Aaron Hannon

What's been happening in Mental Health innovation this week? ⭕ Virtual Therapeutics and Akili announce a merger. Akili were in big trouble, losing about $10m a quarter after failing to generate revenue for their digital therapeutics products. ⭕ Seven Starling, a maternal mental healthcare startup, raises $12.6m ⭕ Irish startup Spectrum.Life raises €17m in a round led by Act Venture Capital ⭕ Orygen receives an additional $6.4m of funding from the Victorian Sate Goverment for their youth digital mental health service MOST ⭕ Workplace wellbeing provider Habit Health is acquired by Five V Capital for over $200m ⭕ Optum acquires outpatient mental health providers Refresh Mental Health and CARE Counseling ⭕ Acadia Healthcare appoints Nasser Khan, MD as COO to expand their comprehensive treatment centres, grow their outpatient segment and improve quality of clinical care __ Want more insights and trends on mental health innovation? Feel free to follow myself and The Hemingway Report.

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The Business Post is tops for tech. In the latest issue: *‘We’ve exhausted every avenue’ — How medtech PMD Solutions warned the HSE it would go bust if bills went unpaid * Irish tech employers oversee widening gender pay gap * The top tech firms to watch out for in 2025 * Exclusive: Dataships raises $7m from backers In print and online at businesspost.ie

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Latest news from the team, industry insights, product updates and a lot more. Sign up to our newsletter in the footer of our website and keep up to date with all things engineering! #medtech #aerospace #hightech #newsletter #irishbusiness

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LaNua Medical, the Irish medtech stat-up that won Enterprise Ireland's Big Ideas competition earlier this year, has raised €6 million in seed funding. Founded by Dr Cormac Farrelly, Tom Fitzmaurice, Dr Eoin O'Cearbhaill and Dr Sajjad Amiri, LaNua is developing a technology that makes it easy, safe, and cheaper for doctors to treat internal bleeding, vascular malformations and many benign and malignant tumours. Full report here: https://lnkd.in/ggTdd5eV

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Wing/Apian have partnered to deliver Medtronic medical supplies and equipment to Dublin's Blackrock Clinic & St. Vincent’s Private Hospital. This will be Ireland’s first ongoing medical device delivery service by UAV/drones. Another instance of developing a partnership that will reduce pollution, speed up safe delivery of supplies, reduce waste and drive efficiencies. Congratulations! I wonder if more supply chains will move to Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles and Drones? "Wing and Apian have partnered with Blackrock Health and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin along with leading healthcare technology company, Medtronic to launch an innovative UAV/drone delivery trial demonstrating the benefits drones could offer in healthcare logistics." "Over the next few months, Wing and Apian will deploy drone delivery to carry medical supplies and devices to hospitals. The delivery service will commence with items including Medtronic’s ingestible camera, PillCam™, sutures, surgical tools and heart valve repair products, with plans to expand to pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) in the future. The first deliveries will be received in Dublin’s Blackrock Health, Blackrock Clinic and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in the coming days." “The use of drones in medical logistics presents an exciting opportunity to get our life-saving technologies to the people who need them quicker than ever before,” said Kristian Howells, Group Commercial Director at Medtronic. “Traditional supply chains have limitations that the inclusion of drones may help to overcome. What we learn from this pilot programme will help us to create more resilient supply chains that are patient focused.” "The partnership has been designed to trial faster, more reliable, and sustainable medical logistics – supporting patients as they receive the care they need, sooner. Medical drone deliveries have the potential to create more efficient healthcare systems, with less wastage of medical supplies, and more space for patient-facing care facilities as providers receive what they need, when they need it." "Currently, hospitals depend on road vehicles to transport medical supplies to hospitals or healthcare centers, but urban locations experience frequent delays due to congestion, as well as associated higher carbon emissions. Wing’s drones, which are being used in this program are lightweight and electric, and can make quicker, more reliable deliveries than traditional modes of transport, as seen in its more than 350,000 commercial deliveries across the globe. They will fly more direct routes and at speeds up to 62 mph avoiding the traffic congestion on Dublin’s roads." #uavdroneservices #uavdronemedsupplies https://lnkd.in/eey_w-UF

