THEYA Healthcare Secures €665,000 in Funding and Plans Expansion into US Market

THEYA Healthcare Secures €665,000 in Funding and Plans Expansion into US Market

THEYA Healthcare the award winning Irish company, which designs and manufactures healthcare garments, today announced that it has secured €665,000 in funding.

The funding, raised from private angel investors and Enterprise Ireland, will facilitate the expansion of the company into the US market. THEYA Healthcare plans to create 4 new sales and marketing jobs to support this strategic expansion. 

The company also announced today that it has signed 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 University College Dublin, 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 and was shortlisted for the EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Ciara Donlon is also one of 30 women who recently completed a 7-day Debra Ireland Arctic Challenge. The aim of the annual Challenge, which involves 6 full days out on the snow, is to help raise awareness and money for children living with the painful genetic skin condition EB (epidermolysis bullosa).

“I had a truly amazing experience in the Arctic to raise badly needed funds and awareness for DEBRA Ireland. We lived off the grid with no running water, electricity or heat for 6 nights and camped out in sub-zero temperatures on the fifth night.”

“The discomfort and hardship we experienced does not compare to the pain it is to live with EB or to see a loved one suffer from EB. I hope this amazing challenge will encourage more donations to DEBRA and more sign-ups for next year’s planned challenge. They are now taking volunteers and for the first time it is open to men to take part,” said Ciara Donlon. 

ENDS

8 April 2019

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie or t: +353 1 716 3712.

Editors Notes

THEYA Healthcare creates unique bamboo underwear for women after surgery, that physically and emotionally soothes and heals. An Irish manufacturer it has been trading since 2015. At every stage of product development THEYA Healthcare seeks input from both patients and healthcare professionals to ensure that its range best meets the needs of its customers.

THEYA Healthcare uses a unique fabric mix made from OEKO-TEX® bamboo, which is ideal for post-operative products as it is 92%-97% anti-bacterial, 59% more absorbent than cotton and extremely soft thus helps reduce skin irritation. The design of the THEYA Healthcare range focuses on comfort, support, femininity, functionality and the promotion of healing. www.theyahealthcare.com   

At NovaUCD, the hub for new ventures and entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, we nurture and support new high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies, such as THEYA Healthcare, as part of UCD’s research and innovation mission. NovaUCD has supported over 360 companies and early-stage ventures. Supported companies have attracted over €760 million of investment and currently employ over 1,040 people directly. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx. http://www.novaucd.ie