
Alessandro Radaelli
Venture Partner
Alessandro joined NLC in April 2022 and brings over 20 years of experience in the MedTech industry. His passion lies in translating clinical needs into meaningful solutions, building purpose-driven 'tribes' of early adopters and taking impactful innovations from idea to business realisation. He has lived in four European countries and has travelled to more than 20 countries with great curiosity for healthcare systems, and the local food culture.

Alex Griffiths
Inventor

Alex Vernooij
CTO and Co-inventor

Alexandra Yhip
Technology Assessment & Strategy
Alexandra joined NLC as part of the TAS team in November 2022. She holds a B.Sc. in Biology with a Specialization in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and is currently completing her Master’s in Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Barcelona. Alexandra has previously held positions within the biotech industry and is delighted at any opportunity that involves delving into new and emerging technologies within the medical and life sciences.

Alfredo Hernández
Inventor

Amalia Stenberg
Legal Counsel
Amalia joined NLC in August 2021 as a Legal Counsel. She holds an LL.M. degree from Uppsala University and has also studied EU law at Utrecht University. During her studies, Amalia was very interested in regulations surrounding healthtech, and wrote her master thesis on privacy issues in health tracking devices used in healthcare. She is thrilled to join NLC in its mission to bring better and more affordable healthtech solutions to patients.

Amy Agterberg
IT

Andreina Ramos
HR Admin Coordinator
Andreina joined NLC on 1st January 2023. She finished her studies on Human Resources and Labor Relations in Venezuela and gained both local and international experience in Oil and Gas industry for more than 15 years. Andreina moved to The Netherlands in 2009 and continued her function for O&G services and for the last 7 years worked on the implementation and improvement of HR system in-house solutions and provided support and education to more than 1000 users in 50+ countries. She has experience as HR Generalist and affinity with HR procedures, HR services and highly motivated to work with inter-functional teams.

Ankita Das
Venture Developer
Ankita joined NLC in July 2022 as a Venture Developer intern and transitioned to a full time Biotech focused Venture Developer from December 2022. She holds a bachelor’s in biotechnology from India and MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Leiden University. Ankita has experience in scientific research and is eager to contribute her knowledge in the success of biotech innovations as a venture developer. With her collaborative and international perspective, she wants to bring promising inventions to reach patients and create an impact in healthcare. Ankita is enthusiastic to hear about new ideas and is open to connecting.

Anna Tomasics
Legal Intern
Anna joined NLC in September 2023. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Law at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. Over the span of two transformative years, she has immersed herself in European law at Jean Moulin Université in France and honed her skills in competition law at Università di Roma LUMSA in Italy. In her prior roles she was involved in complex M&A transactions. With an enthusiasm for technology, especially legal-tech, and an undying passion for law, she is excited to delve into the future implications of AI in the legal field. Anna is driven by a dual mission at NLC is: constant learning and actively contributing to the innovation and growth within the venture building and healthtech sectors.

Annabel van der Horst
Venture Developer
Annabel joined NLC in September 2023 as a Venture Developer at the MedTech department. She holds a bachelor and master in Nanobiology, both a joint degree from the Technical University of Delft and the Erasmus Medical Center. Annabel’s curiosity fuels her affinity with research. She published 3 articles in the field of neuroscience. Annabel also has a lot of affinity with healthcare and is interested in the multidisciplinary and technical background of new inventions that will have a significant impact on healthcare. Moreover, she is interested in the development of technologies to make healthcare more sustainable. She is determined to strengthen the venture development team to advance health.

Annameta Gericke
Venture Developer
Annameta joined NLC in April 2020. She is working as a Venture Developer, with the mission of creating a positive impact on patients’ lives. Having lived in Italy, UK, and the Netherlands, Annameta has developed an open and international outlook. She holds an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCL and is part of the digital and Medtech domains. She enjoys new challenges and meeting driven inventors.

Anne Reijns
Lead Tech Partnerships
Anne joined NLC in January 2022. She is passionate about making healthcare accessible, affordable, and unbiased. In the past 10 years, she has focused on personalising healthcare using (medical) technology and data and putting the patient first. Through various projects, Anne has impacted over 250K patients’ lives across Europe, India, and Africa. At NLC, she works with corporates and academic institutions to bring more significant inventions to life.

Antoinette van Lier
Supervisory Board

Arjan te Pas
Inventor

Associate Professor Dr Bernhard Winkler
Inventor, PI
Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgeon Associate Professor in cardiac surgery

Axel Ehrenstrom
Financial analyst
Axel joined NLC in October 2022. Prior to joining NLC, he spent 3 years with Mazars in Paris as a Cybersecurity specialist, then 4 years with KPMG in Amstelveen in the Financial audit practice and later in the Deals advisory, providing financial due diligence to Private Equity and Corporates on buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions. Through those experiences, Axel has developed a knowledge of financial reporting and an analytical skill set. At NLC, he is using that knowledge to strengthen the financial processes and support the internal and external financial reporting.

Bender Ziegerink
Venture Developer
Bender joined NLC in January 2022 as a venture developer. He developed his passion for healthtech during his BSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Groningen. He also holds an MSc in Engineering and Policy Analysis from the Delft University of Technology. Bender is highly motivated to contribute to creating meaningful ventures with a positive impact all around the world.

Bernard Maillard
Technology Analyst
Bernard joined NLC in July 2019. He has always been driven by his curiosity and eagerness to learn how inventions work and how they can be improved. After graduating as a mechanical engineer, he sought to expand his technical knowledge to create more value, and completed a master’s in Entrepreneurship and Business Design at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Bernard has had first-hand experience with venture creation, training in intellectual property strategy, open innovation and knowledge-based business development. Now, he aligns his technical and entrepreneurial background with his interest in healthcare improvement and helps NLC to bring innovative solutions to the patients.

Bert Arjan Millenaar
Founder & CEO
Bert-Arjan is the founder of NLC and has a personal aim to advance health. He has over 20 years of experience in business development and growth strategies. His love for pushing boundaries and stretching the possibilities of an organisation allows Bert-Arjan to steer NLC's unique business model and to support the team.

