Sophie Brac de la Perrière co-founded Healshape in Lyon. She is preparing to launch a European clinical trial to validate a 3D-printed breast prosthesis made from natural hydrogel and is wrapping up a major fundraising round. The company, recognized as a top startup in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is the winner of the 2026 National Startup of the Year Award organized by EY*
* The 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year Award is organized by EY (formerly Ernst & Young), in partnership with Edmond de Rothschild, Samsic, SAP, and Verlingue, and with the support of Bpifrance.
Healshape is, in a way, the startup that’s turning the page on the PIP implant scandal. As a reminder, this health scandal—which in 2010 revealed the use of non-compliant industrial-grade silicone in breast implants—led to the implementation of a very restrictive regulatory framework that has shaken up the medical device industry in Europe. Now, to achieve the coveted European MDR 2017/745 approval, medtech companies must conduct clinical trials, just as they do for drugs.