Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve

The moment that changed everything for Jean‑Charles wasn’t dramatic – but it was decisive. After a routine medical visit turned into an administrative headache, he found himself wondering why something as personal as healthcare felt so dehumanising. That quiet frustration would become the foundation for Alan, the company he built to prove that healthcare could be simple, supportive and radically user‑centred.

Jean‑Charles isn’t a typical healthtech founder. He trained as an engineer at École des Ponts ParisTech, built aircraft seat start-up Expliseat in his twenties, and completed an MBA at the Collège des Ingénieurs. But it was the human experience behind complex systems – not just the technology – that always fascinated him. With Alan, he set out not just to digitise healthcare, but to redesign it around trust, clarity and autonomy. What began as a challenge to traditional insurers has since grown into one of Europe’s most respected scale-ups, now covering more than 700,000 members and valued at over $4.5 billion.

The company’s internal culture is as intentional as its product design. Jean‑Charles publishes Alan’s full salary grid, encourages openness in decision-making, and insists on clarity over complexity. In his book Healthy Business, he lays out a philosophy of “long‑termism with soul” – building an organisation designed to endure, not just scale. He has written extensively about fighting bureaucracy, reducing overhead, and favouring action over planning: “Less planning, more building,” he advises in one essay. 

Outside Alan, he’s had a defining role in another of Europe’s breakout tech stories. In 2023, Jean‑Charles helped incubate Mistral AI from its earliest stages – supporting the founding team with strategic input, product positioning, and early fundraising. He operates now as board member and founding advisor. The start-up has since reached a $6 billion valuation and established itself as a leader in open-weight foundation models.

He shares many of his lessons publicly – on hiring, values, decision-making, and the tension between structure and speed. “A winning strategy should be challenging to execute if you want significant victories and differentiation,” he wrote on LinkedIn. His newsletter, read widely by founders across Europe, offers both practical guidance and candid reflections on the emotional demands of leadership.

In 2021, Jean‑Charles was awarded the Ordre National du Mérite for his contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship in France. Across his work – from transforming insurance to influencing AI governance – his focus remains consistent: how to build systems that serve people better, and faster.