Cork medtech start-up to create 12 new jobs following major funding boost 

Cork-based medtech start-up NeuroBell has announced its spin-out from University College Cork and a €2.1m investment package.

The company has also announced that it will create 12 new jobs by 2025, with roles in engineering, quality assurance, and business development.

The funding led by Furthr VC, Atlantic Bridge and HBAN MedTech Syndicate, with Enterprise Ireland and other private investors, will enable NeuroBell to launch its ground-breaking technology for real-time and accurate detection of seizures in newborns needing additional care.

Founded by Dr Mark O’Sullivan, Dr Alison O’Shea and Colm Murphy, and a spin-out from University College Cork and the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), NeuroBell aims to address a critical gap in the availability and accuracy of current technologies used to detect seizures in newborns.

Early detection of seizures is crucial for enabling early interventions in infants with brain injury and may help reduce the impact of life-changing conditions such as epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Currently, continuous electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is used to monitor newborn brain activity, but these devices are cumbersome, have limited availability and require specialised training to operate and interpret results.

Using embedded edge-AI, NeuroBell has developed an easy-to-use, pocket-sized wireless brain monitor that can detect seizures in NICU patients, with the user-friendly system eliminating the need for extensive training.

Supported by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund, NeuroBell is now focused on securing FDA approval before launching its device in the US market in 2024, followed by the European market, and expects to begin commercial sales of its medical device in 2025.

Dr Mark O’Sullivan said: “This funding marks a significant leap forward in advancing our goal to launch the product and get it into the hands of clinicians around the world to help newborn patients.

“Our solution will improve newborn care, offering gold standard brain monitoring with automated decision support to patients in all settings, including regional and tertiary hospitals.”

Richard Watson, managing partner, Furthr VC, said: “We are excited to be backing NeuroBell as they set out on bringing a truly transformative and ground-breaking neonatal monitoring device to market that will impact the survival and long-term neurological outcomes of tens of thousands of babies in critical care.”