What do we do
We create successful medical device ventures around groundbreaking science and engineering. We accelerate and increase the value of early stage projects by providing our expertise, initial capital and NLC’s supporting ecosystem. We are particularly strong in the fields of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal (orthopedic) diseases, but our focus is not limited to certain therapeutic areas, indications or technology types. Our ultimate aim is to deliver breakthrough treatment options to patients with high unmet needs. Our project pipeline is diverse and constantly updated, so contact us if you want to see what we have in the making.
The majority of our ventures start with inventions originating in academic institutions or in hospitals. We see thousands of projects each year, and select the most promising ones by evaluating their medical and commercial potential.
How we collaborate with you
We partner with academia, clinicians, investors, numerous industry partners, as well as with individual inventors and experts, in order to identify the most promising technologies and nurture them into successful ventures within our Venture Building ecosystem and community.
Industry partners
We collaborate with small and large companies to jointly develop projects. Our network extends to large corporates like Philips, smaller specialized engineering companies, venture capital firms, service providers, and other venture builders. Through our established partnership model, we are able to provide industry-initiated projects with a nurturing ecosystem to enable or accelerate them, and ultimately bring promising technologies to the patients who need them.
Team
We bring decades of combined expertise from academia, hospitals, corporates, startups, and venture capital. Together with our extensive expert community, we perform in depth due diligence, identify the most suitable setup and team for each technology we select, and support our ventures in their journey towards successful market entry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pieter Wijffels
Venture Partner
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.
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.