Guernsey Venture Challenge 2024 Spotlight: Second place winners MAP Health
The Guernsey Venture Challenge serves as a springboard for innovative startups on the island. Our annual competition provides a launchpad for aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas, connect with fellow visionaries, receive invaluable mentorship from industry experts, and secure critical funding to propel their ventures forward.
MAP Health, a recent Guernsey Venture Challenge success story, is a testament to the programme's transformative power. After an impressive pitch, they secured second place at the Pitch Night Final, taking home a significant £20,000 grant prize to accelerate their business growth.
MAP Health offers a comprehensive platform designed to empower medical practitioners to integrate medical wellness and longevity into their practices. By combining wearable technology, medical testing, behaviour modification techniques, and the expertise of medical professionals, MAP Health equips practitioners with the tools they need to offer personalised care and promote preventive healthcare solutions for their patients.
In this case study we hear about their experience on the programme and thoughts on their success at the Guernsey Venture Challenge.
How have you enjoyed the Guernsey Venture Challenge?
We have been highly impressed with the GVC programme. It directed our attention to critical areas of our business, and our mentor's guidance has been instrumental in supporting discussions that have resulted in valuable outcomes.
What were your most valuable learnings from the mentoring sessions?
We’re confident that we now have a highly refined pitch deck that aligns with the expectations of investors. Our mentor, Ian, has provided valuable support and guidance, helping us gain clarity on the most critical questions from investors. We now feel we are equipped with concise and compelling responses to these key questions, which we hope will enhance our prospects for securing investment.
We were struggling to determine the exact information investors would seek and how to present it with maximum clarity. As founders and directors, we are deeply immersed in the day-to-day operations of our business, so it can be challenging to adopt a broad perspective on what external stakeholders need to see. Explaining our business and our vision to Ian has helped us refine and articulate the key high-level points.
Pictured: Guernsey Venture Challenge Judge Marc Cohen, and Co Founders of MAP Health, Claire Reach and Andrew Melton
What were you most excited about as you prepared for the pitch competition?
The pitch night was an exciting and high-pressure experience. We were excited to engage with like-minded businesspeople and leverage the networking opportunities on the night. The evening also provided valuable pitching practice, and we were eager to explore opportunities that both the night and the overall programme would unlock for MAP Health.
What were your thoughts as you were pronounced the winners of £20,000 for your business?
So exciting! This win means we can move to the next step and grow so much faster. The programme will fund our next big steps so we can continue to develop our business.
What are your plans for your business after the competition?
The grant money will enable us to accelerate our pilot programme. We are now ready to onboard our pilot clinics and collaborate with them to validate the hypotheses we presented and move the business forward.
What advice would you give to businesses considering applying for the Guernsey Venture Challenge next year?
Just go for it. Whether you have a groundbreaking pre-revenue idea or a fully-fledged business ready to scale you can learn something in the GVC. The expertise of the mentors and the educational resources provided will be beneficial no matter what stage your business is at.
