Belfast health tech company Neurovalens wins place in medtech accelerator

MedTech Innovator competition had more than 1,000 applications for 50 places

Neurovalens founder Dr Jason McKeown
Neurovalens founder Dr Jason McKeown

Belfast health-technology company Neurovalens has been selected to take part in a prestigious accelerator programme aimed at medtech companies, one of only 50 companies worldwide to win a place.

The MedTech Innovator competition is aimed at medical device, digital health and diagnostic companies, and aims to accelerate the growth of companies transforming the healthcare system.

Neurovalens specialises in using non-invasive neuro-technology to tackle health challenges, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity. It medical devices deliver non-invasive electrical stimulation to key areas of the brain and nervous system.

It joins 49 other companies selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants on the MedTech Innovator Showcase programme. The companies will receive coaching and high-profile visibility at the WSGR Medical Device conference in San Francisco in June and The MedTech Innovator Showcase programme at the MedTech Conference in Boston in October.

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“It’s an incredible honour to have been chosen for the MedTech Innovator accelerator as the programme is held in the highest regard by everyone in the medical device industry. To be selected in the top 50 companies and picked to showcase how our technology can help treat type 2 diabetes is another significant milestone for our business,” said Dr Jason McKeown, chief executive of Neurovalens.

“We believe that the non-invasive intervention offered by Neurovalens technology is going to be truly transformative for a wide range of serious medical conditions, and we have already made fantastic progress with our clinical trials in the US and Northern Ireland.”

Established in 2015 by Dr McKeown and neuroscientist Paul McGeoch, Neurovalens has been investigating the use of its technology for a range of medical applications. In 2020, the company raised £5.2 million (€6.1 million) in investment to fund new and existing clinical trials and further develop its technology for use in the treatment of a wider range of conditions. Last year, it received a research and development grant worth £225,000 that was used to conduct clinical trials at Ulster University, Coleraine, and the University of California, San Diego to establish the safety and efficacy of the technology when used as a treatment for neurological disorders.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist