Looking at where VCs are putting their money is an easy way to identify sectors with perceived growth potential. The Affordable Care Act (known affectionately as “Obamacare”); a new additional 2.3% medical device tax; and continued uncertainty about the FDA approval process has led to big drop in VC funding dollars in the US life sciences industry in 2012. In fact, PwC have estimated that the medical device industry is down 30% in VC funding dollars and 22% in VC deals in Q2 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.
Remarkably, it does not seem that these challenges have impacted digital health, connected health, health technology or whatever term you might prefer to use. At the Health 2.0 San Francisco Fall event, the digital health accelerator RockHealth declared that VC funding dollars had increased by 70% and that VC deals had increased by 84% in Q3 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.
So it should not be surprising that when Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick proclaimed that the third week in October would be known as “Innovation Week” in Boston that it was centered around two large health technology events.
The focus on the role of technology in healthcare began with a two-day event in the Massachusetts State House. The extensively named, “EU-US eHealth Marketplace & 2012 Transatlantic Health IT/eHealth Cooperation Assembly” was organised by the European Connected Health Alliance (ECH Alliance), the Northern Ireland Massachusetts Connection (NIMAC) and EU Commission. Essentially, the purpose of the event was to encourage the development of collaborations between the US and Europe in the area of connected health.
Among the attendees with a link to Enterprise Ireland were Irish companies SilverCloud Health and Cara Wellness whom exhibited and pitched their offerings at the assembly of 300 health tech executives, financiers, policy makers and health tech enthusiasts.
Headquartered in the National Digital Research Centre in Dublin, SilverCloud Health has a platform that allows healthcare providers and organisations to rapidly introduce health and wellness programs to their clients.
Through the collaboration of CASALA, ADA and Rigney Dolphin; CARAwellness has a technology that allows users gather information about their health from several technology sources so that they can keep an eye on their wellbeing and allow them share it with their carers. CARAwellness are able to do this through the use of medical technology, such as blood pressure cuffs, weight scales and sensors.
It was not just Irish health tech companies represented though – to promote eHealth Week 2013, Ciaran Cannon, T.D., Minister of State for Training and Skills concluded the two-day seminar with an invitation to all participants and their peers to come to the new convention centre in Dublin next May for the event – one of many conferences coinciding with Tourism Ireland’s “The Gathering 2013”.
Next up was the main event, the Connected Health Symposium 2012 presented by Partners HealthCare – the not-for-profit health care system that was founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Connected Health Symposium prides itself on being the place where healthcare and technology collide – and they’ve been colliding annually for 9 years now in Boston. The discussions ranged from the policy driving “meaningful use” to discussions on how Americans are embracing solutions for health and wellness voluntarily – an estimated 60% of US adults are tracking their weight, diet or exercise routine voluntarily (albeit about half of these engaged Americans are what Susannah Fox of the Pew Internet & American Life Project described as “self trackers” – those who track their health using the popular “skinny jeans test”).
There’s a lot happening in health tech in the US at the moment and next year at eHealth Week 2013 in Dublin, Ireland Inc. will have its opportunity to showcase what the Irish health tech community can bring to the table.
Picture above is the main hall in the Massachusetts State House at the EU-US eHealth Marketplace & 2012 Transatlantic Health IT/eHealth Cooperation Assembly.
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 Pricing Intelligence Firm Profitero Named IBM Global Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012
Dublin-based pricing intelligence firm Profitero has been announced the IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year at the IBM SmartCamp Global Finals in San Francisco, California. Profitero beat off strong competition from almost 1,.000 start-ups from around the globe to win the title. The technology company provides a next-generation pricing intelligence service for retailers and manufacturers.
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Irish headquartered 3D4Medical.com, which specializes in creating 3D medical applications for iPhone and iPad, is now being featured in the new Apple iPad TV advertising campaign. The Heart Pro app is displayed in ads in Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. It was chosen from over almost 400,000 apps in the app store. See the ad here: http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/gallery/ads.html
Regional Winners from around the globe headed to
Dublin in November
 Enterprise Ireland congratulates the five finalists in the Silicon Valley IBM SmartCamp final(below). IBM’s SmartCamp is a global program being held in seven cities around the world in 2010. The program culminates with one selected company from each city being invited to SmartCamp week in Dublin (Ireland) in November. There one will be named “The World’s Smartest Start-up”.
Enterprise Ireland is keen to talk to high tech entrepreneurs who are interested in setting up part of their business in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is working with IBM and will be delighted to welcome the winners to Dublin for finals week in November.
Final winners will be offered an Incentive Package to give them the opportunity to spend 3 months in Dublin to explore the advantages of setting up a part of their business in Ireland. The package includes financial support in the region of €20,000 and a mentor support programme provided by top class highly experienced entrepreneurs and business people and access to incubation space.
Check back with us on Thursday afternoon as we feature video presentations of each of the finalist below. (more…)
This morning Graduates 4 International Growth (G4IG) was launched by Minister Batt O’Keeffe.