Brechje Riphagen
Inventor

Bruce D. Henniges
Inventor

Bruna Provenci
Expertise Integration
Bruna joined NLC in March 2023. She is a M.D with +3 years of experience in pulmonology and Intensive Care Units (ICU). She also has a sub-specialization in infectious lung diseases. Throughout her career she had gained experience in working in telemedicine projects and mentoring medical residents in the management of patients with respiratory conditions. She finished her Master in Healthcare Management at Erasmus University Rotterdam and is excited about combining her medical background with management skills, to create a positive impact. Bruna uses her experience to help NLC’s ventures with clinical-related issues throughout their lifecycle under NLC management.

Calum Willliams
Inventor

Camila Nino
HR Project Manager
Camila joined NLC in January 2023. She is a psychologist with a diploma in Talent Management and a Master's in Learning and Development in Organizations from Maastricht University. Before joining NLC, Camila worked for different Colombian and international companies from different industries such as insurance, retail, and startups. She has held diverse roles in Human Roles focused on talent acquisition, employer branding, outplacement, training, and development. Camila is passionate about people's behavior, change management, and talent development to bring out their best version and achieve organizational goals.

Carlos Garcia Tognaccini
Legal Counsel
Carlos joined NLC in June 2022. As Legal Counsel, he provides legal support to NLC and its ventures through their various stages. Prior to joining NLC, Carlos worked as an in-house counsel at an international pharmaceutical company in The Hague, where he developed his interests in the pharma and med-science industries.

Catherine Fitzpatrick
Inventor

Cees Wittens
Inventor

CEO
CEO to be disclosed shortly

Chris Reutelingsperger
Inventor

Chrissy Adriaans
Venture Development Intern
Chrissy joined NLC in September 2023 as a Venture Developer Intern in the Digital department. She holds a bachelor in Technical Medicine and is currently working towards finalizing her master Technical Medicine in the track Imaging and Intervention, a joint degree from the Technical University of Delft, the Erasmus Medical Center and the University of Leiden. During her master’s she gained invaluable knowledge in bridging the gap between the field of medicine and the latest technological advancements. With her specific interest and expertise in data science, she is enthusiastic about putting her knowledge to challenge in the venture-building process within the Digital department, where she aims to contribute to advancing healthcare solutions.

Christine Ammon
Venture Support
Christine joined NLC's Venture Support team in February 2022 as a biomedical sciences master’s student with a management specialisation. During her time at the Leiden University Medical Centre conducting research, Christine came to recognise that healthcare needs innovation and entrepreneurship to advance. She is dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact on individuals and making healthcare accessible to all. Impact-driven, focused and a team player, she is excited to bring science to life.

Christopher Lee
CEO

Ciara Hennessy
Digital Health Strategist
Ciara joined NLC in January 2023 as part of the Technology Assessment and strategy team.In this role, she brought her previous experience as an NHS doctor, digital lead for a telehealth company and consulting to our feasibility analysis, quality control, IP evaluation, venture deal terms for MedTech, digital health and biotech leads. In June 2023, Ciara became the first hire into the digital health strategist role, using her unique perspective of the problems which exist in healthcare and focusing on bringing disruptive technologies forward to improve patients' experiences and outcomes in healthcare. Prior to NLC, Ciara spent 12 years as a medical doctor with international experience of working in 5 different healthcare systems. Ciara achieved her MBA with distinction from Alliance Manchester Business school to realign her problem-solving ability from patient focuses to the wider healthcare ecosystem. She is looking forward to leveraging this experience to support NLC's future growth plans.

Connor Buckley
Inventor

Daniel Kelly
Inventor

Danyl Lebediev
IT Developer
Danyl joined NLC in January 2020 and holds a Bachelor’s in Finance, and Business and IT. He strives to help businesses achieve optimal IT support, improve ICT workflow, translate business requirements into IT solutions, and optimise business processes. Danyl helps bring science to life by ensuring that NLC has effective and efficient IT support.

Dave Koolbergen
Inventor

David Browe
Inventor

Denis Hansjacob
Advisor

Dirk Pekelharing
Supervisory Board

Dominique de Kleijn
Inventor

Dr. Christian Dinges
Co-Inventor

Dr. Christine Hafner
Inventor

Dr. Claas Falldorf
Inventor

Dr. Klas Kossel
Inventor

Dr. Neville Young
Market Access Advisor
Neville completed his Molecular Embryology doctorate from Kings College London, before working at the Institute of Cancer Research, London and then the Institute of Molecular Bio-Sciences, Queensland, Australia. Returning to the UK he worked in research development at the NIHR. He is currently Director of Enterprise and Innovation at Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, Chair of the National Pathology Imaging Collaborative steering committee, an NIA Board member and member of the NIHR Impact Advisory Board. As Market Access Advisor he will apply his considerable track record in translational research and innovation to bring Asclepius’s innovation to the UK and international markets.

Dr. Prof. Stefan Jockenhövel
Inventor

Dr. Sander van den Driesche
Inventor

Edmund White
CEO
Medical technology leader with extensive progressive global sales, marketing, clinical and operating experience across both large and small companies in medical technology and contract research organizations at VP and European management levels. Commercialized multiple Class III cardiovascular medical devices both within start-up (Endosense) and global strategics (Medtronic & Biotronik). Two exit strategies Endosense ($350m) to Abbott (St Jude Medical) two years after commercialization & Admedus sales & EU distribution arm to Le Maitre ($15min) four years after CE approval. Led a team of medical device professional working on many Class III cardiovascular clinical projects for sponsors supporting the regulatory process and guiding/helping clients towards the right pathway. Built strong working relationships with worldwide leading KOLs in supporting the adoption of new cardiovascular technologies during my tenure at Biotronik, Endosense & Admedus.

Edoardo Lerario
Venture Finance
Edoardo joined NLC as a Venture Finance Intern in March 2023. Before joining NLC, he spent 1 year in Rome as a consultant supporting Italian startups and SMEs and taking part in relevant business initiatives. During his university career, mainly carried out in Italy at “University of Rome La Sapienza", he took part in two international study experiences. The exchange semester at “Catòlica Lisbon School of Business & Economics” during his Bachelor’s and the Italian-Russian double degree program during his Master’s have made Edoardo an open-minded and proactive guy, ready to bring his passion to the Venture Finance team.

