Glen Carter

Scientist-operator bridging life sciences, AI & corporate strategy

PhD in Physical Chemistry (École Normale Supérieure) and an Executive MBA (Collège des Ingénieurs). I translate complex science and AI into clear strategy — advising biotech startups and pharma on R&D portfolio decisions, diagnostics and go-to-market.

Education
  • PhD, Physical ChemistryÉcole Normale Supérieure · 2020–2023
  • MBA, Science ManagementCollège des Ingénieurs · 2020–2023
  • MSc, Chemistry & Life SciencesÉcole Normale Supérieure · 2017–2018
  • BSc, Chemical & Pharmaceutical SciencesDublin City University · 2012–2016
Glen Carter

About Me

My professional trajectory has been shaped by a dual ambition: to do rigorous science that directly applies to the real world. I have always wanted to operate at the forefront of my field, bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical application to solve tangible problems.

To avoid the path of a pure academic, I pursued a PhD in Physical Chemistry at the École Normale Supérieure concurrently with an MBA at the Collège des Ingénieurs. This combination allowed me to work with a molecular diagnostics startup under a CIFRE fellowship during my doctoral studies, translating lab work into a commercial setting. After my PhD, I joined Sanofi, where I designed capability strategies for large-scale organizational transformations.

Driven by a desire to build, I later went fully into entrepreneurship. I tried a few early-stage startup ideas and failed, which taught me concrete lessons about product-market fit and the realities of building a business. These iterations led me naturally into consulting. Today, I work with biotech startups on their go-to-market plans, regulatory frameworks, and general product positioning.

My interest in systems optimization also carries over to my personal projects. I build automated tools, systems, and data pipelines using Python, databases, and advanced analytics to integrate AI into daily workflows. I also apply this data-driven mindset to my own biology as an analytical biohacker, focusing on metrics and tracking rather than supplements.

Outside of my work, you can find me sailing or skiing. I trained at the Les Glénans sailing school, am a member of the West Pier Sailing Club in Dún Laoghaire, and enjoy sailing in Brittany. In the winter, I ski across France, Switzerland, and Austria, and I also enjoy training in combat sports, having practiced MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai.

On this site, you will find a mix of my professional work, personal projects, and various interests in different forms. Welcome, and feel free to explore.

Experience

Degrees, roles and ventures on a single timeline — overlapping bars show what ran in parallel. Select any row to read more.

Education Full-time Part-time Entrepreneurial Intermittent
Education 2012 – 2016

BSc, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dublin City University

Four-year honours degree in chemical and pharmaceutical sciences, with a research thesis. 2nd Class Honours.

Education 2017 – 2018

MSc, Chemistry & Life Sciences

École Normale Supérieure

Research masters at the interface of chemistry and biology. Graduated Mention Très Bien — 1st Class Honours.

Full-time 2018 – 2019

Regulatory Affairs Specialist & Scientific Advisor

Lallemand

Led product registrations across 9 South-East Asian countries; advised regulatory affairs officers on compliance requirements.

Part-time 2018 – 2021

Chemist & Formulations Consultant

Lilly's Eco Clean

Recurring one-to-two-month contracts supporting formulation development and EU CLP regulatory classifications — run in parallel with the MSc, PhD and BforCure work.

Full-time 2019 – 2021

Chemistry R&D Engineer

BforCure

Co-developed qPCR kits for COVID-19 and respiratory viruses. Oversaw design, installation and regulatory compliance of the chemistry lab; supervised 2 interns.

Education 2020 – 2023

MBA, Science Management

Collège des Ingénieurs

Executive MBA in Science Management, taken within the Collège des Ingénieurs fellowship — a competitive three-year programme (under 5% admission) that combined the doctorate with rotational placements at leading European firms.

Education 2020 – 2023

Doctoral Researcher

École Normale Supérieure

"Innovative Strategies for DNA Analysis using Supramolecular Assemblies and qPCR Multiplexing." Developed high-content PCR (hcPCR) — a multiplexing method that resolves multiple targets per optical channel by deconvolving each probe's temperature–fluorescence signature — and discovered light-based detection of single-point mutations in short DNA sequences.

Part-time 2022 – 2023

VC Scout

G. Ventures

Investment scout and content/community manager — deal sourcing and community building.

Part-time 2022 – Present

VP, Alumni Association

Collège des Ingénieurs

Vice-President of the Collège des Ingénieurs alumni association — building the French alumni community through networking events and TED-talk projects.

Entrepreneurial 2023 – 2024

Founder & CEO

Micromagnetix Biophysics

Founded a deep-tech biotech venture out of PSL Research University in partnership with a multinational pharmaceutical company. Led company structure, negotiation strategy and market positioning; concluded the venture in 2024 after evaluating commercial viability against alternative paths into strategy consulting.

Entrepreneurial 2023 – Present

Founder · Catalyst Ventures

Catalyst Ventures

Founded and built an AI-powered biotech investment-intelligence platform covering 350+ US and EU tickers — parsing SEC filings, tracking FDA/EMA catalysts and generating sentiment scores and daily executive summaries. Also leads the associated investment club.

Full-time Jul 2023 – Feb 2024

Organisational Capabilities Strategist

Sanofi Digital

Project-managed the organisational transformation of 2,400 employees, lifting productivity ~10%. Future-proofed organisational health and improved decision-making structures — a rotational placement within the Collège des Ingénieurs fellowship.

Entrepreneurial 2025 – Present

Builder · Gist

Gist

Designed and shipped Gist — a native macOS app that turns speech into polished email, prompts and notes in any app, with transcription and AI running 100% on-device (Gemma via Apple MLX): no cloud, no account. Also built an on-device speaking coach that trains clearer, more confident delivery from your own dictations. Stack: SwiftUI, MLX.

Part-time Feb 2024 – Present

Independent Strategy Consultant

Carter Consulting (Auto-Entrepreneur)

Independent strategy consulting for pharma and biotech clients across Switzerland, France and Germany. Led the market positioning and portfolio analysis behind a multi-billion-euro decision on a large European pharma's obesity-drug assets, and developed R&D portfolio, go-to-market and optimisation strategies for top pharmaceutical clients. Acting QMS lead for a large pharmaceutical client, with strategic frameworks delivering ~20% operational efficiency gains.

Entrepreneurial Apr – Jun 2024

Founder in Residence

Entrepreneur First

Selected for a competitive 3-month founder programme. Explored personalised diagnostics, electrochemical biosensors and DNA computing before returning focus to Micromagnetix.

Doctoral Research

My PhD at the École Normale Supérieure (PSL University) — Innovative Strategies for DNA Analysis using Supramolecular Assemblies and qPCR Multiplexing — built new ways to read more information out of a DNA test. I've rebuilt three of its core ideas as interactive models you can explore.

Projects

Writing & Insights

Essays and analysis on biotech strategy, molecular diagnostics, AI and the business of science. A selection below — the full archive, with publications, lives on the articles page.

Analysis January 2026

Quantifying the Edge: Statistical Arbitrage in Clinical-Stage Biotech Events

An analysis of statistical-arbitrage approaches to clinical-stage biotech catalysts, published on Catalyst Ventures.

Read on Catalyst Ventures

Browse all articles & insights

Languages & Interests

Languages

  • EnglishNative
  • FrenchFluent · C1
  • GermanStudying
  • IrishFoundational

Interests

Personalised Healthcare Longevity & Epigenetics Molecular Diagnostics Biotech Investing Building with AI Sailing Skiing Strength & Combat Sports

Let's Connect

I'm based in Paris and open to discussing opportunities in Strategy, Biotech, and Tech.

Book a Strategy Call