Macroom start-up designing product to tackle dry eyes wins prestigious NovaUCD award

1.6bn worldwide suffer from dry and irritated eyes

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026 - 10:00

Martin Claffey

An eyecare technology start-up based in Macroom has been named 2026 NovaUCD Spin-out of the year.

Lia Eyecare is headquartered in the Réidh na nDoirí Gaeltacht in Macroom. The company develops user-centred products to protect and help people’s eyesight and was co-founded by Breda O’Regan and Sinéad Buckley in 2023. Lia Eyecare is developing a non-invasive wearable product called Nightleaf to address persistent dry and sore eyes by supporting the eye’s natural overnight recovery.

The concept for Lia EyeCare originated through the BioInnovate Ireland Programme at University of Galway. Development continued at UCD with Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund support which enabled access to additional clinical product validation and commercial expertise before Lia EyeCare spun-out in 2023.

“This recognition is hugely significant for Lia EyeCare as a company. Ireland’s universities are known around the world for breakthrough innovations and their ability to support companies to translate world-class research into high-impact businesses, so it is a real honour to be chosen as NovaUCD’s Spin-out of the Year," said Lia Eyecare co-founder Breda O'Regan. "This award is a really strong endorsement of our team and also the global commercial and market opportunity ahead for Nightleaf."

The start-up co-founders were presented with the award by UCD president, professor Orla Feely, at the NovaUCD Innovation Awards which took place at the UCD University Club.

Dry, sore, and irritated eyes affect 1.6bn people worldwide. It is often associated with Dry Eye Disease (DED) and the symptoms are exasperated by a modern lifestyles, including increased screen use, ageing populations, environmental conditions, and contact lens wear. While eye drops and masks manage the symptoms, Nightleaf is a lightweight wearable that sits on the forehead and is worn for five minutes at the start and end of people's nighttime rest period. The product encourages the eye’s natural tear response, helping to support the eye’s recovery process.

Since the company spun-out it has established its headquarters in Macroom along with offices at NovaUCD. It has already secured Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) status and was an award winner at the M2D2 Challenge start-up competition hosted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Boston.

The company is currently partnering with TU Dublin's Centre for Eye Research Ireland to investigate the epidemiology of Dry Eye Disease in Ireland and is advancing AI applications in this field through international collaborations.

“Bringing a product to market isn’t easy, and we’ve had vital support from our colleagues at UCD and University of Galway, and many others along the way. We’d like to thank them all for driving us on and enabling us to deliver a product that’s going to provide real and meaningful benefits to people around the world," said co-founder Sinéad Buckley.

Nightleaf is currently undergoing design work for large scale manufacturing for commercial launch towards the end of 2026 and Lia EyeCare is currently inviting eyecare patients and clinicians to join a waitlist for early access.