Ellis Aune
Venture Developer
Ellis joined NLC in September 2021 and sees health innovation as an inherently intersectional field. She joined NLC as a venture developer to combine her research, business, and policy interests to help translate health inventions into tangible solutions. Ellis has a background in chemical and biological engineering and research and holds a Master’s degree in medical biology and innovation management.

Erik Vaclav Chmelar
Inventor

Ernst Elhorst
CEO

Eva Demandt
Venture Teaming Expert
Eva's journey with NLC began in 2017 as venture teaming advisor and investor. In 2018 she officially joined our team as employee and in 2023 she was appointed co-founder CEO of the NLC venture Foveo Fertility. She is known as an entrepreneurial, optimistic and result-driven team player and brings over a decade of experience in early-stage healthtech, including founding and exiting a life sciences recruitment agency. Her dual experience as healthtech CEO and executive search professional uniquely position her to identify and select the right entrepreneurs to lead NLC’s ventures.

Eva Diephuis
Product owner and Clinical Trials

Eva van Rooijen
Venture Teaming Expert
Eva journey with NLC began in 2017 as venture teaming advisor and investor. In 2018 she officially joined our team as employee and in 2023 she was appointed co-founder CEO of the NLC venture Foveo Fertility. She is known as an entrepreneurial, optimistic and result-driven team player and brings over a decade of experience in early-stage healthtech, including founding and exiting a life sciences recruitment agency. Her dual experience as healthtech CEO and executive search professional uniquely position her to identify and select the right entrepreneurs to lead NLC’s ventures.

Evert Küppers
Advisor Biotech

Fan Huang
Inventor

Fenna Heyning
Lead expertise integration
Fenna joined NLC in July 2022. From her perspective as an internist, personalised, high-quality care for each patient is always crucial. To realise this ambition for future generations, our healthcare system needs a more integrated and innovative strategy in which all stakeholders are represented. This ambition motivated Fenna in 2014 to take off her white coat and focus on innovation and healthcare transformation from a broad technological, organisational and social perspective. She worked for eight years at STZ, the association of top clinical hospitals in the Netherlands, focussing on transforming health care delivery and innovation. Fenna will build on and expand the fast-growing network of (clinical) experts linked to NLC to help bring science to life.

Folkert Roossien
Chief Development Officer

Frank van Mourik
Inventor/Co-Founder/CTO

Gábor Heltovics
Venture Partner
Gábor joined NLC in June 2022. In his most recent endeavour, he was the CEO of a virtual speciality biopharmaceutical company, Tavanta Therapeutics. Under Gábor’s guidance, Tavanta secured over $55 million in funding and grew from a 2-person company to an organisation with 5 pivotal clinical stage compounds for major indications such as oncology and pain, as well as an innovative pre-clinical pipeline following closely in their footsteps. Gábor will apply his experience at NLC as a venture partner to build ventures and advance health.

Gina Melchner
Venture Partner & Lead Medtech
Gina joined NLC in February 2020. As a Venture Partner, she works with a portfolio of Biotech and Medtech ventures. Gina also leads NLC’s Medtech Domain, ensuring we build impactful new Medtech ventures year after year. Gina holds a master’s in biotechnology from ETH Zurich and worked in management consulting as well as venture capital before joining NLC.

Hanneke van der Kleij
R&D Lead
Hanneke joined NLC in September 2022. Her background is in neuroimmunology, having undertaken a PhD in mast-cell nerve interaction in asthma at Utrecht University in the Netherlands followed by a postdoctorate at the Brain-Body Institute in Hamilton, Canada. Before joining NLC, Hanneke worked as a Senior Scientist and Clinical Trial Manager at HAL Allergy, a pharmaceutical company developing immunotherapy for patients with different types of allergy. Hanneke is eager to use her experience in the different NLC projects related to (neuro)immunology and extend her expertise also towards other scientific areas as well as to get familiar with the processes involved in venture building, bringing healthtech innovations from bench to bedside.

Harri O’Sullivan
Talent Acquisition Lead

Harry Sprengers
Inventor

Henk Marquering
Inventor

Hiba AlKadi
Legal
Hiba joined NLC in March 2023 as a legal intern. She completed her LLB in International and European Law from the University of Groningen and is currently completing her LLM in International Trade and Investment Law at UvA. Hiba has been always interested in the intersection between the medical and health field and law. Throughout her education, she was always seeking to deepen her understanding of this dynamic field, and now she is excited to channel her knowledge and expertise towards contributing to NLC’s positive impact.

Hidde ten Brink
Lead Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Hidde joined NLC in April 2019. He has extensive experience in mergers & acquisitions, corporate and structured finance, company valuations, debt advisory, venture capital and treasury management. He gained this experience at EY’s M&A department, at Zanders, as well as at an Amsterdam-based M&A boutique. Hidde uses this experience to help NLC’s ventures with finance-related issues throughout their lifecycle under NLC’s management, ultimately leading to achieving successful exits and maximising the ventures’ positive impact on society.

Hilgo Bruining
Inventor

Holger Müller
CEO

Huub van Rossum
Inventor

Ihor Bahrintsev
Business Data Analyst
Ihor joined NLC in November 2022 as part of the Finance and Data Analytics team. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv and MA in Applied Economics from the University of Houston/Kyiv School of Economics. Prior to joining NLC, Ihor spent 3.5 years with DTEK in Kyiv and Amsterdam, working as a part of CFO team on various projects related to strategic planning, business and data analytics, valuation, financial modelling and planning. He plans to use his knowledge, curiosity and passion for data-driven decision making to support NLC with its growth plans.

Irni Gemzon
Venture Builder
Irni is a medical doctor with an MBA and also has an educational background in microbiology, and biotech + pharma management. He is an active practicing physician and a medical school faculty member in the Philippines; and held previous applied and clinical research roles in virology, antibiotic resistance, genetics, and oncology. Irni founded a successful digital-based healthcare company that addressed primary care accessibility during the pandemic and is an experienced consultant that helps digital and healthtech founders define their technology and find correct solutions for unmet healthcare needs. He joined NLC in April 2022 and is always looking for ways to push healthcare innovation forward and bring this faster to the patient’s bedside.

