Why Irish Women-Led Medtech Should Have UMass Lowell on Their Radar

4 Feb

AwakenHub is partnering with UMass Lowell’s Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) to shine a spotlight on a powerful opportunity for Irish women founders: the 2026 M2D2 $200K Challenge.

This global pitch competition offers emerging medtech and biotech startups access to a $200,000 pool of in-kind support plus significant cash awards to help bring breakthrough innovations to market. For Irish women-led companies eyeing the US, especially Boston, it’s also a strategic landing pad into one of the world’s most dynamic health innovation ecosystems.

Secure your spot at the AwakenHub x UMass Lowell info session

UMass 200K Challenge 2026 info session with AwakenHub, Tuesday, February 10 2026

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM GMT, hosted online via Zoom

Register now to find out exactly how your women-led medtech or biotech startup can tap into the 2026 M2D2 $200K Challenge. Learn what judges are looking for, how international founders successfully use M2D2 as a landing pad into the Boston ecosystem, and hear directly from Lia Eyecare’s Breda O’Regan on how she turned this opportunity into real traction. Places are limited, so if you’re serious about scaling to the US, register now and make sure your innovation is on the radar when applications are reviewed.

What Is the M2D2 $200K Challenge?

Now in its 15th year, the M2D2 $200K Challenge is a global competition for early-stage medical device, diagnostic, and biotech startups. Finalists pitch at UMass Lowell’s iHub in front of industry judges and sponsors, competing for a share of in-kind prizes such as lab and office space, engineering and product development support, legal and regulatory guidance, and business services, plus cash awards that can meaningfully extend a startup’s runway.

M2D2 sits at the heart of UMass Lowell’s medtech and biotech incubator, giving resident and affiliated companies access to fully equipped shared labs, collaborative workspaces, and the broader UMass Lowell and UMass Chan Medical School networks. For founders, this translates into practical, on-the-ground support—from prototyping and clinical pathway advice through to investor connections and mentorship from subject-matter experts in reimbursement, IP, and product development.

An Irish Success Story: Lia Eyecare

AwakenHub member Breda O’Regan, Co-Founder and CEO of Lia Eyecare, is living proof of what this challenge can unlock. Lia Eyecare has developed Nightleaf™, a non-invasive product using advanced thermal modulation to stabilise the eye’s tear film and treat dry eye disease, a condition affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. In addition to the top three winners, M2D2 awarded a $25,000 cash prize to Lia EyeCare, an Ireland-based ophthalmology startup revolutionizing the treatment of dry eye disease through a neurological approach to natural tear stimulation.

Lia Eyecare went from hearing about the opportunity during an AwakenHub St Brigid’s trade mission to Boston and New York, to becoming one of the winners at the M2D2 $200K Challenge and securing a dedicated cash award. Breda has described the win as powerful validation that positions Lia Eyecare among the top emerging global Medtech startups and a critical step in their journey towards the US market.

At our upcoming info session, Breda will share what really made the difference—from the application process and pitch prep to how she leveraged M2D2’s mentoring and networking to build relationships before the company needed them.

What We Learned on the Ground at UMass Lowell

As part of our recent US trade mission, the AwakenHub delegation visited UMass Lowell to see first-hand what support is available to international founders. During the visit, M2D2 leaders outlined their mission: to drive economic development by attracting and growing high-potential Medtech startups in Massachusetts, supporting them to scale and, ideally, stay in the region. The team emphasised that you do not need an existing affiliation with UMass to access M2D2’s collaborative lab facilities or apply to the $200K Challenge, and that IP ownership remains with the founding team, even when technologies originate in different academic institutions. For Irish startups, this creates a low-friction way to test and grow in the US while tapping into UMass’s engineering, clinical, and business expertise—as well as students, who are frequently hired into real roles within incubated companies.

Pam McGuinness, Niamh Sweeney, Sinead Crowley, Mary Ann Picard, Shannon Beattie, Claire Nixon, Orla Connaughton, Janine McGinn, and Kim Holloway.

7 key Takeaways from the AwakenHub US Trade Mission Visit to UMass Lowell

1. One Door In, Many Doors Out

During the visit, the M2D2 team stressed that founders only need to find one entry point into UMass Lowell, after that, the relationship and opportunities naturally expand across the university. This is particularly helpful for international founders who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by the size and complexity of a US university system.

