This UCD and Galway spin-out recently won a cash prize at this year’s Medical Device Development Centre (M2D2) competition in the US.
Dry eye disease is a common condition where your tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes.
Dry eyes may occur for a number of reasons, for example if you don’t produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality tears. This tear instability can lead to inflammation and damage of the eye’s surface.
The condition can be extremely uncomfortable for those who suffer from it, and it can often result in eye infections and long-term damage to a person’s vision. Luckily, there are continuous efforts to assist with the condition, which is where our Start-up of the Week comes in.
Lia Eyecare is a medtech start-up that has developed Nightleaf, a non-invasive wearable that restores natural hydration to the eyes while you sleep.
“Despite growing awareness, current treatments – eye drops, ointments, moisture goggles –often fall short, especially overnight,” says Breda O’Regan, co-founder and CEO.
Nightleaf is a lightweight, wearable headband designed to be worn comfortably. As O’Regan explains to SiliconRepublic.com, it uses thermal modulation to regulate tear film production, supporting the body’s own natural hydration mechanisms. The device is also drop-free and drug-free.
“We’re addressing a long-ignored but critical gap in the treatment of overnight dry eye disease, a condition that disrupts the sleep and quality of life of millions worldwide.”
How it started
Lia Eyecare was founded in 2021 by O’Regan and COO Sinéad Buckley, who met as teenagers playing camogie.
O’Regan has more than a decade of experience in senior leadership in several multinationals including Apple, Allergan and Johnson & Johnson, while Buckley is dual-qualified in chemical engineering and pharmacy, with deep experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and frontline patient care.
Buckley participated in the BioInnovate programme at the University of Galway, where she began developing the Nightleaf concept. As she developed the product at University College Dublin with the support of Enterprise Ireland’s commercialisation funding, she reconnected professionally with O’Regan.
“Through ongoing conversations, it became clear that our skillsets – technical, clinical and commercial – were highly complementary, and together we formed a strong and aligned founding team ready to bring this innovation to life,” says O’Regan.
How it’s going
Today, O’Regan says the team at Lia Eyecare is making “strong progress”.
“We’re currently in the final stages of product development, with plans to complete our product validation by the end of the year,” she says. “Our team is growing steadily, and we’ve built strong collaborations across engineering, regulatory and clinical partners in Ireland and the US.”
Just a few weeks ago, the start-up was among the winners at this year’s Medical Device Development Centre (M2D2) competition hosted by the University of Massachusetts, bagging the $25,000 cash award for Nightleaf.
Going forward, the company has plans for further success, including a fundraising round in early 2026 once the team has achieved key product and clinical milestones.
“Our goal is to become the standard of care for overnight dry eye disease treatment – shifting from symptom-masking solutions to root-cause relief,” says O’Regan.
“Long-term, we see Nightleaf evolving into a platform technology that addresses a broad spectrum of ocular health challenges, from digital eye strain to post-surgical recovery.”
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