Izannery Silva
Biotech Venture Developer intern
Izannery joined the NLC team in August 2023, assuming the role of a Biotech Venture Developer intern. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from UFPB, Brazil, and subsequently achieved an International Master's Degree in Innovative Medicine through the Erasmus Mundus collaboration between the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and Uppsala University in Sweden. Recognizing the ongoing need to bridge the gap between academia and industry, throughout her academic journey, she focused on scientific projects with high potential for translating to patient benefits, with experience in academic settings as well as at large-scale pharmaceutical corporations. This combination between academic and industry experience equips her with a comprehensive perspective on advancing biomedical solutions and opportunities, aligned with NLC.

Jaap Haemers
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Jaap joined NLC in February 2022. He gained extensive experience in mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance at EY’s M&A department and is passionate about innovation and making an impact. Jaap leverages his expertise and passion to support NLC’s ventures with finance-related issues throughout their lifecycle, ultimately achieving successful exits and maximising the ventures’ positive impact on society.

James Dixon
Inventor

Jean-Louis Pépin
Inventor

Jelle van Tol
Office Manager
"Meet Jelle: Your Experienced Office Manager With a wealth of experience in managing diverse office spaces, Jelle has made it his mission to transform workplaces into environments where people can excel. As a dedicated father of two, he also finds joy in reading, music, running, and cooking in his free time. Jelle's standout qualities include his exceptional social skills, knack for improvisation, and a talent for solving even the most challenging problems."

Jeroen Janssen
Inventor

Jeroen Kodde
CEO

Jikke de Jong
Lead Green Health Ventures
Joining NLC from its inception in 2015, Jikke has been serving several roles in the organisation. With an MSc in Science and Innovation Management, specializing in Life Sciences, her academic background spans technology, innovation, and sustainability, covering diverse areas from finance to drug development. Currently, Jikke oversees NLC's Green Health activities, spearheading efforts to reduce healthcare's environmental impact while enhancing patient care. Her role at NLC include sourcing leads, closing IP deals, building venture teams, and fostering lasting partnerships. Jikke is dedicated to crafting innovative solutions that benefit both patients and the planet.

Johanneke Maenhout
Portfolio Director and Lead Portfolio Development
Johanneke joined NLC in November 2016. She has over a decade of experience in strategic and operational health care consulting and health economics and is interested in accelerating the role of technology and innovation in improving health(care). At NLC, Johanneke is responsible for our the strategic development of our portfolio with specific focus on impact, alongside financial value and risk management. As part of this role she has a seat in the Investment Committee of our Health Impact Fund.

Jola Danaj
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Jola joined NLC’s Venture Finance team in September 2021. Backed by extensive experience in M&A, and passionate about bringing forward a positive impact on society, she joined NLC to support ventures with their funding needs. Before joining NLC, Jola worked at Deloitte Financial Advisory and Corporate Finance on various transactions, gaining experience in multidisciplinary aspects of deal-making processes, which she aims to leverage in her position at Venture Finance to help achieve successful exits.

Jonathan Mohamed
IT
Jonathan joined NLC in February 2022. He is completing the final year of his IT bachelor’s program at NHL Stenden and is a Certified Ethical Hacker with cyber security and software development skills. Jonathan has experience with software, hardware and networking, and his goal is to support the team in developing healthtech ventures that bring science to life.

Joost Kruytzer
Board Advisor
Joost joined NLC in November 2016. He supports NLC, using his hands-on experience with developing young, fast-growing companies. Joost holds an MSc in Theoretical Physics and provided board-level consulting for 20 years, among others, as managing partner of healthcare specialist Plexus (later KPMG Plexus, after the acquisition he negotiated).

Joost Verhoeks
Inventor

Jorge Cortell
Advisor
Jorge joined NLC in December 2021. Before joining NLC, Jorge founded and managed Kanteron Systems, a Computational Bioinformatics company. Formerly, he was a member of the European Commission Expert Group and a university lecturer (UPV and UOC). Jorge graduated in Computer Science from the University of Oxford and has completed postgraduate studies in Entrepreneurship at MIT and Clinical Genomics at the University of Valencia. Currently, he is an Innovation Fellow at Harvard University.

Julian Still

Julie Szu-Chun Yang
Venture Support Expert
Julie joined NLC in September 2021 as Venture Support Officer. She is dedicated to improving the healthcare industry by implementing data-driven, evidence-based solutions and seeking innovations in HealthTech. She holds a joint degree of MS in Agro-biomedical Science from National Taiwan University, Tsukuba University, Université de Bordeaux and an EMBA from Quantic School Of Business and Technology. Julie is passionate about supporting ventures to bring science to life and innovations to patients.

Kasimir Friederich
Digital Venture Architect
Kasimir joined NLC in November 2022 as a Digital Venture Architect. After studying economics and gaining practical experience in the digital and startup field, he worked for a digital consulting firm. Here, Kasimir focussed on corporate venture building, ideating and validating business models that have great potential to create viable business opportunities for the future. With this background, he will support the digital domain in building the most promising digital health ventures applying a human-centric approach to venture building - addressing the most pressing problems and finding the right solutions.

Kathrin Ballesteros
Venture Partner
Kathrin joined NLC in October 2021. She has more than 20 years of experience supporting Startups – mainly in the Life Science business – in different positions as a consultant and coach. Kathrin is a biochemist and holds a PhD in Molecular Neurobiochemistry. Besides her scientific background, she is also trained as a Business Coach, Team Coach & Team Developer and has a Micro master’s in Business Model Innovation. Kathrin brings expertise in supporting early-stage scientific and entrepreneurial projects turning into valuable businesses.

Kawita Kanhai
Clinical Expertise Integration Intern
Kawita joined NLC in August 2023 as an intern in the Clinical Expertise Integration team. She is a Medical Doctor and has a PhD in Neuropharmacology. Currently she is a medical resident in Public Health, and specializes in environmental medicine. She has an extensive background in drug development and biotech. She is very excited to help NLC with further integrating clinical expertise and share her years of experience in optimizing clinical trials.

