Jean Michel Karam

Jean Michel Karam (born in 1969) is a Lebanese engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. His work spans the fields of microelectronics, telecommunications, Information Technology, mobile device repair software, hardware engineering, and cosmetics.

Education

Karam was born in Lebanon and was the third of four children. His father initially served in the army before transitioning into business.

In 1990, he moved to France to pursue higher education. He obtained an Electrical Engineering degree in 1993 from the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique de Paris (ESIEE Paris) and a master's degree in Microelectronics from Université de Paris VII. In 1996, he completed a PhD in Microelectronics at the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG).

Career

In 1994, Karam began his career as a research engineer at the TIMA-CM (Techniques de l'Informatique et de la Micro-électronique pour l'Architecture Informatique) laboratory in Grenoble, France. This Research & Development center, affiliated with the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the INPG provided him with experience in research leadership. He later became a Research Director, overseeing a team focused on developing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Within three years, the MEMS research team grew to include 35 researchers.

In November 1997, Karam founded his first company, MEMSCAP, a supplier of products based on MEMS technology. During its early years, MEMSCAP secured €13 million in venture capital funding to support its development and research efforts.

On March 2, 2001, MEMSCAP became a publicly traded company on Eurolist C of the NYSE Euronext, Paris, raising €101 million. The listing contributed to the company's expansion in the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) market.

In 2010, Karam spun off INTUISKIN from MEMSCAP, and launched the skincare brand IOMA, which integrates technology with dermatological research to develop personalized skincare solutions. Véra Strubi, former president of Thierry Mugler, joined the board of directors of MEMSCAP in 2007. As of 2024, Karam serves as the Chairman and CEO of both MEMSCAP and INTUISKIN/IOMA. He is also the president of the LEYLA charity, a non-profit association focused on combating orphan or rare diseases.

Additionally, Jean Michel Karam remains active in innovation and research, holding over 80 patents and contributing to various scientific and economic publications.

IEVA

In 2016, Karam founded IEVA alongside David Moulinier, who currently serves as Managing Director, and other industry professionals. IEVA was established in 2016 to combine expertise in microelectronics, sensors, and artificial intelligence with personalized cosmetics research, leveraging over two decades of engineering experience.

Awards

Karam and his company have received over 10 international awards including:

• EU Business News award for ‘Best Personalised Beauty CEO’ in 2023
• U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) of the United States Department of Commerce – Award of Excellence for international commercial development (2012)
• SEMICON MicroNanoSystems Innovation Award (2009)
• European Semiconductor/Wacker Siltronics Award for best European start-up company (2001)
• Deloitte & Touche Technology “Fast 50” First Prize for Rhone-Alps region, France (2001 and 2002)
• Euronext Special Prize for “First listed company in Rhone-Alpes Region” (2002)
• AGEFI Grand Prize of Venture Capitalist (2002)
• The French Stock-IT Award for the company with the highest growth (2001 and 2002)