Leah Fletcher was announced as the Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start-Up Founder of the Year for 2026 during a ceremony at Dublin’s Salesforce Tower.
Award ceremony highlights
The event, moderated by Gary Fox of The Entrepreneur Experiment, brought together founders from seven sectors. A judging panel led by Donnchadh Cullinan, divisional manager at Enterprise Ireland, evaluated the finalists after peer nominations.
Mark Christal, executive director at Enterprise Ireland, praised the diversity of the programme, noting that “500 HPSU companies have come through the Founders Forum” over eleven years. He highlighted the respect earned by the five finalists within their peer groups.
Among the nominees were Breda O’Regan of Lia EyeCare, Mark Birrane of WONDR, Robert Norton of Kaptea and Seán Kirwan of MedWrite AI. Each represents a distinct market, from wearable eye-care devices to AI-driven clinical documentation.
Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU programme
The High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founders Forum, now in its eleventh year, is delivered with Select Strategies. To date, roughly 500 companies have participated, spanning biotech, AI, food and beverage, cybersecurity, healthtech, medical devices and SaaS.
Fletcher’s company, Dunbar Pharma, is based in Athlone and holds the distinction of being Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified cannabinoid pharmaceutical manufacturer. The firm produces WaterClear THC, a plant-derived dronabinol active pharmaceutical ingredient.
WaterClear THC has been introduced to partners behind ten magistral preparations in two major export markets. The product’s launch marks a tangible step toward expanding Ireland’s presence in the global cannabinoid-based medicine sector.
Fletcher built Dunbar Pharma from concept to manufacturing, securing funding and a suite of technically demanding licences while developing in-house processes and intellectual property. Her leadership team blends senior pharmaceutical professionals with participants in a scientific graduate programme.
The Founder of the Year Awards recognize entrepreneurs who are building internationally focused companies. Shortlisted founders were selected by peers to represent their Founder Groups, showing the collaborative nature of Ireland’s start-up ecosystem.
Key figures from the awards include more than €1 million raised by MedWrite AI and workflow speeds up to ten times faster for its AI agents. Dunbar Pharma’s export activity now spans two major markets, reflecting its growing commercial footprint.
Finalists’ innovations
Innovations showcased across the finalists illustrate the breadth of Ireland’s emerging tech and healthcare system. Lia EyeCare’s flagship device, Nightleaf, is a non-invasive wearable designed for use before sleep. It supports the eyes’ natural restorative processes, offering a science-backed solution for visual fatigue. The company’s chief executive brings a chartered accountant background, complemented by senior roles at Apple, Allergan and Johnson & Johnson, and has guided the firm through fundraising, CE certification and manufacturing scale-up.
Meanwhile, the low-sugar, high-protein and fibre jellies produced by WONDR have secured distribution throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom and broader European markets. The enterprise’s chief executive previously pursued a professional football career before turning to food innovation. Expansion plans now target the United States, reflecting confidence in the product’s nutritional profile and market appeal.
Judging panel and programme outlook
Panel members combined extensive entrepreneurial and advisory experience. One alumnus of the Founders Forum, Dan Fox, founded Johnson Hana and now advises at Eudia, offering strategic insight into scaling operations. Heidi Davis, representing Peri, contributed expertise in corporate development and investment readiness. Their perspectives, alongside the chair’s guidance, helped assess each nominee’s growth potential and international ambition.
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