Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Applications are now open for entrepreneurs all across Ireland to take part in Cork County Council’s International Start-Up Accelerator Competition for Life Sciences, Medical Technology and Digital Health Companies. This a huge opportunity for ambitious, early stage entrepreneurs across Ireland, as MassChallenge is set to connect them to a Global Network and facilitate the creation of high-quality jobs through a series of mentoring events and bootcamps — including an all-expenses paid bootcamp in Boston.

Bridge to MassChallenge is a global non-profit no equity start-up accelerator competition, which, to date, has accelerated 1,211 start-ups worldwide—raising 2 billion USD in funding, generating 900 million USD in revenue, and creating over 65,000 direct and indirect jobs in several locations across the world, including Boston, Massachusetts (USA), Mexico City (Mexico), Lausanne (Switzerland), London (United Kingdom), Jerusalem (Middle East) and more recently Austin, Texas (USA).

Through applying for Bridge to MassChallenge Cork, entrepreneurs across Ireland could be chosen for the unique opportunity to receive mentoring from and exposure to international sector specific experts and connection to a global market. The international start-up competition identifies and accelerates the top start-ups in the region and connects those start-ups to the global market through MassChallenge’s global network.  All twenty successful applicants will benefit from significant international mentoring and networking opportunities. MassChallenge has a track record of collaborating with more than 100 of the world’s most innovative organisations including Pfizer, GE and Microsoft to scale ambitious start-ups.

Applications, which are now open, will be evaluated by a panel of MassChallenge experts who will select twenty ambitious start-ups in the Life Sciences, Medical Technology and/or Digital Health Sector. These start-ups should have plans to scale up and connect internationally and will be offered the opportunity to participate in a week-long Cork boot camp commencing in February 2018.

This boot camp will conclude with an intensive competition to determine the top ten start-ups to emerge from the Cork boot camp, as selected by this process. These ten will then advance to a one-week all expenses paid intensive boot camp in Boston, in April 2018. From this, the top two companies will be selected to go forward to second round judging for one of MassChallenge’s international accelerators.

CAPTION:

Pictured at the launch were: Tim Lucey, Chief Executive of Cork County Council; Sharon Corcoran, Director of Services, Economic Development, Enterprise and Tourism at Cork County Council; and Brittany McDonagh, Director of Global Partnerships at MassChallenge (right).