Two Irish Start-Ups Beat Out 50 Competitors to Advance to Global Zero Equity Competition

Gasgon Medical and Cortechs Connect from Cork and Dublin respectively have beaten out 50 fellow competitors in order to achieve a place each in the final stage of the Bridge to MassChallenge Cork competition. The two start-ups will now participate in an in-person judging round from June to November 2018 to decide if they can progress to the international stages.

The international stages are hosted by Boston-based MassChallenge and competitors will be able to avail of up to $2 million in cash prizes as well as world-class mentoring, tailored programming and unrivalled access to corporate partners.

Both Gasgon Medical and Cortechs Connect  participated in hands-on sales workshops, sessions dedicated to entering the US market and received one-on-one mentorship from Bridge to MassChallenge’s network of expert mentors from the Boston ecosystem.

The Cork-based Gasgon Medical is a start-up company that will support front-line medical staff through innovative IV tube products and procedures to ensure better patient outcomes by de-risking infusions. Cortechs Connect, headquartered in Dublin, are developing new ways to transform the way cognitive healthcare is delivered by using digital brainwave solutions to remotely track and improve attention.

Both ambitious start-ups will now participate in an in-person judging round for the 2018 MassChallenge accelerator from June to November. If selected, they will join one of MassChallenge’s zero-equity programs that connects participants to up to $2 million USD in cash prizes, an established international community of start-ups, world-class mentoring from industry experts, tailored programming, and unrivalled access to corporate partners.

Speaking of her first-hand experience at the Boston Boot Camp, Elaine Walsh, Programme Manager for Bridge to MassChallenge at Cork County Council, said: “Cork County Council are privileged to have been able to offer this once in a lifetime experience to Ireland’s top entrepreneurs. Travelling with the top twelve to Boston and seeing how eager they are to learn and develop was inspiring. I sincerely hope that each participant learned and prospers as a result of their involvement and I have no doubt all twelve will do wonderfully in their respective areas.”

She added: “We are so proud of Gasgon Medical and Cortechs Connect for the strides they have made, and we wish them luck at MassChallenge’s international accelerator this summer. We would like to assure them of Cork County Council’s support of and pride in our homegrown entrepreneurs.”

Bridge to MassChallenge Cork was brought to Ireland by Cork County Council and is endorsed by Enterprise Ireland and Health Innovation Hub Ireland. This ground-breaking partnership with MassChallenge, a global network of zero equity start-up accelerators based in Boston, Massachusetts, is the first ever Bridge to MassChallenge partnership in Ireland.

To date, MassChallenge has accelerated more than 1,500 start-ups worldwide, which together have raised $3 billion USD in funding, generated $2 billion USD in revenue and created over 80,000 total jobs in several locations across the world, including Boston, Massachusetts (USA), Mexico City (Mexico), Lausanne (Switzerland), London (United Kingdom), Jerusalem (Middle East) and more recently Austin, Texas (USA).

For further information see here. To follow the progress of the winning start-ups visit Bridge to MassChallenge Cork on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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