2. Deep Industry Connectivity

M2D2 highlighted that a core strength of the program is its role as a tech scout for major industry partners. They regularly work with companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Hologic, Smith & Nephew, Amgen and others, opening up the potential for strategic partnerships, pilots, and commercial conversations that would be hard to access alone.

M2D2 also makes direct introductions to investors and strategic partners for companies in their orbit, which means founders are not just pitching into a vacuum, they are being plugged into curated networks.

3. A Standing-Room-Only Flagship Event

The team described the $200K Challenge pitch event as a “walls down” moment, quite literally. To accommodate the audience, they remove movable walls, and last year’s event brought in well over 200 attendees, making it one of their most heavily attended programs.

They contrasted the energy of the in-person pitch-off with the remote years during Covid, emphasising that in MedTech there is no substitute for being in the room with peers, investors, clinicians, and partners.

4. High-Volume, Hybrid Programming

Founders got a snapshot of the volume of activity that runs through M2D2 every year: a very robust calendar of programs, events, and attendees that has continued to grow. While their virtual reach expanded significantly during Covid and remains strong through webinars and online programming, their bias in this sector is toward in-person engagement wherever possible.

This mix of hybrid programming means international founders can start building relationships remotely, then deepen them on the ground in Lowell and Boston when they are ready.

5. Global, Easy-to-Access Challenge

The visit also reinforced that the $200K Challenge is truly global. M2D2 actively welcomes applications from around the world and specifically expressed interest in Irish and AwakenHub portfolio companies. The competition grows in profile and volume of applications each year, which signals increasing visibility for finalists and winners.

Importantly for busy founders, the application itself was described as “very easy”, something that can realistically be completed in around 15 minutes, using information most startups already have to hand in their pitch decks and corporate materials.

6. Built-In Pitch Coaching

Once applications are in and finalists are selected, a significant amount of behind-the-scenes support kicks in. The team talked about the “crunching” period between the application deadline 15th February and the final pitch event on March 25th, when they review submissions, shortlist companies, and then provide pitch coaching to help founders sharpen their story for the room.

This means the challenge is not just a one-off pitch, but a short, intensive accelerator-style experience that helps founders refine how they present themselves to US investors and partners.

7. Wider Talent and Inclusion Initiatives

Beyond M2D2, UMass Lowell is also involved in initiatives that support talent transitions into life sciences, including programs designed to help retiring military personnel and spouses move into new careers. While not specific to the $200K Challenge, this reflects a broader culture of inclusion and workforce development that founders can tap into as they grow.

Why This Matters for Irish Women-Led Medtech

For women founders in Medtech, breaking into the US can feel high-risk and high-cost. The M2D2 $200K Challenge helps de-risk that leap by combining visibility, validation, and tangible resources:

A credible platform: Being selected as a finalist or winner signals to partners, investors, and clinicians that your solution has global potential.
Built-in US landing pad: UMass Lowell’s iHub and M2D2 incubator offer labs, office space, and coordinated access to core research facilities and clinical partners in Massachusetts.
Women’s health focus: 2026 areas of interest specifically highlight women’s health, including uterine, pelvic, breast health, oncology impacting women, and related diagnostics—exactly where many AwakenHub founders are building.
Community and mentoring: Regular office hours, mentoring, and a strong internship program surround founders with technical, regulatory, and business expertise.

For Irish women-led teams, this is a rare mix of global recognition and deeply practical, day-to-day support in one of the world’s richest health-tech clusters.

Join the Info Session with AwakenHub and UMass Lowell

AwakenHub and UMass Lowell are co-hosting a dedicated info session for Irish and European women-led Medtech, biotech, and Healthtech startups who are considering applying to the 2026 $200K Challenge. The session will cover:

How the challenge works, who it’s for, and what the sponsors are offering, across maternal and women’s health, engineering services, IP audits, and regulatory assessments.
Key dates, application tips, and what makes a competitive submission.
A founder’s-eye view from Breda O’Regan of Lia Eyecare on how to maximise the networking and exposure that come with participating.

If you are an Irish woman-led Medtech or biotech startup with global ambitions, this is your invitation to step onto a bigger stage—and to do it with AwakenHub in your corner.