Ireland MedTech Accelerators, Venture Builders & Innovation Programmes

Ireland’s flagship health technology innovation programme and Europe’s only Stanford Biodesign affiliate. Founded in 2011, BioInnovate runs a 10-month full-time fellowship bringing together clinicians, engineers, scientists, and business professionals to identify unmet clinical needs, invent solutions, and develop commercialisation strategies. The programme is fully funded — participants receive a tax-free scholarship of €38,000 with academic fees up to €5,750 also covered. Since inception, 35 health technology start-ups have been formed with alumni collectively raising over €500 million. The new Ian Quinn Centre for Health Technology Innovation provides space and mentorship for start-ups and researchers post-fellowship.

Ireland’s national health innovation hub, established by government to drive collaboration between the health sector and industry. Supports companies at every stage — idea, prototype, or market-ready — by facilitating access to clinical settings and healthcare professionals. Four sites across Ireland provide expert-led evaluations, clinical pilots, market access support, and connections to reimbursement pathways. HIHI is also Ireland’s first EIT Health Bridgehead Catalyser, enabling European companies to enter the Irish healthcare system. Active initiatives include HIHI.Ai (AI in healthcare), FemTech, GreenTech, and the annual Clinical Innovation Award (with Enterprise Ireland) for healthcare professionals with an innovative idea. Also offers a postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation.

Ireland’s national government-backed accelerator for early-stage technology startups, including health tech and MedTech. Delivered by Dogpatch Labs (Ireland’s largest startup hub) from the CHQ Building in Dublin’s Digital Docklands. The core Accelerator provides €100k via an uncapped SAFE note alongside intensive coaching from 40+ experienced Entrepreneurs in Residence and weekly mentorship. The Pre-Accelerator offers free 6-week virtual programmes running four times a year. From 2026, transitioning to a new €21 million National Accelerator Platform that will enhance sectoral diversification, with a stronger focus on native AI, emerging tech, and specialist sectors including health.

An immersive 12-week in-person pre-seed accelerator designed to give early-stage companies the knowledge, skills, and networks to raise their first institutional round. Built on Furthr’s 35-year heritage supporting over 7,000 Irish startups. Sector-agnostic but with a strong track record in software and MedTech — Furthr VC has backed companies including SilverCloud (digital mental health, acquired by Spring Health), Bluedrop Medical (diabetes devices), and NeuroBell (neurology, €2.1m seed). Furthr VC’s current seed fund stands at €32 million, investing at Seed to Series A in globally scalable Irish software and MedTech companies.

Part of MedTech Innovator’s global Road Tour — the world’s largest MedTech accelerator programme (US$1m+ in prizes annually). RCSI and Trinity College Dublin co-host the annual Dublin Pitch Event where 30 leading medical device and digital health startups from Ireland and internationally compete for places on the four-month global Showcase and Accelerator programme. Companies selected gain access to senior MedTech industry executives as mentors, curated meetings with investors and clinicians, and global market introductions. The Dublin event has placed multiple Irish companies into the international cohort, including Xtremedy, Plio, PumpInHeart, and Mirai Medical.

Europe’s largest health innovation network, with a dedicated Ireland-UK Co-location Centre. Since launching in 2016, EIT Health Ireland-UK has supported 90+ Irish startups and facilitated over €293 million in investment to these companies. Provides access to pan-European accelerator programmes, training, public and private financing, mentorship, consortium building, and investor introductions. Open to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs in MedTech, biotech, and digital health. HIHI is Ireland’s first EIT Health Bridgehead Catalyser, further extending the reach of European healthcare innovation into the Irish health system.

Enterprise Ireland is the primary government agency for backing Irish MedTech and health tech startups into global markets. The Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) provides €50k (standard) or €100k (competitive) for very early-stage startups validating a concept. The High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Fund provides co-funded equity investment of up to €800,000 (exceptionally up to €1 million) for startups with a globally scalable product, international sales traction, and potential to create 10+ jobs and €1m in sales within 3 years. In 2025, Enterprise Ireland invested €32.9 million across 198 Irish startups through these two programmes. Also supports MedTech-specific feasibility studies and R&D programmes.

A leading European venture capital firm specialising in early-to-growth stage biotech and MedTech, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Dublin. Seroba is a hands-on life sciences builder, taking concentrated positions and providing active portfolio support from inception through clinical evaluation to market launch. Fund IV closed at €123 million in 2024, with investments including Perfuze (neurovascular), Deciphex (AI pathology), Complement Therapeutics, Artica Therapeutics, and Sibylla Biotech. The firm has backed numerous Irish and European MedTech companies over 20+ years and regularly works alongside Enterprise Ireland at HPSU stage.

Ireland’s national research centre for medical devices, hosted at University of Galway and funded by Research Ireland (the successor to Science Foundation Ireland, formed in 2024). CÚRAM focuses on clinic-ready, patient-focused medical devices for chronic disease, with an academic-industry-clinician-led strategy that takes innovations from scientific research through preclinical and clinical development into regulatory and commercialisation readiness. The centre has demonstrated over 10-fold return on government investment — generating €756 million in economic value from €68m+ in public funding. It has delivered 47 collaborative projects with industry, supported 2,547 jobs, attracted €225.7 million in additional industry and EU investment, and spun out multiple commercial ventures.

A new national innovation hub at the University of Galway, officially launched in May 2024 and named in honour of Ian Quinn — the entrepreneur instrumental in establishing Galway as a global MedTech hub and a co-founder of BioInnovate. The centre provides space, mentorship, and connections for start-ups, researchers, and industry partners driving the future of health technology. It acts as the post-programme home for BioInnovate alumni ventures and as a meeting point for the broader Galway MedTech cluster, which is recognised as one of the world’s top-5 MedTech hubs. Adjacent to Medtronic’s prototype hub (launched February 2026, University of Galway partnership), making it a focal point for device prototyping and clinical translation in the West of Ireland.