Aidan Meagher, partner and head of life sciences, EY Ireland
More than 90 digital health leaders gathered in the Dublin offices of EY for the HealthXL Global Gathering, where nine international health-tech companies pitched for the title of HealthXL Select.
At the event, held on Friday, 27 February, each of the selected start-ups presented technology-based solutions for different challenges in healthcare, such as clinical trials, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Panels of specialist venture capitalists, clinicians and healthcare businesspeople judged the start-ups and deemed US company Vital Connect worthy of the HealthXL Select title.
Vital Connect developed the HealthPatch MD, a disposable, wireless wearable biosensor capable of capturing clinical-grade biometric measurements in a continuous, configurable and non-obtrusive manner. The device is FDA-approved and bears the CE mark of EU legislation compliance, and what impressed the judges about HealthPatch MD was its potential to drive change in healthcare.
HealthPatch MD is just one of a family of HealthPatch biosensors from Vital Connect, which the company claims is the first solution of its kind using a small yet powerful patch worn on the chest.
Accelerating collaboration for digital health technologies
According to CEO and founder Martin Kelly, the purpose of HealthXL is to catalyse collaboration between leading healthcare brands and exciting tech start-ups to improve healthcare for millions of people worldwide. As a HealthXL partner, EY hopes to play a role in identifying the next revolutionary idea in digital health.
“The digital health industry has experienced significant investment recently, raising US$27.3bn between July 2013 and June 2014 alone – the second-highest capital raise since 2008,” said Aidan Meagher, EY Ireland partner and head of life sciences.
“With the continued appetite for early stage companies among pharma companies, larger biotech firms and investors alike, HealthXL and its group of partners are increasing the speed at which existing digital health technologies can begin to have a meaningful impact on health outcomes.”
In the video below, we speak to some of the digital health start-ups selected to pitch for HealthXL, including US companies Sentria and Benecure, Israel’s MediSafe and Promeditec from Italy.
