Initiative to offer funds to budding entrepreneurs

A new digital health project launched in January will offer digital entrepreneurs the chance to secure
€15,000 in funding, free office space and enterprise development supports.

The seed fund is being offered as part of Connected Health, a joint initiative between the Digital Hub
Development Agency (DHDA) and St James’s Hospital Dublin.

The Connected Health initiative is aimed at supporting digital technology companies to develop
solutions to common healthcare challenges. Connected Health offers innovative companies an
opportunity to solve real problems as isolated by healthcare professionals.

Digital enterprises must submit applications outlining how they would develop a website and mobile
phone app using local data to document all health-related services in the vicinity of St James’s
Hospital.

Successful companies will receive €15,000 worth of funding, free office space at The Digital Hub, and
enterprise development supports. They will also work directly with clinicians at St James’s Hospital.
The successful applicant is expected to commence work on the local asset mapping project at the
beginning of March 2013.

Stephen Brennan, Chief Strategy Officer with the DHDA, said that over the past year “The Digital
Hub has been working closely with St James’s Hospital, who [themselves] have identified healthcare
challenges that could potentially be resolved through the development of new digital solutions.”

“The beauty of this approach is that entrepreneurs will be developing solutions for real-life problems
that have been identified by healthcare professionals. This means that the market for potential
solutions is already defined, a big help to companies looking to invest in product and service
development,” he added.

“There is increasing recognition of the need for technology to be used in health services to enhance
the delivery of services and increase efficiency,” said Brian Fitzgerald, CEO of St. James’s Hospital.

“It’s really exciting to know that on our doorstep, less than a kilometre away, there are lots of start-
ups and established companies in The Digital Hub that are young, hungry and creative, and are eager
to get involved in the development of world-class healthcare tools,” he added.

Companies interested in applying for Connected Health must fill out an online application form
before 15 February. A workshop will also take place at the Digital Hub for companies that are
applying for funding.