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APC Researchers receive €1 million start-up funding from Enterprise Ireland

15 Oct 2024

Two APC researchers at ��ҹ���޸����þ� College Cork have received start-up funding to translate their research into innovative companies that will benefit human health globally. The start-ups will drive advances in women’s health, and skin health.

Dr Siobhain O’ Mahony, founder of FemmeMeno and Dr Julie O’ Sullivan, founder of SkinCoat, have received funding totalling €1,046,747 from Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund Programme. FemmeMeno, is designed to empower women by providing targeted support during peri/menopause; helping to balance hormones, enhance vitality and improve overall health and well-being. Menopause affects every person born female and by the year 2025, the number of post-menopausal women worldwide is estimated to reach 1.1 billion. SkinCoat is an innovative topical probiotic cream aimed at alleviating eczema symptoms. Eczema is a prevalent condition, affecting 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults in Ireland.

Ireland is 3^rd in Europe for investment in women-led start-ups. In 2023, 31% of the start-ups supported by Enterprise Ireland had a woman in the founding team.

“APC has a proud tradition of nurturing entrepreneurship and we have several thriving spin-out companies as a testament to this. FemmeMeno and SkinCoat are exciting projects in women’s health and skin health respectively – two hot topics in microbiome science currently - and we look forward to their development into new spin-out companies with the EI funding. Our ambition is to have more female-led spin outs from the APC and I’m delighted that we were able to give these Femtech projects a stepping stone with the award of APC entrepreneurship bursaries last year” states Prof Paul Ross, Director of APC.

“At UCC, we are committed to advancing women’s entrepreneurship, recognising its potential to drive economic growth and benefit society as a whole. We’re excited to celebrate the success of Dr Siobhain O’ Mahony and Dr Julie O’ Sullivan, whose innovative technologies will make a significant difference in human health and wellbeing and serve as inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.”

The investment from Enterprise Ireland will support technology development and accelerate the launch of the two companies from APC Microbiome Ireland, in UCC. APC is funded by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, formerly Science Foundation Ireland.

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Both projects are supported by Emer O’Shea, Commercialisation Case Manager with UCC Innovation.

Dr Siobhain O’ Mahony - FemmeMeno

FemmeMeno, a collaboration between UCC’s Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and APC Microbiome Ireland, is designed to empower women by providing targeted support during peri/menopause; helping to balance hormones, enhance vitality and improve overall health and well-being. €761,829 was awarded by Enterprise Ireland to the FemmeMeno team comprising of Dr Eimear Gleeson (Commercial Lead), Dr Siobhain O’Mahony (Principal Investigator and Technical lead), post-doctoral researcher, Dr Mariarosaria Cuozzo and collaborator Prof Jens Walter. The team will develop a scientifically-backed, clinically validated supplement to improve peri/menopausal health.

Menopause affects every person born female and by the year 2025, the number of post-menopausal women worldwide is estimated to reach 1.1billion. Due to increasing life expectancy, women now spend up to 40% of their lives in perimenopause and menopause. Over 40 different peri-menopausal symptoms have been described which can severely impact on quality of life, relationships, and work.

Dr Julie O’ Sullivan – SkinCoat

SkinCoat, an innovative topical probiotic cream aimed at alleviating eczema symptoms, secured an award of €284,918 from Enterprise Ireland. This funding will help the collaboration between UCC’s School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland in bringing their scientifically backed product to market. Led by Dr Julie O'Sullivan as Commercial Lead and Dr Mariana Perez Ibarreche as Technical Lead, SkinCoat's goal is to reduce the redness, itching, and inflammation experienced by eczema sufferers through its scientifically backed probiotic formula.

Eczema is a prevalent condition, affecting 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults in Ireland, according to the Irish Skin Foundation. SkinCoat addresses the drawbacks of conventional treatments such as steroids and antibiotics, the latter of which contributes to the global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is predicted to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050, according to the World Health Organization. In contrast, SkinCoat’s probiotic approach provides a natural and microbiome-friendly solution, aiming to improve the quality of life for those with eczema and other atopic skin conditions.

SkinCoat is grounded in extensive market research and insights from leading skincare companies like Unilever and L’Oréal. With initial market penetration focused on mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) sufferers in Ireland and the UK, the company has set its sights on expansion into Europe.