Pictured at the finale of the FutureHealth programme in NDRC were NDRC CEO Ben Hurley, winner Aine Behan from Cortechs, NDRC venture leader Helen McBreen, and Communications Minister Alex White TD
Cortechs, a maker of wearable brainwave technologies that help children with ADHD focus on tasks more effectively, has been named winner of the FutureHealth programme at the NDRC.
The company, led by Aine Behan, was one of ten startups that took part in the eight week FutureHealth programme.
For the 7pc 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.
The winning team will now receive €15,000 worth of mentorship services from EY across a range of business services.
“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,” said Alex White TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
“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.”
Disruptive health ideas
FutureHealth is the first pre-accelerator programme focused on health tech in Ireland. It was developed by NDRC with UCD, ICON, EY and Enterprise Ireland.
“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,” said Helen McBreen, venture leader at NDRC.
“We had ten very strong teams take part with a focus on personalised therapies, participatory medicine and empowering patients, with winner Cortechs really demonstrating strong early stage commercial traction.”
