# HERAN Partners HERAN Partners is a Private Equity based in Antwerp, Belgium. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Private Equity - **Headquarters:** Antwerp, Belgium - **Region:** Europe - **Address:** Antwerp, Belgium - **Founded:** 2020 - **Assets under management:** €50M - €100M (Altss estimate) - **Website:** www.heranpartners.com - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/heran-partners ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About HERAN Partners is a European investment fund established in 2020 in Antwerp, Belgium. It focuses on life sciences and healthcare sectors, providing venture and growth capital to startups and scale-ups with technology platforms and market potential. The firm has made 20 investments, including an April 09, 2026, investment in Fluidic Sciences. ## Sectors - Medical Devices - Digital Health - Life Sciences ## People - Katleen Vandersmissen — Managing Partner - Steven Serneels — Managing Partner - Annelies Mertens — Partner ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at HERAN Partners? HERAN is governed by its three named partners — Katleen Vandersmissen, Steven Serneels, and Annelies Mertens — who make investment decisions collectively without a separate investment committee. Each partner brings a distinct operational background: Vandersmissen and Serneels founded and exited health-tech companies before launching the firm, while Mertens brings deep clinical and regulatory expertise. The flat structure means every deal requires full partnership consensus. ### What is HERAN's geographic focus? HERAN invests primarily across Western Europe, with an emphasis on Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and the Nordics. The firm's Antwerp headquarters sits inside one of Europe's densest MedTech corridors, giving it proximity to university spin-outs and research hospitals. It does not invest in companies based outside Europe, though it actively prepares portfolio companies for eventual US market entry and FDA clearance. ### What investment stages does HERAN target? HERAN focuses exclusively on early-stage companies — specifically seed and Series A rounds. The firm invests in pre-revenue and early-revenue health-tech businesses that have completed first-in-human clinical studies or already hold a CE mark. It does not back preclinical-stage companies or pre-product academic spin-outs. ### Which sectors does HERAN explicitly avoid? HERAN does not invest in biotech, pharmaceuticals, or healthcare services. The firm's mandate is strictly medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health platforms that require regulatory approval. It also avoids consumer-wellness products, general health apps, and companies pursuing only a 510(k) pathway without a broader clinical-data strategy. ### How does HERAN source its deal flow? Because all three partners are former MedTech operators rather than career investors, HERAN sources primarily through peer-founder referrals, clinical-advisory relationships, and direct engagement with European research hospitals. The firm rarely participates in broad auction processes or agent-led mandates, preferring to identify companies 12–18 months before a formal fundraise. ### What differentiates HERAN from other European health-tech funds? HERAN is one of a small number of European health-tech funds built entirely by former company founders rather than former consultants, bankers, or career VCs. This shapes its entire operating model: sourcing through operator networks rather than intermediaries, due diligence that emphasizes clinical and regulatory viability over financial modeling, and post-investment support structured as peer-to-peer operating assistance rather than board-only oversight. ## Related profiles - [Herald Investment Management](https://altss.com/profile/herald-investment-management) - [Her Capital](https://altss.com/profile/her-capital) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/heran-partners Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology