Glasgow dementia start-up wins place on US accelerator

From left: MindMate chief marketing officer Gabriela Matic, chief financial officer Patrick Renner, chief technology officer Rogelio Arellano and chief executive Susanne Mitschke. Picture: Contributed

The Glasgow firm, co-founded last year by Rogelio Arellano, Gabriela Matic, Susanne Mitschke and Patrick Renner, is one of 15 early-stage companies chosen from more than 1,500 applicants to join the Techstars initiative.

MindMate, which won “pitch of the day” at last year’s Engage Invest Exploit (EIE) investor conference in Edinburgh, will now receive mentoring from key figures in the tech world, along with funding and what Techstars describes as a “list of perks” totalling more than $1 million (£755,000).

Some 90 per cent of companies accepted for the three-month programme go on to receive more than $2m in follow-on funding.

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Mitschke, MindMate’s chief executive, said: “Our latest technology is tackling the inherent loneliness of dementia sufferers who are often isolated or remote from family members.

“We are super excited to be joining the Techstars team in New York – not only for the programme itself but for the opportunity it gives us to further develop our products, build our networks and make connections in the largest healthcare market in the world.”

MindMate, which counts the NHS as its first customer, has more than 20,000 monthly active users and is partnered with every dementia society in the UK.

Techstars managing director Alex Iskold said: “Dementia is the number three cause of death in US. It is a cruel affliction and takes a massive toll on the victims and their families.

“MindMate is a team full of compassion and empathy, working to make dementia more manageable for patients, families and care centres. Techstars is proud to back this team and help create a comprehensive platform for fighting dementia in the US and around the world.”