KPMG has named eight finalists for the Ireland round of its Global Tech Innovator 2026 competition. The shortlist includes companies from Cork, Dublin, Galway, Louth and Monaghan.
The finalists span biotechnology, digital accessibility, artificial intelligence oversight, cardiac monitoring, childcare technology, patient engagement and women's health. They will pitch to a judging panel of investors, technology executives and KPMG's Global Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications.
Now in its sixth year, the competition focuses on emerging technology businesses in Ireland. This year's shortlist highlights the strong presence of healthcare and AI ventures, alongside platforms serving consumers and workplaces.
Among those selected is ArrayPatch, an Irish biotechnology business developing microneedle drug delivery systems for self-administration. Its platform uses polymer-free microneedles and is being developed for applications including GLP-1 therapies, skin cancer and fungal infections.
DevAlly has built a platform to help software teams manage digital accessibility compliance. Its system combines site scanning, workflow auditing through a browser extension and automated reporting for standards including the European Accessibility Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508.
Artificial intelligence governance features prominently on the shortlist. Disseqt's product is positioned as an assurance layer for enterprise AI operations, helping information technology teams test, detect and enforce controls across the lifecycle of AI agents while addressing requirements under frameworks such as the EU AI Act and ISO 42001.
Jentic is also focused on enterprise AI, with a platform designed to connect AI systems to application programming interfaces and other business platforms. It is targeting integration, security, compliance and maintenance challenges that have slowed AI adoption inside large organisations.
Healthcare is another major theme. Galway-based Galenband is developing an upper-arm wearable designed to capture up to 90 days of continuous electrocardiogram data without adhesives, daily charging or mobile apps. Its initial focus is improving the detection of silent atrial fibrillation after stroke.
SPRYT has developed an AI-based patient engagement and care orchestration platform that works across WhatsApp, SMS and RCS. Patients can use the service to book, reschedule, cancel and manage appointments in more than 140 languages, while healthcare providers can use predictive tools to identify likely no-shows and cancellations.
The shortlist also includes The MenoPal, which focuses on menopause and hormone health. It brings together symptom, wearable and clinical data to generate predictive insights for personalised care and clinical research.
Outside health and software infrastructure, öogo is tackling childcare management with a platform that connects parents, caregivers, employers and hospitality partners. It matches families with vetted minders using its own algorithm and is already generating recurring contract revenue.
Judging panel
The finalists will present to a panel that includes Cyril McGuire, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and chief executive officer of Infinity Capital; Colin Goulding, vice president of Trust and Safety at Google; Caroline Gaynor, partner at Lightstone Ventures and current chair of the IVCA; Conor Stanley, founder of Tribal.vc; and Anna Scally, Global Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at KPMG.
The judging line-up reflects the competition's emphasis on commercial growth as well as technical development. It also underlines the importance investors and large technology groups continue to place on early-stage Irish companies working in regulated and data-intensive sectors.
Anna Scally highlighted the breadth of the shortlist.
"Our finalists are all focused on solving real world issues. From childcare and women's health to management of AI agents and effective delivery of drugs, these companies cover almost every corner of the tech landscape and are superb examples of the breadth of innovation occurring across the island of Ireland. Each of the CEOs and founders are also hugely ambitious for their companies and the impact their technology can deliver. I am really excited to see how each of our finalists develop," said Anna Scally, Global Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at KPMG.
The final line-up suggests Irish innovation remains concentrated in sectors where technical products are closely tied to regulation, clinical outcomes or operational risk. It also shows how quickly AI has shifted from a stand-alone product category to becoming part of tools for healthcare, compliance and business operations.
The eight finalists are ArrayPatch, DevAlly, Disseqt, Galenband, Jentic, öogo, SPRYT and The MenoPal.