BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS in the digital health arena are being invited to submit applications for a new health technology accelerator programme, launched by Startupbootcamp in Dublin last night.
The HealthXL accelerator programme, which is aimed at the “health and well-being sector”, will operate between Dublin and London from early 2013 and will give start-up companies “immediate visibility” within the health industry, as well as access to the European healthcare market.
The multi-million euro investment programme will select 10 companies to take part.
The 10 start-up companies will receive €15,000 funding, advice from health and tech experts, working space and access to more than €160,000 in products and services from sponsors and partners including IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Personal Health Solutions and Reckitt Benckiser.
Enterprise Ireland is also supporting the programme, with each of the companies staying in Ireland invited to apply to the agency for an investment of up to €500,000.
Start-ups of particular interest will be those focusing on the areas of prevention, participatory health solutions, personalisation and patient compliance within the health tech sector .
Speaking at last night’s launch, HealthXL director Eoghan Jennings said: “Recent technology has been so transformative because it has changed behavioural patterns for millions of people.
“We started to think, what if this level of change could be applied to an area which really made a tangible difference to people’s lives – to their health and well-being – helping them to live more productive lives, with more independence, without breaking the bank.”
The Life Science sector in Ireland is driving the Irish economy at a time of great challenge and it is critical that future policy is directed at supporting indigenous companies that can grow and export to new markets, according to David Gibson, head of innovation, global manufacturing and supply at GSK.
“As one of the world’s leading research based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, we look forward to supporting new start-ups to gain the expertise and business acumen to go beyond the early stages towards growth and sustainability,” he said.
The accelerator programme will culminate next May, with participating start-ups pitching to an audience of more than 300 angel investors, business mentors and community members during an Investor Demo Day in Dublin.
Startupbootcamp is a three-month pan-European acceleration programme providing seed funding, co-working space with other start-ups and mentorship. It currently operates in Copenhagen, Dublin, Berlin and Amsterdam.
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