Securing and optimising drug interactions
“There really was a key moment”. In 2015, during a hackathon in Strasbourg – a digital creation competition to design an innovative project within a limited timeframe – Louis Létinier, then a public health intern specialising in pharmacology in Bordeaux, teamed up with Clément Goehrs, a public health intern with expertise in medical informatics, to create a still “rudimentary” application on drug interactions. The team picked up the award for Best Clinical Innovation. “It was a great experience that gave us a leg up.”
Nothing, however, predestined this pharmacologist to lead a deep tech company. “If someone had told me that nine years ago...” he smiles. In 2017, he co-founded Synapse Medicine, with Clément Goehrs once more, based on a simple idea: “to offer everyone the best possible medicine by creating personalised and effective solutions for healthcare professionals”.
From daily care to medical innovation
The transition from doctor to entrepreneur was not always plain sailing. For three years before leaving the hospital, he juggled working as head of the clinic at the Bordeaux University Hospital with trying to grow the company. “You have to learn to practice medicine differently”, he notes. The challenge is no longer to treat one patient at a time, but to design solutions that are effective at scale. . The name “Synapse” reflects this ambition: connecting medical knowledge, like neuron connections, to streamline clinical decision-making.
“We have a population-based approach, which means developing tools to support as many healthcare professionals as possible, in order to help as many patients as possible”
The two partners soon realised that they needed highly specialised technological expertise. They then crossed paths with Alicia Bel-Létoile, an artificial intelligence engineer, long before the field became mainstream. “From the moment we first spoke, we knew that she was a perfect match for us,” recalls Louis Létinier. The trio was formed. Pharmacology, medical informatics and AI: the three key areas of expertise were in place, “with a dual medical and tech expertise that makes the startup unique”.
Bordeaux, laboratory of an impact deep tech
A spin-off from the University Hospital and the University of Bordeaux, Synapse Medicine has chosen to remain rooted in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. A decision that is both emotional and strategic. The region actively supports innovation in healthcare and has supported the company since its inception. Nine years later, Synapse Medicine employs nearly 90 people, half of whom are engineers, data scientists and developers. Fifteen healthcare professionals, including doctors and pharmacists, ensure the medical accuracy of the products.
The company can now claim more than 300 partner healthcare facilities and solutions used by more than 150,000 healthcare professionals via integrated software.
R&D to meet the needs of a growing startup
At Synapse Medicine, R&D activity is at the heart of everything we do. “We cater to the needs of a growing start-up that also has to deliver on a daily basis”, points out Louis Létinier. Proprietary drug databases, prescription support software certified by HAS (French health authority), CE-marked medical devices: each product passes through a rigorous scientific filter. “The regulations may seem restrictive, but they define clear criteria”, he emphasises. The team even went so far as to conduct a randomised clinical trial on a software, a still uncommon approach in Healthtech. “Our mission at the medical hub is to ensure medical quality: high performance and safety without any compromise”. This kind of discipline inherited from hospital training determines the entire product design and strategy within a continuous improvement approach.
MedGPT.fr, the medical generative AI developed Synapse Medicine
The real turning point came with the development of MedGPT.fr, a generative AI tool for the medical sector created by the startup. “The question that arises today is: who will be the leader in generative AI for healthcare? In France, but also on a European scale”. For Louis Létinier, MedGPT.fr is not just a technology, it's a significant industrial and strategic challenge. Unlike consumer solutions, Synapse Medicine's offering is based on a reliable, validated* medical knowledge base that is tailored to clinical practices in France.
*MedGPT.fr is aligned with French standards, meaning its responses are based on official databases, such as those of health authorities and drug databases. This guarantees the reliability and traceability of each response.
Example of a prompt on MedGPT.fr
The advent of generative AI has been a gamechanger. “With the arrival of ChatGPT, generative AI has become an integral part of the daily lives of healthcare professionals”. Usage is increasing, but professional trust must be earned. This is why certifications, publications and transparency are so important. MedGPT.fr also signals a shift in business strategy. Historically focused on B2B through the integration of software components into business tools, Synapse Medicine is now moving into the B2C market. “All healthcare professionals should be familiar with our generative AI”. A strategy for widespread dissemination to institutions and professionals is being implemented.
Funding healthcare innovation
Innovation in healthcare requires funding for long-term projects. Each fundraising round acts as an accelerator; the most recent one launched MedGPT.fr. “We would probably have released it, even without the latest significant public funding, but sometime down the road and therefore too late”, says Louis Létinier. In a field where “there is a major innovation on a monthly or even weekly basis”, flexibility and responsiveness are vital. “We have a long-term vision but must remain highly agile. Innovation in healthcare is a balancing act, in that we can’t stay stuck on a five-year R&D roadmap when the field is evolving so exponentially”.
Beyond capital, Louis Létinier insists on the alignment of partners**:
“We have always aimed to select our investors using this dual perspective: the relevance of the financial support, but also adherence to Synapse Medicine’s industrial vision and mission. This is essential for us. And that's exactly what a competition like My Com For Impact provides.”
**Our subsidiary BNP Paribas Développement, took a stake in Synapse in 2018 and has supported the company right from the start of its entrepreneurial adventure. Discover our BNP Paribas Venture team
A “partnership” vision of European sovereignty
Today, the “battle” is being fought on a continental scale. According to Louis Létinier, Europe needs to develop its own AI healthcare champions that are large enough to compete with American corporations. “It's a societal choice”, he says. This goal involves several challenges, including regulatory harmonisation, adapting to local clinical practices, and establishing a unified European market — the only way to ensure technological and medical independence. “Even though the battle is daunting, we must create French and European champions. The stakes are high, but we have the capacity to make it happen”. Autonomy does not mean isolation. “Sovereignty is independence”, he asserts, and this independence also implies “partnerships with other strategic players”. Japan, where he lived for a year, offers real prospects. “It’s a passion of mine”, he adds. According to him, “developing Franco-Japanese or Franco-Korean cooperation in healthcare innovation would make a great deal of sense”.
To any doctors or researchers out there who are hesitant to take the plunge, Louis Létinier is keen to convey two messages: believe in your vision and, here again, get the right people on board. “You can do it alone, but it's very complicated”. Everything counted, from the founding trio through to the first recruitments, and the investors aligned with the mission. As for the future, he remains focused on Synapse Medicine. “Our priority is to have the best possible product and to help as many patients as possible”.
For now, the doctor-turned-entrepreneur is sticking with his gamble:
To prove that a French deep tech company can combine scientific excellence, societal impact and international ambition.
To make Europe a credible leader in medical AI.
BNP Paribas, a trusted business partner of healthcare professionals
On 5 March 2026, Louis Létinier took part in a conference in Bordeaux on the theme of “AI at the service of healthcare professionals and their patients”, alongside Nathalie Delphin, President of the SFCD (Union of Women Dental Surgeons), Véronique Dufour Founder of Doc Install, and Dr Elise Sorel, Dental Surgeon and speaker on AI in healthcare.
Hosted by Jean Pierre Machado, Head of the BNP Paribas Healthcare Business Centre in Bordeaux, this event also marked the official inauguration of this business centre dedicated to professionals in the sector.
Louis Létinier, Grand Laureate of My Com For Impact 2025
Last December, the 2025 edition of My Com For Impact, co-led by BNP Paribas and Publicis France, selected a “Grand Laureate” who benefits from 18 months of support from Publicis France and a grant of €320,000, including VAT, for the creation, production and media coverage of a campaign. Loui Létinier received this award, which recognises the potential of MedGPT.fr, a medical conversational AI designed to meet the reliability, safety and compliance requirements of the French healthcare system.