Éric Carreel was born in Amiens on 28 June 1959 and graduated as an engineer from ESPCI ParisTech in 1984. After research work in radio, he co-founded Inventel in 1990 with physicist Jacques Lewiner. Inventel designed the Livebox for France Télécom and was sold to Thomson in 2005.
In June 2008 he co-founded Withings with Cédric Hutchings and Frédéric Potter. The first product, a Wi-Fi body scale, came in 2009. A blood pressure monitor followed in 2011 and a baby scale in 2012. Ventech invested $3.8 million in September 2010, and a $30 million round in July 2013 brought in Bpifrance, Idinvest and 360 Capital.
Nokia agreed to buy Withings in April 2016 for about $192 million, and the deal closed on 31 May 2016. The Withings name was phased out. In October 2017 Nokia wrote down $164 million. In May 2018 Carreel bought the business back, and the Withings brand returned in September 2018 with about 200 staff.
Withings bought Impeto Medical and the 8fit app in 2022 and won FDA clearance for Body Scan in 2023. Carreel has also co-founded Sculpteo (2009), Invoxia (2010) and Zoov (2017), and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in December 2015.