BNP Paribas Cardif continues support for Institut Imagine to advance genetic disease research and shares results of philanthropy partnership
Building on a philanthropy partnership initiated in 2023, BNP Paribas Cardif supports the Institut Imagine, the leading European centre for genetic disease research, education and care, located on the campus of the Necker-Enfants Malades children’s hospital in Paris. This partnership is designed to support medical research to increase the number of patients who are diagnosed and treated. The project encompasses support for research to accelerate medical innovation, as well as support for the Institute’s teams and promotion to help extend its impact.
Accelerating therapeutic discoveries and helping researchers advance with their projects
Rare diseases affect nearly three million people in France, and 80% of the cases are genetic in origin[1]. These diseases represent a major public health challenge. Given their complexity and diversity, it is essential to deploy active support for innovation designed to transform scientific breakthroughs into concrete solutions for patients and families. Structuring projects thus plays a decisive role in driving the transition from laboratory to real-world applications. To address this need, BNP Paribas Cardif supports the Institut Imagine’s Springboard program, an accelerator focused on high-potential projects. In addition to financial support, the insurer works with project sponsors to help consolidate their strategy, anticipate key development milestones and prepare a framework for the launch of innovative startups. These startups spearhead the transformation of research advances into concrete solutions that benefit patients.
BNP Paribas Cardif for example took part in funding for VISIONERVES and in the creation of its dedicated startup Replico. This AI-augmented medical imaging solution, which stems from the research work of Professor Sabine Sarnacki, automatically generates a 3D “digital twin” of the patient and enables precise visualization of nerve structures. The tool aims to facilitate the preparation of surgical procedures and improve care for children who undergo surgery[2]. The insurer also supported the development of AIDY, an AI-based app for diagnosing genetic diseases using patient facial photos, the result of a collaborative research project led by Doctor Nicolas Garcelon and Doctor Hossein Khonsari. In addition, the partnership led to funding for the startup EpiCure Biotechnologies, built on research by Doctor Laurence Legeai-Mallet centred on therapeutic innovation for bone diseases. In addition to its involvement in Springboard, BNP Paribas Cardif provides support for other medical research projects, in particular related to chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
[1] Source: French Ministry of Health and Prevention
[2] Winner of the 2023 Prix Galien award for pharmaceutical research and innovation
Supporting teams to broaden the impact of the Institut Imagine
Alongside its financial support, BNP Paribas Cardif works directly with Institut Imagine teams to help them manage and promote their projects. Staff from the company have shared their expertise with several startups incubated by the Institute to sharpen investor pitches, promote projects and raise funds. By regularly leveraging networking opportunities across its ecosystem, BNP Paribas Cardif also helps boost awareness of genetic diseases among partners, clients and staff, promoting the important role played by the Institut Imagine. These efforts are essential to heightening the Institute’s visibility.
“As a responsible insurer, we take great pride in supporting these research initiatives to improve the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases, and we are delighted to see the first startups emerge and ramp up to market solutions created thanks to this backing. In addition to projects incubated as part of the Springboard program, we also support Institut Imagine research on specific pathologies, enabling us to continually make insurance more accessible. We believe it is essential to make our insurance offers even more inclusive by taking medical advances into account,” says Nathalie Doré, Chief Impact and Innovation Officer,
BNP Paribas Cardif.
“BNP Paribas Cardif is much more than a patron for Institut Imagine, they are a strategic partner whose long-term commitment is decisive for the future of genetic disease research. A partnership such as this is absolutely essential in our field because it allows us to make progress we could not achieve alone. Thanks to their unwavering support for several years already, we have been able to transform our discoveries into real-world therapeutic innovations, notably through our Springboard accelerator and the creation of deeptech startups. This alliance has given us the resources to significantly accelerate our impact for millions of families who are waiting for solutions,” states Bana Jabri, Director of Institut Imagine.
