#518 Max Berthelot (Lucis) | Biomarqueurs, longévité et médecine préventive : vivre mieux, plus longtemps.

·1 hr 39 min·5 clips

Max Berthelot reveals French women live 20 years in poor health after age 69—and his startup Lucis has a plan to change that.

The episode features Max Berthelot, co-founder of Lucis, interviewed on The Bold Way podcast. Berthelot begins by highlighting a critical statistic: in France, women's life expectancy is 89 years, but healthy life expectancy is only 69 years, leaving 20 years of declining health. He attributes this largely to chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, which account for 85% of deaths in Europe and are often preventable. Lucis positions itself as a preventive health platform, not just a longevity tool, focusing on helping people live better, not necessarily longer. The service is based on biannual blood tests analyzing over 100 biomarkers, with results processed through AI and reviewed by doctors. Berthelot shares that 6% of Lucis users have had serious health issues detected, such as a case where early-stage thyroid cancer was found, leading to life-saving treatment. The user journey involves digital onboarding, at-home saliva and urine kits, lab blood draws, and a comprehensive health dashboard with personalized recommendations. Lucis recently integrated an AI health coach that can create weekly meal plans based on individual biomarker data and goals. Berthelot traces Lucis's origins to a WhatsApp community around Brian Johnson's health protocols, which evolved into selling European supplements before pivoting to the current platform. The startup applied to Y Combinator in early 2025 and was accepted, participating in a spring batch that involved intense work and mentorship. Post-YC, Lucis raised €6.5 million in five days from investors like General Catalyst, leveraging the accelerator's network and credibility. Berthelot emphasizes the shift in mindset from a modest European startup to aiming for a billion-dollar company, inspired by the ambitious culture in Silicon Valley. He discusses the challenges of the European health system, which is focused on treatment rather than prevention, and Lucis's goal to make preventive care accessible through volume and partnerships with insurers. The vision includes expanding beyond blood tests to integrate DNA testing, dexascans, and microbiome analysis, creating a central hub for personal health data. Throughout, Berthelot stresses the importance of trust and brand building in health tech, noting Lucis's design collaborations with studios like Hervé Studio. The episode concludes with reflections on the entrepreneurial journey, from side project to funded startup, driven by a mission to reduce chronic disease burden in Europe.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from TheBoldWay