Loubaba El Ayoubi
Loubaba is an investor at Northzone, based in the New York office, focusing on early-stage companies across the US. She is particularly drawn to companies translating frontier science and engineering into real-world systems, from healthcare and bio to industrial deeptech, lab automation, and new infrastructure for how critical industries discover, develop, and allocate resources.
An engineer at heart, Loubaba is drawn to founders using technology to change how complex decisions are made, especially in categories where better data, automation, and scientific progress can compound over time.
Prior to Northzone, Loubaba worked across research, startups, and venture. She was a researcher at Stanford University, focusing on machine learning for computational biology, and worked with Inductive Bio on AI product testing and go-to-market strategy. She was previously a Deeptech Analyst at Elaia Partners and a Healthcare and Bio Analyst at Kurma Partners.
Loubaba holds an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an M.Eng. in Molecular Bioengineering from Imperial College London
What makes you lean in during a founder pitch?
Contagious clarity. I’m drawn to founders who can make a complex idea feel inevitable without making it feel simplistic. The best pitches usually have a sharp view of why now, a deep understanding of the customer, and a sense that the founder can do more with less. I love category creators, but I especially lean in when the ambition is paired with precision: clear wedge, strong instincts on defensibility, and the energy to pull people into a new future.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Your luck surface area has two dimensions: time and people”. The longer you stay in the game, and the more you surround yourself with curious, ambitious, generous people, the more likely it is that the right opportunities find you.
Where would we find you outside of work?
If I’m not chasing startups, I’m probably chasing a new country, a river to mono-ski on, or the next TV show I will aggressively rate for my friends and family. I grew up in a family with two sets of twins, so I’ve always been surrounded by a lot of energy, opinions, and movement. Outside of work, I’m happiest around people who are excited about what they’re building, cooking, watching, or dreaming up next.
