OcuHealth Wins €700,000 VentureLaunch Award for Eye Care Breakthrough

UPDATE: OcuHealth, an innovative eye therapeutics start-up, has just been named the overall winner of the 2025 VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme by University College Dublin (UCD). This prestigious accolade comes with a substantial €700,000 funding boost from the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund, propelling OcuHealth into the spotlight for its groundbreaking work in treating eye diseases.

OcuHealth is set to revolutionize eye care with its novel daily eyedrop formulation designed to deliver both small molecules and large biomolecules effectively to the eye. This approach aims to significantly enhance treatment options for patients suffering from dry eye disease, a condition that severely impacts quality of life, affecting work productivity, mental health, and personal relationships.

Dr. Alison Reynolds, Assistant Professor at UCD and a fellow of the UCD Conway Institute, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “OcuHealth is focused on developing new ways of delivering therapeutics to the eye in a sustained manner which will benefit patients and clinicians.” The company’s patented Sustained Microemulsion release Technology (SMrT) promises to improve drug absorption and extend therapeutic effects, addressing the limitations of current eye drop medications.

The implications for patients are profound. Many individuals with dry eye disease struggle to find relief from existing treatments that require frequent application of eye drops. OcuHealth’s innovative delivery method allows for a single eye drop that is absorbed rapidly and releases medication over a sustained period of 12 hours, targeting the eye effectively without spilling into the circulatory system. This not only enhances patient comfort but also holds the potential for better health outcomes.

OcuHealth’s development is backed by strong academic partnerships with SETU and technology transfer offices at NovaUCD. Preclinical trials have already shown promising results, indicating a new standard in ocular therapy.

The VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme is designed to equip participants with essential skills to launch successful commercial ventures. Over the last two months, participants engaged in intensive workshops focusing on marketing, finance, and pitching strategies. Liam Cronin, director of innovation at UCD, emphasized the program’s commitment to fostering new start-ups that aspire to make a global impact.

OcuHealth is not alone in this year’s accelerator; other notable participants include Eurvista, Genshield-AI, GreenWatch, MicroJect, NAX Bioscience, and SelekTx. As the start-up gears up for the next steps, the focus will be on collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to bring its innovative solutions to market.

With the world watching, OcuHealth stands poised to lead a new era in eye care, potentially transforming the lives of millions suffering from debilitating eye conditions.

Stay tuned for further updates as OcuHealth embarks on this exciting journey to redefine ocular therapeutics.