Kay Raum
Inventor

Keito Ito
Inventor

Kevin Ranner
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Kevin joined NLC in December 2020. After discovering his passion for solving multidisciplinary challenges during his BSc in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, Kevin joined NLC to leverage his passion in order to generate a positive social impact. He gained experience supporting strategic decision-making during his internship at a management consultancy in Munich. Having enjoyed an international education in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and China, Kevin is eager to assist in globally representing the financial interests of NLC ventures and investors.

Khaled Rafiqpoor
Inventor
Klass Kossel
Co-inventor

Klaus Linkenkaer-Hansen
Inventor

Lars Olthof
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Lars joined NLC in July 2017 after finishing his master’s degree at the London School of Economics. He is driven by the goal of making a positive societal impact through entrepreneurship. With the rest of the Venture Finance team, Lars is responsible for designing and validating the business models of NLC’s new healthtech ventures by managing financing rounds (both dilutive and non-dilutive) and developing novel financial propositions to ensure all NLC portfolio companies are financed according to need. This is all done with a single goal in mind: to accelerate the growth of NLC's venture portfolio and bring more groundbreaking medical innovations to the patient.

Lei Su
Inventor

Leo Koenderman
Inventor

Leo Timmers
Inventor

Lizzy Vroemen
Graphic Designer
Lizzy joined NLC in January 2023. She studied communication and Multimedia 2014-2018 at Zuyd University of applied sciences in Maastricht in The Netherlands. She has a background in working both in B2B and B2C as a designer. Lizzy has worked 3 years at the Open University Heerlen supporting the marketing team with design. In this period of time she did a course at the Berlin Art Institute in Berlin. Afterwards she started working as a freelancer exploring multiple fields within design. In 2019 she moved to Portugal where she continued her work with a wide variety of clients in different markets. In April 2022 she became a part of the marketing team as a Visual Designer at Upper. Upper is a Berlin based company working remote first that connects IT freelancers worldwide to companies and projects. Lizzy is very motivated to be a part of NLC in their next level challenge to bring the inventions to the patients.

Ljudmila Katchan
R&D Lead
Ljudmila joined NLC in June 2022. She holds a MSc in physics from Denmark and a PhD in Neuroscience from Germany. Ljudmila has 10+ years of experience in R&D in both academic and corporate setting. After her postdoc at UC Berkeley Ljudmila supported life science startups in the Bay Area with R&D strategy and technical consulting. She gained expertise in preclinical development in early stage startups in both US and Europe. In San Francisco Ljudmila led the in-vitro biology team at SyntheX inc (platform licensed for 300M to BMS). In Copenhagen Ljudmila led an R&D team at Cirqle Biomedical (a BII portfolio company) to a successful 350M licensing deal with Orbimed. At NLC Ljudmila will leverage her expertise to support and develop early stage Biotech ventures ensuring the innovations ultimately reach and impact patient lives.

Lou Venturin
Legal Counsel
Lou joined NLC in March 2020 and provides legal support to NLC and its ventures. She is a business-minded corporate legal counsel with extensive international experience in major law firms in Luxembourg and New York. Lou enjoys working in a thriving environment and aims to contribute her legal expertise to make a significant impact on healthcare.

Luca Morandi
Inventor

Lucio van Rooijen
CEO
35+ years of experience in Life Science industries across a range of therapeutic indications, business models and molecular mechanisms. Following a multidisciplinary international career in a top Pharma he held a number of general manager and CEO roles in biotech and diagnostics companies, service providers and mid-tier pharma companies and supported numerous early stage companies in business and corporate development and fundraising. Lucio brings hands-on experience in research, development, marketing, sales, licensing, fund-raising and company management. He managed the start-up and growth of several companies. He is driven to bring innovations to commercial success and benefit of the health and well-being of patients.
Luigi Ricciardiello
Research team/MD

Lutfia Aisya
IT Intern - Frontend Developer
Lutfia joined the NLC team in September 2023 as the Frontend Web Developer Intern in the IT team. She has a Bachelor in Banking and Finance, and a Masters in Development Studies. Early in 2023 she joined and finished a Full Stack Development bootcamp in Amsterdam and currently building her career in web development. Her past work experience has always revolved around the same theme: impact creation. From being a researcher for poverty alleviation initiatives, to business development of a crowdfunding platform for marginalized farmers. She aspire to a career that not just benefits herself, but also other people’s welfare.

Lydia Kalafateli
Venture Developer & Biotech Domain Lead
Lydia joined NLC in April 2022 as a Venture Developer in the Biotech domain. She holds a BSc in Biology from Greece, an MSc in Pharmacology from the Netherlands, a PhD in Neuroscience from Sweden and an MBA. After 9+ years of R&D experience in academic and industrial settings (including Yale University and AstraZeneca), she developed a strong interest in the business/commercial side of Life Sciences. Currently, she leads the Biotech domain at NLC and builds successful Biotech companies bringing innovative therapeutics to patients in need.

Maaike de Jong
Inventor/CTO

Maarten Merkx
Inventor

Manfred Hartbauer
Inventor

Manon van Engeland
Inventor

Marcel de Rooij
Business Support Professional
Marcel joined NLC in March 2021 after the transfer of his workplace at his former employer to Brussels. Driven and with great pleasure, he is taking up the accountant role and helps keep the financial picture of NLC aligned. With a solid financial background in bookkeeping with an insurance company and bank, Marcel can get all the numbers in the correct place. Working with the latest bookkeeping and consolidation tools, he keeps a clear overview of the Balance sheet and the Profit and Loss statements.

Marcos Vega
Venture Support Expert
Marcos joined NLC in May 2022. He has a background in life science, having worked in biotech startups and, most recently, as a consultant supporting global pharma and healthcare companies with market access/sales strategies. Marcos is excited to apply his knowledge and experience to help NLC bring science to life.

Margarida Lopes
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Margarida joined NLC in February 2022 and is currently finishing her Master’s thesis in Financial Literacy and Political Orientation at the University of Lisbon. Margarida decided to embark on this adventure of enrolling in an internship in the Netherlands for the international experience and the desire to put her knowledge to the test. With previous experience with a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Management with a Finance Major, she is confident that she will gain immense knowledge and expertise at NLC. Margarida is eager to be an asset in helping the company grow and impact the world.