The aim of the Graduates 4 International Growth initiative is to assist clients in acquiring future business development capability for their companies. 50 Graduates with potential to be the next generation of business development executives will be matched with 50 ambitious internationally trading companies and provided with a structured means of applying new skills in business development.
Graduates 4 International Growth (G4IG) is 18 months in duration, with participants based 6 months in their company in Ireland and a minimum of 12 months in an overseas market working on a specific company project. During the 18 months participants will also undertake a Post-Graduate Diploma in International Growth with UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School developing practical international business skills.
Further information and company application forms are now available on the Enterprise Ireland website and also available for download here.
From: Chain Drug Review/July 19, 2010 | Supplier News (download pdf version)
 SAN DIEGO — Ireland has more to offer the United States market than shamrock charms and plush leprechauns.
That was evident from a visit by Irish manufacturing executives to the NACDS Marketplace Conference. The trip, which was made under the auspices of the Enterprise Ireland trade development agency, allowed the suppliers to assess American prospects for a variety of products that includes chemical-free baby wipes, natural skin care products and cushions that double as sun shades.
The executives (pictured above, left to right Ed McCloskey, Dave Mulhall and Jamie Jenkinson) toured the trade show floor and met retailers as a prelude to possibly having their own booth at next year’s Marketplace. Their participation developed from a meeting between Ann Marie Maxwell, manager of consumer products for Enterprise Ireland, an agency of the Irish government, and National Association of Chain Drug Stores vice president of meetings and international programs Terry Arth at last year’s conference. Consultant Robert Coopman accompanied the visitors as a liaison.
Noting that health and beauty aids dominate the show floor at Marketplace, Enterprise Ireland senior development adviser Ed Conway said the H&BA categories allow for the kinds of innovation that Irish manufacturers have successfully exported around the world. Demand for niche H&BAs “suits the creativity of the Irish,” he said. And, Maxwell added, Enterprise Ireland will only lend its support to suppliers of innovative products. (more…)
 VigiTrust Announces Partnership With the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation To Provide Retailers With Access To PCI DSS On-Demand eLearning For Payment Card Security And Compliance.
New York, New York, (July 19, 2010) –-VigiTrust today announced it will partner with the NRF Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, to provide retailers with PCI DSS eLearning classes. The classes will be offered through the Foundation’s Universitywired program.
Businesses using credit card and debit cards — collectively referred to as payment cards — are required to be compliant with industry and regulatory programs to ensure security is being managed and consumers and business are protected. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a set of technical, procedural and training requirements, which all merchants who either transmit process or store credit cardholder data must adhere to.[youtube width="300" height="250"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hss0APdEsXo[/youtube]
Requirement 12.6 of PCI DSS states that all merchants must train in-scope personnel at the time of hire and annually. In-scope personnel include employees who handle or have access to credit card or credit card data, whether physically by handling credit cards or logically on computer systems. In addition, businesses must be able to demonstrate that their personnel have read and understood security policies put in place to protect cardholder data. (more…)
DATE ANNOUNCED!
Friday, November 12, 2010 | Microsoft Campus, Mountain View, CA
 50% OFF: 25 Early Bird Tickets Released! Under the Radar has been recognized as the most important startup showcase and deal-making forum in Silicon Valley.
REGISTER NOW
APPLY TO PRESENT! to be one of startups from around the globe to hit the stage and connect with potential partners, customers and acquirers….
Deadline: Preferred consideration will be given to companies nominated before July 31, 2010. (more…)
July 13th 2010
Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board – today welcomed Mr. Brian Cowen, Ireland’s Prime Minister on the occasion of his visit to New York and a meet with Ireland’s development agencies and the Irish business community.
Ireland’s Prime Minister emphasized the importance of trade between Ireland and the US. He said “Given the significance of the agri-food and drink sector to the Irish economy, both in terms of exports and employment, this is a valuable opportunity to impress upon US business leaders the priority that the Irish Government and bodies such as Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland place on the development of the Irish food sector while, at the same time, highlighting the benefits of collaborating with Irish food companies, including access to leading edge food science and technology research in Ireland.”
Mr. Brian Cowen continued, “The Irish Food Board’s presence in the North American market is vital for Irish food and drink companies when forging relationships with the US food and drink trade. (more…)
 Irish company and Enterprise-Ireland Americas client Openet Solutions recently announced the roll-out of a flexible data payment system for Apple’s iPad on a major US carrier, believed to be ATT, according the Irish Times.
Openet, is the leading provider of Transactional Intelligence for the world’s largest and most innovative network service providers. The recent announcement confirmed that a Tier 1 North American wireless operator has successfully deployed a comprehensive solution set from Openet that enables the operator to monetize the market-leading tablet device, Apple’s iPad.
With the Subscriber Initiated Provisioning and Service Pass solutions the operator is able to sell ad-hoc and recurring data plans to iPad customers, enabling subscriber initiated provisioning of data access by volume of data usage and duration; thus meeting demand for flexible, personalized service offerings.
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