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Innovation Value Institute are excited to announce our afternoon panel 'Rethinking AI – What do they say in 10 years?' on IVI Summit day 12th June at Maynooth University. We look forward to hearing from our expert panelists Joan Mulvihill from Siemens Ireland, Mark Little from Kinzen (Acquired by Spotify), Stephen Redmond from BearingPoint Ireland and Michael Beary from University College Dublin. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change human lives, the role of people and all aspects of our society, both in a positive and negative manner. The discussion around AI has accelerated and the volume of new case studies, tools, solutions and AI topics are vast. Time consuming, repetitive and computational human work will be replaced by automation, which will place new demands on governance and the role of people. The Governance of this transformation faces many challenging questions and requires a deep societal debate. This panel will debate the implications of AI from various viewpoints with three leading experts in order to provide a critical reflection on some aspects of AI. We aim to explore what the discussion will look like in 10 years, and if we will look back in 10 years and ask ourselves what did we miss? What should have we discussed in 2024 and how has this impacted us now. Join our discussion and register here: https://lnkd.in/g9bBd2gx #artificialintelligence #AI #AIgovernance #ivisummit

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As healthcare gets increasingly digitalised, Irish health tech is leading the charge. Thinkbusiness.ie profiles 20 young businesses set for great things in 2025, including biosimulytics and xWave Technologies headquartered NovaUCD

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Are you an entrepreneur? Do you want to grow your business? Would you benefit from mentor support and peer learning? Well then what is taking you so long to apply for this unique incubator programme? Why not bring yourself and your business to a new level of success and enrol today.

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The announcement of the NDRC closing by the end of 2025 is concerning for the future of Ireland’s tech startup ecosystem. Given the importance of the NDRC in supporting digital innovation and early-stage companies, the lack of clarity around what will follow will be worrying to those in the sector. I'd love to know what is the rationale behind this decision, and what is the plan to continue supporting Irish tech startups, especially as challenges loom over the FDI sector? What is the plan to fill the gap left by the NDRC’s closure? What resources or structures will replace it to ensure that Irish startups aren’t left behind? Also, can anyone share a copy of the Indecon independent review of the NDRC from last year, which assessed the impact of its programmes on Ireland’s strategic objectives? Peter Burke Simon Harris Eamon Ryan #IrishTech #Startups #Innovation #FDI #NDRC #IrishEconomy https://lnkd.in/d2isetCg

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FIRE1 , an Irish medtech company which is working to improve outcomes for heart failure patients, has raised $120 million (€115 million) in new financing. The company, which is led by Conor Hanley, has taken on four new investors, Polaris Partners and ELEVATE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES led the raise,with Sands Capital and Longitude Capital also joining the cap table. Existing investors - Andera Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Gimv, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, Lightstone Ventures, Medtronic, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Novo Holdings, and Seventure Partners, also all returned to bak the medtech firm

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Irish Medtech is the voice of the industry in Ireland, which is why we have worked with colleagues, working groups and our members to identify and articulate policies needed to ensure that the sector thrives. In our latest 'Priorities for Government' recommendations, we've made sustainability a core pillar, recognising its growing importance for Ireland’s future and our alignment with key EU Green Deal priorities. Pillar 4: Sustainability & Environment - Ensure a just transition throughout regulatory changes and reporting requirements. - Foster a patient centric circular economy. - Support sustainable practices and innovations - Evolve Ireland’s manufacturing and infrastructure support The journey to a sustainable future requires collaboration, and we believe these steps are essential to help our industry and society thrive together. You can read our release here: https://lnkd.in/eKYrMaz4 Our dedicated webpage outlining our priorities is here: https://lnkd.in/eW3HCTX2

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📉 The Closure of the NDRC: A Step Back for Irish Startups? It’s deeply concerning to hear that the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) is set to close next year. For years, the NDRC has been a cornerstone of Ireland’s startup ecosystem, providing early-stage startups with critical funding, mentorship, and resources to innovate and grow. At a time when global competition for tech investment is fiercer than ever, this decision risks undermining Ireland’s reputation as a hub for innovation. International investors need confidence that Ireland supports its startups and fosters a strong pipeline of innovation. This move feels particularly short-sighted given the potential threats to Ireland’s economy, such as the possibility of tariffs on Irish exports under a Trump presidency. Now more than ever, Ireland should be reinforcing its commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation, not pulling back. The NDRC has played a vital role in fostering a vibrant tech ecosystem and ensuring Irish startups can compete on a global scale. Its closure risks creating a significant gap in early-stage support, just when we need to double down on promoting Ireland as a leader in innovation. If we’re serious about safeguarding Ireland’s future economy, we must urgently reconsider decisions like this and ensure we’re investing in our greatest assets: our people, talent, and ideas. What are your thoughts? How do we ensure the Irish startup sector remains strong in the face of these challenges? https://lnkd.in/g4FDrDBM National Digital Research Centre to close next year as contract ends

