Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Mr Alex White TD @AlexWhiteTD announces Irish health tech startup Cortechs @cortechs_ab as winner of FutureHealth at NDRC @NDRC_hq. Personalised therapies, proactive healthcare and participatory medicine emerge as key trends among startups.
Well done Aine @cortechs_ab. Great win @NDRC_hq #futurehealth – richly deserved! Enjoy working with you! pic.twitter.com/ojI6mBAaox
— Helen McBreen (@hmcbrn) March 25, 2015
Health tech startup Cortechs won the FutureHealth programme in NDRC by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Mr Alex White TD. The early stage venture which has developed a wearable brainwave platform that helps children with ADHD focus on tasks more effectively, was set up by Aine Behan.
Congrats @cortechs_ab on presenting the winning pitch at @NDRC_hq #FutureHealth finale. pic.twitter.com/16TpErv4ba
— Loman Brophy (@lomanbrophy) March 25, 2015
It was one of ten startups that took part in the eight week FutureHealth programme, the aim of which was to find and support potential new ventures in the rapidly growing digital health sector and help build their commercial proposition.The winning team will now receive €15,000 worth of mentorship services from EY across a range of business services.
Developed by NDRC, with partner UCD and supported by ICON, EY and Enterprise Ireland FutureHealth is the first pre-accelerator programme focused on health tech in Ireland. NDRC, which has previously worked with later stage healthcare ventures, worked with theentrepreneurs to build their teams, test business concepts, reach customers and establish whether their health tech idea could become a high potential growth business.
Minister @AlexWhiteTD @NDRC_hq #FutureHealth pic.twitter.com/hkv9cDzYdq
— Medxnote (@medxnote) March 25, 2015
Speaking at the event Minister White said: “Initiatives like FutureHealth are helping deliver innovation in health care while contributing to the increasingly tangible economic and jobs recovery that we are now experiencing in Ireland. The ten companies at this event have showcased exciting and innovative ideas designed to revolutionise a particular area of healthcare.
Projects like these will help Ireland to secure its economic future through the creation of indigenous businesses, started and sustained by people of talent. Working closely with my Department, NDRC has established a track record of creating digital businesses that are growing and creating jobs and opportunities. Companies backed by the NDRC have attracted almost €90 million in follow-on investment, creating over 500 new jobs.”
Helen McBreen @hmcbrn, Venture Leader, NDRC said: “Our aim was to find individuals with disruptive health ideas who with the right team and support could bring digitally orientated health technologies to the marketplace. Ten strong teams took part with a focus on personalised therapies, participatory medicine and empowering patients, with winner Cortechs really demonstrating strong early stage commercial traction.”
Aidan Meagher, EY Partner and Life Sciences Sector Lead said: “We’ve built great relationships with the entrepreneurs and their teams over the duration of the programme and, in recognition of their achievement, look forward to assisting Cortechs in scaling their business internationally through the provision of pro bono professional services, mentorship and access to the global expertise within EY’s Global Life Sciences network.”
Judges at the event were Mr Ben Hurley (CEO, NDRC), Mr Jason Lettmann (Lightstone VC), Mr Sean Duffy (EY) and Ms Sheila Kelly (ICON). While Professor Brendan Buckley, Chief Medical Officer ICON Clinical Research gave the keynote address providing the entrepreneurs with insight into the global opportunities for Irish health tech businesses.
For the 7% of children diagnosed with ADHD, staying focused on a task is challenging. Pharmacological intervention is the typical treactment but Cortechs is developing a wearable brainwave platform as an alternative.