The start-up Kastafiore has developed an innovative solution for collecting real-world research data, which was used in the Mentalo study, a project recognized by the President of the French Republic.
One in four French people will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. Breaking taboos, improving access to care and information, and strengthening prevention are at the heart of the actions led by the French Government. In response to these growing challenges, it has become essential to conduct studies as close as possible to the people concerned, outside traditional healthcare settings.
To facilitate data collection for this type of study, a research team developed a new technology for gathering real-world data. This innovation offers an application and mirror website generator that enables researchers, organizations, and institutions to rapidly design and deploy real-world data collection systems. Accessible without programming skills, the solution simplifies the research study format by allowing studies to be configured and transformed into multi-platform applications (Android, iOS, and web). It therefore provides multi-level, accessible data collection adapted to contemporary uses, improving understanding of healthcare pathways in support of public policies. It also encourages the participation of people who are often distant from research through features such as question vocalization and voice recognition for responses.
Developed within the ECEVE laboratory — Evaluation and Research in Health Services and Policies for Vulnerable Populations (Université Paris Cité, Inserm) — this technology is led by a research team composed of Karine Chevreul, Corinne Alberti, and Morgane Michel. Erganeo has supported the project since its earliest development phases, notably through the filing of a patent in 2021, granted this year, a three-year technological maturation program, and the registration of software in 2025, thereby helping to secure intellectual property and promote its transfer into practical applications. This momentum led to the creation of the start-up Kastafiore in 2021 by the project team. Erganeo subsequently signed a licensing agreement with Kastafiore, enabling the company to expand the use of all project assets, particularly those resulting from the maturation program. Today, the company develops digital solutions dedicated to real-world research, with the ambition of accelerating the production of scientific knowledge and improving access to data collection tools.
Among its first achievements, the Mentalo project, also led by Karine Chevreul, resulted in the creation of an application dedicated to a major national study on the mental well-being of 11–24-year-olds. The study enabled the collection of anonymized data from nearly 20,000 young people, contributing to a better understanding of mental health challenges within this population.
As mental health, particularly that of young people, was declared a Major National Cause in 2025, the project received official recognition from the President of the French Republic in July 2025. “I am delighted to be able to count on professionals like you, determined to advance research in order to prevent mental disorders,” Emmanuel Macron emphasized in a letter addressed to the research team.
While the start-up currently targets the public health research market, it plans to extend its solutions to other application areas requiring the collection and analysis of real-world data.