healthstay.io Makes History as First Irish-Founded Company Accepted into Prestigious UAE Accelerator
- Irish Independent
- Sep 23
- 2 min read
As featured in Irish Independent, Irish-founded company becomes first to be accepted into prestigious UAE start-up programme
A Landmark Moment for healthStay
For the first time, an Irish-founded company has been selected for a prestigious accelerator in the UAE. healthStay.io — founded by Seán Conaty (Co. Meath) and Ruairí Tubrid (Co. Wexford) — was one of just 17 companies chosen from thousands of global applicants.
Launched in January 2023, healthStay was born from the founders’ experience navigating the complexities of medical tourism — patients travelling abroad for healthcare.
💡 Why Hub71 Matters
Hub71, an initiative of Mubadala, provides start-ups with:
🏢 Office space and co-working facilities
📄 Visa credits for founders and staff
💰 Investment support and access to VCs
🌐 Partnerships with global accelerators like Techstars and Plug and Play
“The focus of Hub71 is to attract the leading start-ups globally, to set up their headquarters in Abu Dhabi,” said Mr Tubrid.
🏥 How healthStay is Transforming Medical Tourism
healthStay provides hospitals with digital infrastructure to manage international patients, while simplifying care for those travelling abroad.
📊 Already in use across UAE hospitals and clinics
💰 Closed $1.5m in funding to grow the team and platform
🌍 A universal product for hospitals managing global patients
👨⚕️ Replaces manual processes with one streamlined system
“The hospital organises visas, payments, treatment plans, doctor details, even airport pickups — all in one focused portal,” explained Mr Tubrid.
“The hospital organises visas, payments, treatment plans, doctor details, even airport pickups — all in one focused portal,” explained Mr Tubrid.
💬 Real Impact for Patients
Originally built to solve hospital inefficiencies, healthStay is now reducing stress for patients travelling for care.
🌍 Looking Ahead
healthStay’s focus is to expand across the UAE, before scaling to wider MENA and Europe — including Germany, Turkey, and Spain, where demand for inbound medical tourism is high.
Originally featured in Irish Independent. Excerpts adapted with credit.
