UCD based healthcare start-up receives funding and plans expansion into US market

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Apr 10 2019

A University College Dublin (UCD) based start-up, THEYA Healthcare (www.theyahealthcare.com), which designs and manufactures healthcare garments, has secured an investment of €665,000. The funding, raised from private angel investors and Enterprise Ireland, will facilitate the expansion of the company into the US market.

The company has also announced the signing of a deal with the Greenhealth Exchange (GX), a US purchasing co-operative, which specifies, screens and sources high-quality sustainable and ethically sourced products for its members, and supports their purchasing through the GX catalogue.

This deal will see THEYA Healthcare become a preferred supplier to 11 large US Healthcare systems including; Mayo Clinic, Dignity Health and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical.

THEYA Healthcare, headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at UCD, was formally launched in 2015 by Ciara Donlon.

THEYA Healthcare's flagship post-surgery lingerie range, designed primarily for use by breast cancer patients, currently retails across Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the US.

The company uses its patented unique fabric mix, made from OEKO-TEX^® bamboo, which is ideal for post-operative products as it is anti-bacterial, breathable, 59% more absorbent than cotton and extremely soft thus helping to reduce skin irritation.

The design of the THEYA Healthcare range focuses on comfort, support, femininity, functionality and the promotion of healing and offers a fresh alternative to women post-breast cancer surgery, during radiotherapy or post-cosmetic surgery.

Ciara Donlon, CEO, THEYA Healthcare, said, "The signing of this deal with the Greenhealth Exchange opens up the US healthcare market to us at a pivotal time in our expansion. The securing of this funding of €665,000 will be used to fund our reach into the lucrative US market and to create a number of new sales and marketing roles to help achieve this goal."

"This coincides nicely with our range becoming available on Walmart.com later on this month."

In 2017 Ciara Donlon was named Laureate for Europe in the Cartier Women's Initiative.