and Healthcare access, delivered an unequivocal video message: “Choosing France means choosing audacity, choosing excellence, choosing a country that will always defend science and those who advance it.“.
Bruno Bonnell, Secretary General for Investment under France 2030, concluded on a lighter but equally revealing note: “We have the researchers, talents, infrastructure, and even the gastronomy—all assets that make international investors choose France!“
A strategy bearing fruit
For French Healthcare Association, this side event perfectly illustrates its mission: unite French healthcare stakeholders and connect them to promising international markets. By contributing to Choose France programming, the association confirms healthcare’s central role in French economic diplomacy.
Initial feedback is unanimous. Participating companies report concrete prospects, solid connections, and express strong demand for follow-up. This success already raises questions about making this pilot format permanent.
Towards a New Dynamic
Thirty selected startups, a meeting program with international investors, coordinated political support, and concrete benefits for the ecosystem: the ingredients of this success are identified. This initiative confirms the collective ability to make France a strategic destination for healthcare investments while projecting French expertise internationally.
The challenge now is capitalising on this momentum. While Choose France 2025 will be remembered as an exceptional vintage, the challenge for French healthcare stakeholders will be transforming this enthusiasm into lasting partnerships. A challenge worthy of the ambitions displayed in Versailles’ halls.
French Healthcare Innovation on the Global Stage
This event highlights France’s growing position as a European leader in healthcare innovation. With world-class research institutions, a supportive regulatory environment, and a thriving startup ecosystem, France offers international investors unique opportunities in the global health technology market.
The Choose France 2025 Life Sciences side event demonstrates how strategic public-private partnerships can effectively showcase national healthcare capabilities to international markets. As healthcare digitisation accelerates worldwide and precision medicine becomes mainstream, French innovations are increasingly positioned to address global health challenges.
For international healthcare investors and partners seeking European market entry or collaborative opportunities, France’s comprehensive ecosystem—from early-stage startups to established medtech companies—presents compelling investment prospects in one of the world’s most advanced healthcare markets.