Marie Stelzmueller
Inventor

Marijn van Os
CEO

Marit Maxwell
Digital Community Manager
Marit joined NLC in December 2022 as a Digital Community Manager. After studying Media, Information and Communication she started working as a Community Manager at Roamler. Here she learned the different aspects of building different communities and improving the retention by creating more engagement. With this knowledge she will help to create and engage the different communities within NLC by offering the right tools and guidelines to her colleagues.

Mark O’Connell
Business Data & Operations Analyst
Mark joined NLC in July 2022 as part of the data analytics team. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from University College Cork and a Master’s degree in Data-Driven Design from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. Prior to joining NLC, Mark worked as a technology consultant with PwC Dublin. He plans to leverage his knowledge and experience to help NLC bring more healthtech innovations to life. He brings enthusiasm and is passionate about having a positive impact on society.

Marta Scali
Strategic Partnerships Developer
Marta joined NLC in January 2023. She holds a PhD in Biomechanical Engineering from TU Delft and she has R&D experience in medical device industry. Marta believes in teamwork and in achieving results together. She is excited to use her international experience and knowledge of both academic and corporate world to strengthen relationships with NLC’s partners and make an impact on people’s life.

Martin van Buuren
Inventor

Massimo Misschi
Inventor

Mathilde Serre
Business Developer
Mathilde joined NLC in September 2022 as a business development intern in the Tech Partnerships team. She holds a Liberal Arts and Sciences bachelor (BSc) with a major in Molecular Cell Biology and Biomedical Science and a minor in Political Sciences from the University College Utrecht. Mathilde is excited for her journey at NLC, where she will learn about the processes of bringing healthtech innovations from the bench to society so that they can benefit a significant number of patients.

Mattia Lauriola
Research team/PhD

Meghan Leaver
Inventor

Mendal Ottow
Co-inventor

Merel Boers, PhD
Founder & CEO

Michael Morgan-Curran
CEO
Michael has a successful track record in ethical pharmaceuticals, medical technologies and digital therapeutics. Working for and with some of the world’s best-known pharmaceutical, life science, medical device, telecoms, NGO and research organisations across EMEA, US and Latam, he has built and led teams accountable for market intelligence, strategy, marketing and commercialisation, technology design and development, regulation and market authorisation, pharmacovigilance, clinal trial development, clinical effectiveness and health economics. As an experienced digital healthcare strategist and entrepreneurial commercial leader he will lead Asclepius MedTech Limited as CEO leveraging his extensive experience in scaling up and internationalising MedTech start-ups and SMEs.

Michiel Mussies
Lead Venture Support
Michiel joined NLC in June 2019. He is a driven, internationally oriented generalist aiming to impact people and society positively. As lead of Venture Support, Michiel is providing services to scale NLC’s ventures to bring innovation to healthcare and to improve people’s lives. He holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Groningen and an MBA from INSEAD.

Nam Doan
Technology Assessment and Strategy Intern
Nam joined NLC in September 2023 as a Technology Assessment and Strategy Intern. He obtained BSc degree in Electronics and Telecommunications engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and is currently pursuing MSc degree in Data Science at Maastricht University. He is interested in Data Science and technologies, especially in healthcare domain and looks forward to learning and developing his passion at NLC.

Nerea Grisalena
Product Engineer

Nicholas Ibery
Partner UK & Venture Partner
Nick joined NLC in July 2022 from a London-based VC fund where he led European Life Sciences investments and was a Member of the Fund’s Investment Committee. Over the past ten years, he has backed several high-profile companies, including taking one from Series A to IPO in the USA. Nick started his career as a surgeon, specialising in neurosurgery. He holds medicine and law degrees, including a master’s degree in Surgical Technology from Imperial College London and an MBA from London Business School. Nick is eager to leverage his experience and knowledge to help NLC build ventures and advance health.

Nina Dinaux
Venture Developer
Nina joined NLC in June 2022. Armed with an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from TU Delft, and a background as a management consultant at KPMG Health and as innovation team lead in mental healthcare, she brings an insightful perspective to NLC. In addition to her role as a Venture Developer in the Medtech domain, she focuses on the MSK cluster and contributes to NLC’s impact report. Nina's diverse experience and passion for healthcare transformation drive her within NLC, ensuring that NLC creates a significant impact.

Nina Lameule
Venture Finance & NLC Funds
Nina joined NLC in September 2020. Before joining NLC, she gained experience working as a venture fundraiser in Paris, advising entrepreneurs on their financial strategy and connecting startups with a wide range of private investors and public funding. Now a member of NLC’s Venture Finance team, Nina will use this experience to support NLC’s ventures on their finance-related issues throughout their lifecycle to ensure their success.

Nina Rijnders
Private Investor Community Builder
Nina joined NLC in March 2015 and became responsible for NLC’s corporate partnerships in January 2019. She believes constructive collaboration is a true prerequisite for value creation. Nina loves to build new concepts and stories and feels privileged to work in an environment where people not only dare to envision the future but also help shape it.

Noel Caplice
Inventor

Oscar van den Brink
Inventor

Paul Cairo
Legal Counsel
Paul joined NLC in July 2021 as a Legal Counsel. Before joining NLC, he worked as a lawyer at Loyens & Loeff, one of the top three law firms in the Netherlands. He gained experience in litigation and M&A transactions within an internationally oriented practice. After gaining knowledge of how investors, corporates and governments work, Paul decided to embark on a mission to leverage his knowledge and experience to make a positive impact on the planet and its inhabitants. Paul provides Legal support to NLC and its ventures and specialises in impact within NLC. In this role, he advises on ethical questions during NLC’s investment process and integrates NLC’s B-Corp status in the company. Additionally, Paul ensures that all NLC’s investment funds adhere to the highest social and sustainable standards in accordance with SFDR 9 (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation).
Paul Krell
CEO

Peter Bonutti
Inventor

Peter Desain
Inventor

Pieter Wijffels
Venture Partner

Prof Hamid Dehghani
Inventor

Prof. Bruno Podesser
Cardiac Surgeon
Professor in cardiac surgery. Head of Center for Biomadical Research Medical University Vienna

Prof. David Jayne
Clinical Advisor
David is Bowel Cancer UK & RCS(Engl) Professor of Surgery at the University of Leeds and Hon. Consultant Surgeon at NHSLTHT. Clinical Director of Leeds NIHR Surgical Technologies Co-operative’s national network of clinicians, academics, patients, public, and commercial partners developing solutions to unmet surgical need. A practising colorectal surgeon, David is committed to improving the quality of life and outcomes for patients with bowel disorders, and tackling morbidity associated with major surgery. As Clinical Advisor David brings a wealth of experience in technology evaluation for clinical application, ensuring Asclepius’s remote preoperative innovation informs better shared decision-making and stratified treatment pathways.

