Irish Start-Ups Among the Winners at $200K M2D2 Challenge Competition in Massachusetts
Irish start-ups, Lia Eyecare and Sports Impact Technologies, were among the Awards winners announced at the conclusion of the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s highly competitive $200K M2D2 Challenge start-up competition.
Hosted by the University of Massachusetts’ Medical Device Development (M2D2) Centre, the annual competition, which is now in its 14th year, is aimed at identifying and rewarding ground-breaking and disruptive start-up companies in the medical technology and biotechnology sectors from around the world.
Lia Eyecare and Sports Impact Technologies were among only 15 start-ups from around the world selected for the final.
Following pitches to a panel of judges at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s iHub, Sports Impact Technologies was announced as winner of the 3rd place Award with in-kind support from Mintz and bene : studio, and Lia Eyecare was announced as winner of the M2D2 $25K cash award.
Sports Impact Technologies is developing a compact, behind-the-ear wearable that detects head impacts in real-time. Using proprietary sensor technology, the wearable records linear and angular accelerations, transmitting data instantly to coaches, medical staff, or safety officials for immediate decision-making, reducing recovery times, and ensuring no concussion goes undetected.
The company founded by Eóin Tuohy is headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin.
Eóin Tuohy, CEO and founder, Sports Impact Technologies, said, “The M2D2 has been a great experience for us. We were delighted to be selected as a finalist and to then place 3rd and win two of the in-kind supports from Mintz and bene : studio was a wonderful bonus. We are delighted with the validation from the judges and the wider UMass Lowell community as we set our sights on the US.”
Lia Eyecare, a joint University College Dublin (UCD) and University of Galway ophthalmology spin-out has developed the non-invasive, Nightleaf™ product which uses a neurological approach and advanced thermal modulation technology to stabilise the eye’s tear film layer to treat dry eye disease. A progressive and debilitating condition, dry eye disease currently affects over 345 million people worldwide.
Pictured (l-r) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s iHub are; llsa Webeck, Vice-President of Commercialisation Strategy, Simbex and event MC; Breda O’Regan, CEO and co-founder, Lia Eyecare; Kathryn Ellis, Director Innovation Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Newton and Professor Steven F. Tello, Associate Vice Chancellor for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, and Co-Director, M2D2, University of Massachusetts Lowell. (Source: University of Massachusetts Lowell).
The company, headquartered in Cork and with offices also in NovaUCD, was co-founded by Breda O'Regan and Sinéad Buckley following research on Nightleaf™ which commenced through the BioInnovate Ireland programme in Galway, and which was further developed at UCD with the support of Enterprise Ireland commercialisation funding.
Breda O'Regan, CEO and co-founder, Lia Eyecare, said, “Being selected as a finalist, and now one of the winners, of this prestigious global challenge is a powerful validation of our work. It positions Lia Eyecare among the top emerging MedTech start-ups globally. We first became aware of this opportunity during the AwakenHub St. Brigid’s trade mission to Boston and New York, which was instrumental in guiding us here.”
Massachusetts-based CranioSense, which is developing IPASS, a portable, non-invasive device for monitoring intracranial pressure, was named the overall winner of this year’s $200K M2D2 Challenge competition.
ENDS
1 April 2025
For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.
Editors Notes
Sports Impact Technologies - real-time impact detection for safer sports. Powered by advanced sensor technology. https://sportsimpacttechnologies.com/
Lia Eyecare’s mission is to combat the stresses that modern life places on our eyesight. With a portfolio of eyecare devices in development, Lia Eyecare offers a distinctive approach for anyone seeking eye comfort. https://www.liaeyecare.com/
The annual M2D2 $200K Challenge, is an opportunity designed to showcase the innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit of seed and early-stage medical device and biotech companies. https://m2d2challenge.com/200k-challenge