Chahra Louafi

Chahra graduated from Paris Dauphine University (master's degree in technology and innovation management), Paris X Nanterre University (master's in corporate finance), and Institut National Agronomique de Paris ' Grignon (master's in microbiology and enzymatic engineering). 

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Chahra is a Member of WITH Association (Women Innovating Together in Healthcare). She recently was awarded the title of Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) for her public service and contributions to the French biotech sector.

Chahra is a Senior Investment Director and head of the Biotherapies and Rare Diseases Fund of Bpifrance (formerly CDC Entreprises). Within Bpifrance, between 2001 and 2009 Chahra was in charge, inter alia, of fund-of-funds investments focused on seed funds and biotech funds, as well as tech transfer transactions. Since 2009, she's been in charge of investments in biotech companies. 

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She has invested in and sits on the boards of DBV Technologies (public on Euronext Paris and on NASDAQ in 2014), Eyevensys, Sensorion (public on Alternext in 2015), MedDay Pharmaceuticals, Pixium Vision (public on Euronext Paris in 2014), Lysogene (public on Euronext Paris in 2017), Annapurna Therapeutics (successfully sold to Avalanche Biotechnologies in 2016), BrainEver, Enyo Pharma, Gecko Biomedical, GMP-Orphan, Sparingvision and Therachon. 

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She is also Chairman of the supervisory board of the Inserm Transfert Initiative and member of the supervisory board of Cap Décisif Management. 

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Before joining CDC Entreprises in 2001, Chahra was in charge of project development and company creation for a private incubator that specialized in biotechnologies.

As a member of Class 22, Chahra served her fellowship at Bpifrance under the mentorship of Benjamin Paternot, Executive Director of fund of funds.