RCSI and Trinity College Dublin have announced a partnership with MedTech Innovator, the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry, to host the Dublin Pitch Event, the international qualifying round of the organisation’s Showcase and Accelerator programme.

Each year, MedTech Innovator selects the industry’s most promising medical technology startups and emerging growth companies, matching them with healthcare leaders for mentorship and support.

In 2019, MedTech Innovator will select 50 startups for participation in its programme and will award more than $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes during its competition.

The event took place at RCSI today and featured pitches from the best-in-class medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies in the region. Only the top applicants for MedTech Innovator’s 2019 programme are invited to present at the accelerator’s regional pitch events occurring across the US and internationally. In addition to pitching to a panel of judges, attendees had the opportunity to network with MedTech Innovator partners, including investors, providers, and key industry executives. This event is one of a number of outreach activities under the Trinity-RCSI Knowledge Transfer Consortium – an initiative supported by Knowledge Transfer Ireland and Enterprise Ireland under the Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative Phase 3 (TTSI3).

“RCSI aims to improve human health through innovative translational medical research. We are delighted to be partnering with MedTech Innovator and Trinity to host this event in order to foster innovation, improve healthcare and patient lives. We are looking forward to learning about the groundbreaking innovations that are being developed by the industry’s best and brightest entrepreneurs,” said RCSI’s Director of Research, Prof. Ray Stallings.

“This partnership with MedTech Innovator plays a vital role in advancing innovation in Dublin, Ireland and furthering the medtech ecosystem as a whole, and we are proud to be working together to achieve better patient outcomes and provide value to the healthcare system,” he added. 

“RCSI and Trinity College Dublin are valued MedTech Innovator partners who play a foundational role in our ability to select the most promising startups in the medtech industry. Thanks to their support, we are looking forward to gathering in Dublin to hear many of this year’s standout applicants as they present their breakthrough healthcare innovations.” said Paul Grand, CEO of MedTech Innovator. “Having like minded partners as part of the MedTech Innovator ecosystem is vital to our mission to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming healthcare. We look forward to a continued partnership with RCSI and Trinity College Dublin in the advancement of this important work."

"Trinity is Ireland’s leading University and has a successful track-record in world-class research generating world-class spin-outs in all sectors and particularly in MedTech, Life Sciences, ICT and Materials. We wish all participants the best in the MedTech innovator programme, including Trinity campus company prospects Starling Surgical and Head Diagnostics’ said Dr Declan Weldon, Head of Trinity’s Office of Corporate Partnership and Knowledge Exchange.

MedTech Innovator’s four-month Showcase and Accelerator programme spotlights the healthcare industry’s 50 most innovative medical technologies from around the globe. Throughout the programme, there will be several rounds in which companies gain valuable exposure to industry executives and decision makers through online application reviews, in-person pitch sessions, mentoring, conference showcases, and live competitions. The programme will culminate on 23-25 September in Boston, where all 50 companies will present at the MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed.

Programme acceptance is highly competitive and applications are reviewed by more than 150 executives and professionals from dozens of leading companies, including manufacturers, providers, and investors such as Amgen, Baxter, BTG, Fujikura, HOYA Corp, Johnson & Johnson, Maxim Integrated Products, NIPRO Medical Corp., Olympus Medical Systems Group, RCT Ventures, W.L Gore & Associates, Inc., and many more.