Prof. Dr. Rob van der Mei
Inventor

Prof. Friedrich Eckstein
Inventor
Cardiac Surgeon Professor in cardiac surgery University Hospital Basel

Prof. Heimo Breteneder
Inventor

Prof. Hessel Wijkstra
Inventor

Prof. Michael Vellekoop
Inventor

Prof. Podesser
Inventor

Prof. Richard Ramakers
Inventor

Prof. Ton van der Steen
Inventor

Prof.dr.ir Bart ter Haar Romeny
Inventor

Ramm Mylvaganam
CTO
Ramm is driven by the principle ‘great People make great Products’ for mutual and sustainable profit. Practicing this principle underpinned his long-term success at Mars Inc. working internationally as Strategic Business Development Director. Surprised by the lack of analytical frameworks in elite sports Ramm founded ProZone. Focusing on football and rugby sports his innovative team transformed sporting analytical processes and achieved demonstratable commercial success. As Asclepius’s CTO, building upon his extensive experience in transformational sports data and business information analytics, Ramm will facilitate the development of its interactive patient data analytical service, delivering intuitive insights to assist healthcare professional decision-making.

Raymond Ypma
IT Systems Manager

Remi Corlin
CEO

Renan Sales Barros
Inventor/CTO

Rianne Rotink
CEO

Richard van de Wateringen
CEO
Lead Implant Preservation Devices at NLC. 25+ years of experience in Medical Devices, with a focus on Orthopaedics. Additional experience in Wound Care, Ostomy Care and Dental care. Has held senior management roles in a number of leading Orthopaedic and Medical Device companies for the last 25 years. Launched groundbraking Orthopaedic implant devices in major markets and developed Orthopaedic businesses in emerging markets.

Rita Mendes
Venture Developer
Rita joined NLC in April 2022 as a Venture Developer in the biotech team. She holds a BSc in Biology, an MSc in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine and a PhD in Bioengineering under the MIT-Portugal Program. Rita has +7 years of R&D experience, gathering deep scientific insights in drug development, preclinical models, nanotechnology, and omics/AI strategies in oncology precision medicine. Rita has an entrepreneurial mindset and participated in 8 business/innovation-related courses, including a mini-MBA for life scientists at Nova School of Business and Economics, a workshop on Innovation from MIT, and a masterclass on Negotiations in Pharma&Biotech. She aims to help bring new therapeutics from the lab to the market to solve unmet medical needs and improve patients’ lives.

Robert Childers
Inventor

Robert Flower
Inventor

Robin van Bruggen
CSO

Rohit Rungta
Venture Finance
Rohit joined NLC in March 2023 as a Venture Finance intern. He holds a Bachelor in Commerce(Honours) with a specialisation in Accounting and Finance, and is currently working towards his Masters in Accounting and Finance from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Before joining NLC, he has interned with Royal Philips treasury department. Rohit is excited to apply his knowledge in Accounting and Finance to help venture finance team and bring a positive impact!

Roland Zegger
Venture Partner
Roland joined NLC in March 2015. He is a trained pharmacist, has worked in several pharmaceutical companies, and has broad experience in marketing and sales functions as well as general management. As Venture Partner, Roland focuses on building innovative companies and strengthening NLC’s abilities to bring innovations to healthcare.

Ronald Kefurt
Chairman and Medical Director

Ruben Mikkers
CFO
Ruben is NLC’s CFO, including the responsibility for NLC’s fund management practice, leveraging on his extensive experience in general financial management and M&A. Before joining NLC in 2019, he spent almost 14 years in KPMG’s Deals practice, of which the last 6.5 years as a Partner, and 6 years at Robeco Asset Management as portfolio manager and buy-side analyst.

Ruben Mikkers – NLC
Support

Ruud Peters
Advisor IP

Sabna Rodjan
Legal & Finance Assistent
Sabna joined NLC in October 2018. She is a highly motivated, passionate, and proactive team player with a great sense of responsibility. She likes the combination of Finance and Legal tasks that contribute to the development of the company and bringing science to life. Sabna is eager to help NLC bring science to life.

Sandra Lammerding
Lead Legal Counsel
Sandra joined NLC in September 2019 and is a corporate counsel with 18 years of international experience in the life sciences and chemical industry. She is driven by “making things happen” at innovative companies to make a social impact. Sandra has held various in-house positions at DSM (Life Science & Innovation Cluster) and recently at Avantium’s joint venture Synvina. She provides and manages legal support to NLC and its ventures, contributing to bringing science to life.

Sarah Bohndiek
Inventor

Sasa Dramicanin
Marcom Intern
Sasa joined the NLC team in September 2023, assuming the role of a Marcom intern. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Beyond his academic achievements, Sasa's personal journey as a liver transplant patient has instilled in him a unique drive and motivation. This blend of theoretical knowledge and deep personal resilience equips him with a distinct perspective, allowing him to approach challenges with tenacity and innovation. Eager to make a significant impact within the company, Sasa's ambition is not just to apply his theoretical knowledge but to drive initiatives that create lasting value for our team and clients.