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The art of synthesis for deep tech founders. In a conversation with a founder last week, we were exploring a new business idea. At the heart of the idea is some complicated bio-technology, a very difficult to navigate supply chain and an expensive capex build. It was also quite boring on the surface and hard to imagine a crowd of investors downstream fighting to get into the next round. But the founder explained it to me in a way that electrified the concept in my mind. They came at it from a world of geopolitical shifts, a gaping opportunity to effortlessly reflow supply chains and a magical technology that would sustainably deliver industrial advantage to countries. The founder started with the WHY and led me to the WHAT. See Simon Sinek - https://lnkd.in/dE4RV4Sj for more on this. - WHY: painting a picture of a massive market problem that most people understand. - HOW: building a business model around an existing flow of that market and leaning into it instead of trying to force a change. So many companies fail when founders think they can bend a whole planet around their company. - WHAT: a unique invention that no one else has. After the WHY and HOW, I am hungry to understand the WHAT. The work to get to this simple idea takes a special kind of work - SYNTHESIS. It involves iterating thousands of times over a vast information space that includes world events, government policies, industrial trends, technological invention. It requires an always-on radar that scans the world looking for micro-moments of hypothetical product market fit and smushing them all together until a single cohesive story emerges that a founder can unite a community around. - I'm a Partner at Main Sequence, a VC purpose-built to create global companies from scientific ideas with the inventors who imagine them. I build-out-loud here: https://lnkd.in/gENhMrbU Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog: https://lnkd.in/dAXEMWTr

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My thanks to Mandy Daly, for writing this insightful article. Mandy highlights some crucial points for all MedTech innovators while offering plenty of hope for the future. #PatientEngagement #AIforGood #PatientAdvocacy

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Are corporate Boards keeping pace with the development of AI? In a recent IoD Ireland survey over 1/3rd of companies surveyed are now citing AI as a key tool to improve effectiveness and drive business competitiveness but almost 70% of organisations do not have a board-approved AI policy. https://lnkd.in/eJn3dBwZ #IODIreland #TechGovernance #AI #AIRisk

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Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund portfolio Company ALTRATECH LIMITED has been selected to receive up to €10.5m in blended funding from the European Innovation Council Accelerator Program. This investment will allow Altratech to engage in clinical trials on HIV patients combined with significant scale-up in manufacturing and product development over the next three years.  Altratech, led by Dr. Tara Dalton make up part of the 21% of selected companies which are female-led.  Niall Olden, Managing Partner, Kernel & Chairman, Altratech said: "The team at Altratech are exceptional. They have  taken an innovative concept with the potential to be one of the most significant developments in molecular diagnostics in decades, all the way through proof of concept to initial product prototypes. With five families of over 40 patents granted across the EU, US and Asia the company is an exemplar for the commercialisation of research and development." https://lnkd.in/eMQwAEgx #EICAcceleratorProgram #EnterpriseIreland #EUFunding

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I was chatting to our friends, James Wall and Johannes Werner , from 3D Technology Ltd at the Manufacturing Solutions Expo in TUS, Limerick last week when I observed an intriguing print. The item was created using the Markforged X7 printer and Onyx material, a type of micro carbon fiber infused nylon known for its ability to produce precise components with exceptionally smooth surface texture. 👌 Onyx is renowned for its exceptional versatility and offers high strength, toughness, and chemical resistance when printed alone, and can be reinforced with Continuous Fibers to yield aluminum-strength parts. 💪 Are you curious about how to leverage this technology within your company? If you are interested in pursuing a one year, part time level 7 in additive manufacturing, YES only one year part time! 😎 Or our new introduction to additive manufacturing, 12 week 10 credit level 7 certificate. 🧑‍🎓 Click here to apply; https://amase.ie/ Reach out to me here or on WhatsApp 086 199 5047 if you would like more details about these courses. 📧 #AdditiveManufacturing #3DTechnology #CareerGrowth #SETUCarlow #SETUWaterford #InnovativeMaterials #Industry40 #ContinuousLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment

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LaNua Medical, an Irish medtech start-up, has raised €6 million in seed funding to bring its flagship Ecore solution to market. The University College Dublin spin-out is led by Cormac Farrelly, Tom Fitzmaurice, Eoin O'Cearbhaill and Sajjad Amiri

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