Enterprise Ireland and Northwell Health today announced a new strategic alliance to build on Irish medtech expansion in the U.S.
Northwell, a large U.S. health system, and Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s enterprise development agency, hope to expand their relationship to further accelerate the commercialization and scaling of Irish life sciences and medtech companies in the U.S. The two entities marked the alliance signing with a ceremony in New York for St. Patrick’s Day.
According to a news release, Northwell already has ongoing relationships with 18 Enterprise Ireland companies in the space. Their relationship has already delivered tangible outcomes for companies. That includes procurement contracts, clinical pilots and trials and strategic investments.
Under the new agreement, Enterprise Ireland client companies can continue to benefit from direct access to Northwell’s clinical experts across 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 outpatient facilities. It also gives them access to Northwell’s innovation and commercial infrastructure.
At the end of 2025, Enterprise Ireland outlined the growth of the Irish medtech sector in a report, as it continues to look to expand Ireland’s presence around the world.
IDA Ireland, the foreign investment arm for the Irish government, and Enterprise Ireland both shared the government’s view on medtech’s growth in the country in 2025 interviews with MassDevice.
In addition to the Enterprise Ireland partnership, Galway-based medtech company Neurent Medical, backed by EI, also inked a deal with Northwell.
Neurent develops the Neuromark system for treating chronic rhinitis. Neuromark features a flexible shaft and atraumatic leaflets that conform to the patient anatomy. This enables physicians to reach challenging areas in the nasal cavity while maximizing treatment coverage. The system delivers impedance-controlled, low-power radiofrequency (RF) energy to disrupt parasympathetic nerve signals. This addresses the key symptoms of chronic rhinitis, such as persistent nasal congestion and rhinorrhea (runny nose).
The company’s next-generation Neuromark system picked up FDA clearance in June 2025 and Neurent earlier this year raised $74 million (€62.5 million) in an oversubscribed Series C financing round.
With its partnership with Northwell, Neurent expects to continue scaling across America’s healthcare system. The company has its U.S. headquarters in Braintree, Massachusetts, as it progresses with commercialization efforts and clinical engagement in the U.S.
Other Irish medtech companies expanding in the U.S.
According to Enterprise Ireland, a number of leading Irish life sciences and medtech firms announced expansions in the U.S. this week. That includes:
- Shorla Oncology
- A commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company with four FDA-approved products. The company recently expanded its U.S. commercial infrastructure, establishing a field team of oncology key account managers across key geographies to support healthcare professional outreach for its oral liquid oncology products. Shorla has locations in Tipperary and in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Fire1
- The Dublin-based company opened its first U.S. office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as it prepares for a pivotal clinical study and future U.S. commercialization. It develops the Norm heart failure management system that enables patients to engage in physician-directed self-management. Norm aims to reduce the burden on healthcare staff and make it easier to keep patients healthier and at home. Fire1 raised $120 million to support its technology in January 2025.
- Head Diagnostics
- Another Dublin-based company, Head Diagnostics entered into two new clinical partnerships with neurological centers, including one of the country’s largest outpatient neurology practices. The company’s technology offers the rapid assessment and evaluation of brain impairment and brain disease, aiming to deliver early identification of cognitive impairment across multiple conditions. CEO David Van Zuydam spoke to MassDevice about the technology last fall.
- X-Bolt
- X-Bolt develops patented expanding bolt technology that provides fixation solutions for bone fractures. The Dublin-based company announced a new partnership with Vizient, a leading healthcare performance improvement company. It expects to accelerate its technology across Vizient’s wide-ranging member network.
Commentary from Irish government, Enterprise Ireland and Northwell officials
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said:
“Northwell Health has been an invaluable partner to Ireland and to Irish health tech and medtech companies. This alliance has provided Irish companies with unparalleled opportunities and privileged access to Northwell Health’s vast clinical network, serving as a critical gateway for innovative Irish companies entering and scaling within the U.S. healthcare market. Ireland’s life sciences and health tech sector is thriving, and partnerships like this are central to ensuring that innovation emerging from Ireland reaches patients in the U.S. and around the world.”
Elaine Brennan, executive director, global strategic partnerships, Northwell Health, said:
“Northwell Health is proud to sign this new strategic alliance with Enterprise Ireland and build upon years of successful collaboration. Our International Business Program has proven to be an invaluable gateway for innovative international companies seeking to enter and scale within the U.S. healthcare market. Since 2016, we have provided Enterprise Ireland client companies with direct access to clinical experts across one of America’s largest health systems, resulting in meaningful outcomes including procurement contracts, clinical pilots and trials, and strategic investments from Northwell Ventures. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of Irish healthcare innovators and supporting their growth in the U.S. market.”
Kevin Sherry, executive director, Enterprise Ireland, said:
“Ireland’s life sciences and health tech sector is producing world-class innovation at a remarkable pace and is attracting record VC investment, a testament to the depth and quality of Ireland’s R&D ecosystem. Our new strategic alliance with Northwell Health sits at the heart of that ambition, providing significant opportunities for innovative Irish companies to commercialise and co-develop new innovations and enter the U.S. market. The partnership between Neurent Medical and Northwell Health is a great example of the excellent collaboration that exists between Ireland and the United States across the healthcare industry.”