Sjaak Deckers
Advisor
Experienced MedTech executive with ample experience in fund-raising and creating and growing MedTech companies for complex Class II and III medical devices (Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation, acquired by Medtronic in 2014, GTX medical, now Onward medical, since 2021 listed on Euronext Brussels and Amsterdam, and Microsure, a microsurgical robotics company). Over 25 years of experience in R&D project management, product management, creating and managing alliances, and early stage venturing, mainly for MedTech and Healthcare products.
Stefan Jockenhövel
Inventor

Stelios Michael
Venture Finance Intern
Stelios joined NLC in September 2023 as a Ventrue Finance Intern. He obtained BSc degree in Economics and Business Economics from the University of Amsterdam , and is currently pursuing MSc degree in Corporate Finance at the University of Amsterdam. He is passionate about navigating the world of finance, understanding economics issues, and using data-driven insights to make decisions, especially in healthcare domain and looks forward to learning and developing his passion at NLC.

Sylvia Butzke
COO
Sylvia joined NLC in September 2022. Before joining NLC, she spent 5 years as COO at PGGM Investments, preceded by 10 years at the Dutch Central Bank and 10 years at Boston Consulting Group. Sylvia brings along extensive expertise in achieving sustainable change in organizations, based on innovative approaches, dialogue and learning. She is looking forward to using her experience to support NLC’s expansion plans.

Taco van der Feltz
Venture Partner
Taco joined NLC in 2015 and is a highly international and networked entrepreneur trained as Medical Doctor and Medical Biologist. He is a visionary strategist conversant within and across disciplines. As Venture Partner, Taco focuses on building innovative companies and strengthening NLC’s abilities to bring innovations to healthcare.

Thais Gonzales
Venture Finance Intern
Thais joined NLC in September 2023, where she currently plays an integral role in expanding the company's investor network and providing valuable support to its ventures on finance-related matters. Concurrently, she is in the final stages of completing her Bachelor's degree in International Business Administration with a Minor in Neuroeconomics at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. In addition to her academic pursuits, Thais serves as a dedicated Board Member for the university's Asset Management Study Association, where she assumes a leadership role in overseeing its activities. Prior to her role at NLC, Thais gained valuable experience as a Finance Intern at Coty, Amsterdam, where she honed her financial acumen and contributed to the company's success. Furthermore, she exemplifies her commitment to social responsibility as a former Board Member of Por un Peru Mejor, a non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing the education of underprivileged Peruvian children. Thais is fluent in Spanish and English, enabling her to seamlessly navigate diverse international environments and communicate effectively with stakeholders from various backgrounds

Thomas Kousholt
Venture Partner
Thomas joined NLC in January 2023. He has a background in technology and is a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience building tech companies across different areas including mobile, AI, ecommerce and medtech. Thomas brings full startup lifecycle experience of raising funding, building, scaling and exiting. His expertise extends bringing digital health products to an international market and growing early-stage startups into profitable businesses. Thomas is passionate about the potential of digital technology to meet the challenges of the future of healthcare.

Thomas Stirrop
Venture Developer
Thomas joined NLC in May 2022 as a venture developer. He is interested in the intersection between science & society and how ideas can be translated into measurable impact on patient health. Thomas has a background in Biotechnology (health and environmental) and life science business. He has worked previously as an innovation consultant, specialised in funding, and is excited to use these skills to help bring science to life at NLC.

Thomas Vargoczky
CEO

Tim Antonius
Inventor

Tim Horeman
Inventor

Tim Wolfs
Inventor

Tom Nijsten
Lead People & Culture
Tom joined NLC in April 2020 as a Venture Finance Expert, following a career at Deloitte's Corporate Finance practice in Amsterdam and London. Being always interested in the people side of doing business, he gained experience building teams and coaching team members. In the entrepreneurial environment of NLC, Tom has pivoted himself since July 2021 to entirely focus on the NLC Talent Journey with a focus on People & Culture.

Valeria Gottardo
Technology Assessment and Strategy
Valeria Gottardo joined the NLC Technology Assessment and Strategy team in August 2022. She has a background in healthcare engineering with a BSc in Biomedical Engineering at Universita’ degli Studi di Padova and Universidad Pompeu Fabra, and an MSc in Bioengineering at Universidad Politecnica de Valencia. Valeria worked as a Data Scientist at Fresenius Medical Care, developing hospital datasets and instrumentation algorithms to enhance chronic kidney disease patients’ treatment and life expectancy. She is excited to share everything she has learned in the medical and IT fields with the NLC team and looks forward to learning and collaborating to improve the healthcare sector.

Vincent van den Brekel
CEO

Wijna Bekker
CEO Recruiter
Wijna joined NLC in August 2022. She has over 20 years of experience in life science recruitment. Amongst others, she has worked for a recruitment agency in the pharmaceutical sector and has run her own agency focused on medical devices and quality positions. For the past 5 years, Wijna has had a senior position at a life science consultancy firm where she worked on recruiting consultants for health tech and life sciences. Throughout her career, she has worked and come into contact with new and exciting innovations. Wijna enjoys finding the perfect match between CEOs and ventures to get these innovations to market and help patients.

Wilfried Wisser
Inventor

Will Richardson
Finance and Data analytics Lead
Will joined NLC in April 2021. He is a chartered accountant with several years of M&A experience. Prior to joining NLC, he spent 6 years with PwC in London, providing financial due diligence services for M&A transactions and developed a passion for data analysis. He uses this experience, to help build-out the finance function and broadening NLC's data-driven decision making capabilities.

Willem Fontijn
Technology Strategist
Willem joined NLC in August 2017. He is responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of NLC at an operational and strategic level, guarding the quality of inflow and driving supporting technologies. Willem holds a PhD from the Eindhoven University of Technology, is an IP expert, and has corporate and venturing experience. He is a principal scientist and prolific inventor at Philips Research turned serial entrepreneur.

Willem Nerkens
Co-Inventor / CTO/ Quality manager

Wouter Markus
CEO

Zoe da Silva
Venture Development
Zoe joined NLC in April 2023. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology, and is completing her Master’s in Biomedical Sciences and Management at Leiden University. Zoe has an international background and experience with different biomedical topics such as genetics, neurosciences and cardiovascular therapies. She is excited about applying her knowledge and experiences to build ventures and contribute to a positive impact on healthcare.
Testimonial: Pieter Wijffels, Venture Partner at NLC
One of our Venture Partners, Pieter Wijffels, shares his view on the advantages of working for NLC after a long and established international career.