Lia Eyecare, the Cork-based eyecare technology company, has been selected as one of only 15 global finalists in the prestigious M2D2 $200K Challenge.
Hosted by the University of Massachusetts’ Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), the highly competitive UMASS M2D2 $200K Challenge is an annual competition aimed at identifying and rewarding groundbreaking and disruptive start-up companies in the medical technology and biotechnology sectors from around the world.
The Mid Cork Gaeltacht-based company has been selected for its Nightleaf™ product which uses advanced thermal modulation technology to stabilise the tear film layer to treat dry eye disease.
A progressive and debilitating condition, dry eye disease currently affects over 345 million people worldwide.
As an M2D2 Challenge finalist, Lia Eyecare is eligible to win a share of $100K in financial support and over $200,000 of in-kind services including vital lab space for testing, engineering resources, legal guidance, and clinical development services.
Finalists also have the opportunity of connecting with key organisations and investors in the tech, healthcare, and legal sectors including Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Withum, UMass Chan Medical School, RQMIS, Hologic, and Mintz.
Lia Eyecare’s CEO, Breda O’Regan, and COO, Sinéad Buckley, will now travel from their base in Réidh na nDoirí to UMASS Lowell, Boston, for the final pitching event on the 26th of March.
Speaking ahead of the event, O’Regan, said: “Being selected as a finalist for this highly respected global challenge is an incredible validation of our work.
“It’s an opportunity that is now positioning Lia Eyecare among the top emerging medical device and biotech startups worldwide.
“It’s also one that was made possible for us through the connections we forged during the AwakenHub and AwakenAngels St Brigid’s Trade Mission to Boston and New York last month.
“That we’re now heading back to Boston to partake in this event has driven home for us the importance of the right support for founders.
“I would like to take this opportunity to urge any women business owners who are seeking to grow their company to make sure they are surrounding themselves with the right advice and community.
“Being part of the AwakenHub trade mission meant we were introduced to key figures in the medical technology and investment sectors who advised us on our proposition and pointed us firmly in the direction of this Challenge.
“After working on Nightleaf™ for five years, it’s tremendously exciting for us that all these opportunities are aligning as we prepare to launch.”
In addition to taking part in the final pitching event, Lia Eyecare COO, Sinéad Buckley, who has a strong background in regulated healthcare and industrial process development, will also be taking part in an influential scientific poster element of the event held by UMASS.
Buckley said: “Having the opportunity to go to UMASS Lowell to present Nightleaf™ feels like a full-circle moment for Lia Eyecare.
“The idea for our product started from research carried out through the BioInnovate programme at the University of Galway before we developed it further and were able to spin our company out from UCD, supported by Enterprise Ireland.
“Getting to the final of an event like this shows just how important it is that the Irish government continues to invest in the founder ecosystem.
“We need to be able to access support through our universities and colleges and organisations like AwakenHub and Enterprise Ireland to ensure we can accelerate the kinds of Irish innovations that have the potential to revolutionise healthcare for people everywhere.”
Congratulating Lia Eyecare on their selection as a finalist, CEO of AwakenHub & AwakenAngels, Clare McGee, said: “We are thrilled Breda and Sinéad are now going to be able to introduce Nightleaf™ to such an important new audience of global investors and customers.
“Ensuring Irish women founders like Breda and Sinéad have connectivity and exposure to these types of opportunities is what drives us every day at AwakenHub and AwakenAngels.
“Since returning home from our most recent US trade mission last month, we’ve been hearing from all our participants about the new doors, collaborations, and investment opportunities that have been opening for them.
“Lia Eyecare’s selection as an M2D2 finalist is a surprise to no one who knows Breda and Sinéad. AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, along with our fantastic founder community, will continue to be there to support them as they prepare to bring Nightleaf™ to market.”
The 2025 UMASS M2D2 $200K Challenge is focusing on four challenge areas of interest and Lia Eyecare is participating in the Point of Care track.
The others are Military Medicine, MedTech Sustainability and Surgical Devices.
Photo: Lia Eycare founders Sinéad Buckley, COO, (L) and Breda O'Regan, CEO, (R).
