CHW Cluster and dConnect announce winners of its second ‘eHealth Embark’ programme to support Digital Health
Irish start-ups EpiCapture Ltd and MedWrite announced as winners of $100,000 of AWS technical and business supports.
Winners of this prestigious award were EpiCapture Ltd and MedWrite. Both start-ups were commended for their outstanding potential to further digital health innovation and provide unique digital solutions to address healthcare challenges across global markets. EpiCapture will receive up to $70,000 Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits, whilst Medwrite has access to $30,000 credits, with both companies receiving access to hotdesks and support at Dundalk Institute of Technology.
EpiCapture Ltd, develops liquid tests for accurate, non-invasive cancer detection and monitoring and MedWrite, reduces healthcare professionals’ administrative workload and enhances the quality of patient care using generative AI software, were selected as winners by an expert panel of judges, which included Amazon Web Services (AWS), Health Innovation Hub Ireland, EIT Health, and Atlantic Bridge Investments.
Ten companies participated in this specialised entrepreneur development programme. DkIT’s dConnect Digital Health Innovation Hub and the Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster offered masterclasses and mentoring, ranging from customer discovery and validation, through to assessing market opportunity, mapping funding, product and technical roadmaps. AWS offered tailored and one-on-one mentoring to support participants leverage the latest cloud technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, procurement in the Public Sector, and an introduction to Amazon’s culture of innovation and mechanisms such as the company’s ‘Working Backwards’ methodology.
Edward Simons, co-founder of EpiCapture said, “We are delighted and honoured to have been declared overall winner of the eHealth Embark 2023 programme. The mentorship and expert AWS support provided during this excellent 10-week programme has allowed us to develop an initial architecture for our software solution and identify AWS services that meet our business needs. The prize allows us to implement this solution supported by AWS and to benefit from their experience across healthcare and cybersecurity as we integrate the EpiCapture-prostate algorithm with commercial laboratories.”
Sean Kirwan, co-founder of the runner up company, MedWrite, said: “The eHealth embark program is a game-changer for health start-ups, offering a comprehensive and invaluable resource for navigating the complex landscape of the healthcare industry. With a tailored focus on crucial aspects like business idea validation, funding, presenting, and practical technical advice from industry-leading experts at Amazon, this program equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed. It addressed key sticking points such as data privacy, MDR compliance, and cloud architecture for healthcare companies and it provided insights from prominent venture capitalists and Enterprise Ireland, eHealth Embark went way beyond my expectations.”
Breanndán Casey, Manager of the Connected Health Cluster at DkIT which encourages and facilitates increased collaboration between industry, academia, healthcare providers, and enterprise support agencies, said: “Innovation in Digital Health is often dependent on using a wide cross-section of skills, market knowledge, and expertise. We are delighted to see Cluster members, such as AWS, Nova Leah, dConnect, and Enterprise Ireland, come together to create and deliver the eHealth Embark programme. The ten participating companies also benefited from supporting each other, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them further develop their business over the coming years and participate in Connected Health Cluster activity to help them scale their idea.”
Mark Finlay, Head of Public Sector at AWS Ireland said: “AWS is delighted to support these two innovative and worthwhile Irish start-ups. The impressive digital solutions that these companies have put forward embody creativity, collaboration and entrepreneurship. AWS is committed to supporting technological advancement and maintaining Ireland’s reputation as being at the forefront of innovation. I look forward to AWS continuing to support these organisations and seeing how they positively impact healthcare for administrators, medical staff, and most importantly, patients, in the years ahead”.
See photos from the day – Glimpse_Inside_eHealth-Embark_Finale-2023-v1
Carl Power, Director of the dConnect Digital Health Innovation Hub, DkIT, commented: “It has been our pleasure to coach these wonderfully innovative companies who are absolutely determined to make healthcare more efficient, effective, accessible and accountable through the use of technology. I want to congratulate all ten companies who have all received Credits and advice from AWS to develop their technical solutions. I am especially thrilled for the overall winners, EpiCapture Ltd and MedWrite. We encourage digital health start-ups to visit our website to read more about the programme and apply for a place in the next cohort, www.ehealth-embark.ie.”
Participants offered enthusiastic feedback on the programme. Robert Kelly of Heart Rhythm Ireland said, “The eHealth Embark programme has been quite an experience. Working with other innovators in Digital Health was interesting – it’s a tough path, but overcoming the challenges is part of what makes it rewarding. Sharing knowledge was key, and seeing how each company has grown over the months leading up to the final pitch day has been very inspiring.”
