Read the full interview to learn about Dr. An’s path to becoming an entrepreneur
and the challenges faced in 4Tissue’s fundraising journey, as well as insights on her
experience at the matchmaking event.
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟰𝗧𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿?
4Tissue is a young start up from Belgium. We work on a material to support breast reconstruction, to provide women with a fully natural breast reconstruction after breast cancer. Our material really supports the cells and is then reabsorbed into the body.
We’re a spin-off company coming out of Ghent University and I was involved in this project while I was a Business Developer there. I was there at the early stage, when the first IP was filed, maturing the project until it was investment ready. And so I transferred to 4TISSUE, because I think it's a great project that has the potential of truly reaching the patients.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿,
𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆?
It’s not only about me as a woman entrepreneur, but also about the fact that our product is femtech - so we are fundraising for a product that is fully for women.
My experience is that it’s not so easy to get investment. We are not a therapeutic solution, we are a solution for woman after cancer treatment, so it’s difficult for men [male investors] to grasp the impact we can have. While with women [investors], we see that it resonates so much better. They understand the long trajectory that women have to go through after breast cancer.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱?
What we experienced is that the long trajectory women have to go through after breast cancer is a sort of hidden trajectory. Women are not likely to talk about it. So male investors often think that once the cancer is treated, everything is solved, which is certainly not the case.
Therefore, they don't really understand the impact we can have. What we experience when we talk to women [investors] is a completely different story.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀?
I think it would be better if there were more women investment managers and on board level positions, mostly because it’s still a male world and when we talk to a mixed investor audience, we do get a different feedback. So getting more women investors on board would certainly help.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?
I think if you believe in your product, believe in your company, you have to show that. You have to be convincing, to inspire, to think ambitiously, and we can all do that. Nothing should stop us and eventually I am convinced that we will get funded – it just probably takes more time. Keep believing in your own story would be my advice.
About the Matchmaking on Healthtech
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁?
I think it’s always great to have an opportunity to get in contact with new investors. You always have a set of known investors that you keep on updating, but it’s very valuable to have additional ones on board. And also knowing it’s already a selected group of investors who are willing to open up to women-led companies is very rewarding and helps us strengthen our case.
𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁?
Yes, for sure. It was well organised, well prepared and I got into contact with new investors that I wasn't aware of, which is of value for the company.
Whether there's going to be an investment is too early to say. But at least I was contacted by investors who have an interest and who hadn’t heard about 4TISSUE yet, so it really gives us visibility in a new network.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?
I think what is of value [in this sort of event] is that there was a pre-selection. Both the companies and the investors were preselected, so the likelihood of getting a connection is higher than on average. That’s creating value because all of our time is limited, and the chance of success definitely becomes higher.
About the EmpowHerMent Stories
From now on, WomenINvestEU will be publishing regular stories on women entrepreneurs, women in leadership roles in the investment sector and representatives of wider organizations on gender-focused investing.
Thorough these stories, we are celebrating the achievements of remarkable women at all levels of the supply chain and inspiring you on your journey to raise capital or become a gender-conscious investor.
About the WomenINvestEU Matchmaking Events
As a part of its effort to expand the gender-focused investment ecosystem across Europe, WomenINvestEU is organizing online matchmaking events to connect women-led startups with members of its European Network of Gender-Conscious Investors.
Representatives of women-led startups, as well as startups with women in C-level positions, can apply for the chance to participate in these events through regular open calls. The selected startups will also receive pitching support on strategic topics, in order to prepare for their interactions with the gender-conscious investors in attendance.
Visit our Events page and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities.
Details
- Publication date
- 16 July 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs