Women in Health Innovation Spotlight: Marine Mallinson
Based in London, Marine Mallinson is an entrepreneur with two exits and an early-stage investor in global health innovations. Her investments focus on mental health outcomes. After a long history of co-founding and co-owning tech platforms in Asia, Marine currently advises corporates and invests internationally. She is a venture advisor to Noetic Fund, which has deployed two mental health funds across therapeutics, AI, digital, and devices. She is also an advisor to Global Women Asia.
Marine started her career as an investment banker in Tokyo after graduating in Economics and Finance from Sciences Po Paris and in Japanese Studies from INALCO Paris.
1. You chose to study Japanese in college. How did you know you wanted to work in Asia? What was the transition from France to Japan like?
Growing up in France, I was fascinated by Japan's ancient and modern aesthetics, which I discovered in movies and books. I loved the buildings, gardens, food, fashion, and rituals. By the time I graduated in economics and finance in the mid-90s, Japan was going through a period of financial turmoil and recovery and working in a country whose culture had been so appealing during a time of transition made for an adventure I could not resist! Going from France to Japan was quite smooth, partly because I had done two internships in Nagoya and Tokyo when I was still in high school, but mostly because I was excited to live far away from what I had always known. I threw myself into that new independent life, working long hours, traveling within Japan as often as I could, and socializing quite a bit!
2. You are originally from France, then lived in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and now in London. How has the Asia experience helped shape who you are and what you do now?
Living in Asia has taught me three things that matter today; to engage with people from different backgrounds to mine, to not rush things, and to take it easy on spicy food!
3. Recently, a lot of your projects have centered around mental health. Can you tell us more about your interest in working with ventures with this particular focus?
My interest in ventures stems from my experience as an entrepreneur. I built a few start-ups, exited two, and closed two, so I know about the risks and upsides of early-stage businesses. Once I hung up my entrepreneur boots, it made sense to invest in founders. The focus on mental health is rooted in my personal experience. My brother died of suicide after years of living with schizophrenia, and my sister is bipolar. They both struggled with inadequate care and treatments, like billions of people around the world. The costs of not understanding and therefore not treating mental health properly in our economies and societies are significant, not least because mental illness is de facto contagious. If someone suffers mentally, many around that person are affected: parents, siblings, friends, and colleagues. What is also true is the unprecedented progress of science and technology applied to mental health prevention and intervention. It is a great time to be funding such innovations.
4. Have you received any advice in your career that you’d like to leave with other women starting on theirs?
A young boy once told me to “celebrate the small things.” I have found that advice to be gold throughout my career and personal life.
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