15 Healthcare AI innovators to watch for 2026. Health Innovation Hub Ireland announces the winners of the HIHI.AI call
Media Release
For Immediate Release
15 Healthcare AI innovators to watch for 2026
Health Innovation Hub Ireland announces the winners of the HIHI.AI call 2025
Cork, December 16th, 2025. Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) today announced the successful winning innovations selected from the HIHI.AI 2025 Call, a national initiative designed to accelerate the safe, ethical, and evidence-based evaluation of artificial intelligence across the Irish healthcare system.
Following a highly competitive process that saw 44 companies apply winners selected across two categories – Pilot and CE-Ready / Market Entry, reflecting the growing maturity and diversity of Ireland’s healthcare AI ecosystem. The 15 winning solutions demonstrate significant potential to enhance patient care, support clinical decision-making, streamline workflows and improve system efficiency.
This announcement aligns with Ireland’s broader national strategy for AI under “AI – Here for Good”, the Government’s cross-departmental policy promoting trustworthy, human-centric artificial intelligence, as well as Enterprise Ireland’s continued investment in high-potential startups and global innovation leadership. Together, these policies are positioning Ireland as a world-class hub for clinically robust, ethically grounded digital health technologies.
Several of today’s winners have been recognised within or align closely with that national innovation pipeline, reinforcing the strategic importance of cross-agency collaboration to bring trustworthy AI to the frontline.
THE 15 WINNING HIHI.AI CALL WINNERS TO WATCH IN 2026 ARE:
Pilot Category Winners
- CommPAL – A web and mobile platform that improves travel, planning, and resource allocation for healthcare workers.
- EaseTalk – An AI-powered speech practice platform offering personalised support for people who stutter.
- Zendra Health – A clinically validated ADHD assessment tool that uses AI to reduce waiting times, streamlines workflows, and enhances medication management.
- PeriVision – A portable AI-enabled device for accurate, efficient functional eye testing.
- Deciphex/Diagnexia – An AI-driven digital pathology platform supporting consultant pathologists in colorectal screening.
- Katana Healthcare – A point-of-care, AI-supported clinical medication safety system.
- Yellow Schedule – Triage Link – An AI-powered triage system improving patient flow and reducing service bottlenecks.
- Samsa – AI tools to structure and analyse referral data, supporting clinical decision-making and service improvement.
- Alto Health – An AI platform transforming referral and pre-visit workflows to improve patient and clinician experience.
- Protostars – An AI platform that automates CE marking audits, compliance processes, and digital health certification.
- Qualtate – An AI-native eQMS platform that automates testing, cybersecurity assessments, and generates AI agents for risk and SOP gap analysis.
CE-Ready / Market Entry Category Winners
- Praxis AI – A virtual patient simulation platform enhancing clinical reasoning in dental education.
- Python AI Solutions – An AI-based diagnostic decision-support tool for cervical screening.
- Axial3D – AI-supported 3D modelling for TAVI and EVAR procedural planning.
- Genotrial – A real-time, privacy-compliant patient-to-clinical-trial matching platform supporting research acceleration.
HIHI Driving AI Innovation Aligned with National Policy
The HIHI.AI programme directly supports the goals of Ireland’s national AI strategy by ensuring solutions for healthcare are:
- trustworthy and human-centred,
- clinically validated and regulated,
- secure and ethically deployed, and
- focused on measurable improvements in patient outcomes and system efficiency.
Through close collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the Department of Health and the HSE, HIHI supports the HIHI.AI Call 2025 by offering commercialisation pathways, access to testbeds, clinical partnerships, and guidance on regulatory readiness — enabling AI healthcare innovations to be piloted and evaluated in real-world Irish health settings. These are critical components as Irish AI innovators prepare to scale in a rapidly evolving European AI regulatory environment. The HIHI.AI initiative supports companies developing AI-enabled solutions at various stages of maturity, from early validation to market entry, ensuring safe, effective, and evidence-based adoption within the Irish healthcare ecosystem.
Minister of Enterprise Tourism and Employment Mr. Peter Burke commented:
“Artificial Intelligence is transforming healthcare globally, and Ireland is determined to lead in developing solutions that are safe, ethical and innovative. The HIHI.AI call is key to supporting innovative companies to access our healthcare system and to develop products that can benefit our health service and our population at large.
I would like to congratulate HIHI on running this successful and exciting AI call. These 15 winning companies represent the best of Irish innovation, and I look forward to seeing their technologies make a real impact.”
Jenny Melia, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Ireland commented:
“Ireland is regarded as a leading global health tech hub, bolstered by dynamic start-ups and the HIHI.AI 2025 Call acknowledges the breath of Irish innovation, particularly in the deep-tech space. The 15 projects announced today are worthy winners, all leveraging AI to improve the outcomes of patients worldwide, from the development of new diagnostic tools to streamlining patient access to clinicians. These awards demonstrate how the work of the HIHI coupled with EI’s research commercialisation and company funding support, can nurture innovative thinking and bring positive change to the healthcare system. We are excited to see the potential impact these winners can have on patient outcomes and the healthcare industry as a whole.”
HIHI also continues to work closely with the HSE Technology and Transformation Team, advancing safe AI implementation as Ireland strengthens infrastructure, governance, and capability in line with EU AI Act developments and health-system digital priorities.
Damien McCallion, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer & Deputy CEO, HSE
“The 15 successful innovation projects selected under this initiative highlight the creativity and dedication of the Irish health community and offer an exciting glimpse into a future where AI can enhance not only how we deliver care, but also how it is experienced by our service users. In recognition of this potential, the HSE has developed a Health Innovation Framework that will enable, support, and govern innovation across Ireland’s health and social care system, ensuring that new technologies, including AI, are adopted safely, effectively, and in alignment with national strategic priorities.”
Dr. Tanya Mulcahy Director of Health Innovation Hub Ireland highlighted HIHI’s alignment with Irish Government Policy. “The Government’s AI strategy, Enterprise Ireland’s investment programmes, and the HSE’s Health Innovation Framework, collectively create a strong ecosystem where companies can develop safely, ethically, and at pace. HIHI.AI is a cornerstone in that mission.”
“We are thrilled to support this cohort of exceptional innovators,” said Dr Michael Twomey, Senior Clinical Research Manager and AI lead in HIHI. “Each selected company demonstrates the potential of AI to meaningfully enhance healthcare delivery, reduce waiting lists, support clinicians, and improve patient outcomes. We look forward to working closely with all of the winners as their technologies progress through real-world testing and evaluation.”
Ends
Notes to the Editor
About Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI)
Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) is an initiative of the Government of Ireland, through the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Health. HIHI is funded through Enterprise Ireland and supported through the HSE. HIHI works across the health sector with businesses to support the development of innovative Irish based healthcare solutions- addressing healthcare problems and improving patient care.
HIHI is an academic consortium led by UCC with academic partners MTU, TCD and University of Galway. HIHI works closely with the HSE at acute, primary and community sites across the country. HIHI provides three types of support- assessment of early-stage ideas, clinical evaluation/end-user engagement and pilot of market ready products. A portfolio of Irish products is available on https://hih.ie/product-portfolio/ . All applications for support can be made on the HIHI Innovation Portal on www.hih.ie
About the HIHI.AI call
For full details of the call read here https://hih.ie/initiatives/hihi-ai/2025-call/
The 2025 HIHI.AI Call winners can be viewed at – https://hih.ie/initiatives/hihi-ai/hihi-ai-call-winners/
Contact details and Interviews
For media queries, interviews and more information, please contact:
Caroline McGarry, Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
Tel. 087 2266062 email caroline.mcgarry@ucc.ie