Liam Pingree has been fascinated by light therapy for brain health since 2018 when he stumbled across a video of a man putting a bucket lined with LEDs on his head.
Pingree was studying global commerce at University College Galway (now University of Galway) at the time and, during an away semester at Concordia College in Minnesota, he shared his interest with fellow student Marvin Schönauer.
The two men subsequently became co-founders of neurotech start-up Neuronic.
From their research into photobiomodulation (a form of light therapy), the founders knew that “bucket man” was on to something. There was strong evidence that light therapy could increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and improve cellular energy within the brain.
What was needed was an effective way of administering the therapy, with greater aesthetic appeal than a bucket.
The founders’ solution was a device that looked very much like a cycling helmet and was fitted with integrated LED lights that deliver the therapeutic support. It was called the Neuradiant 1070 and pitched primarily at medical users in clinical settings.
The target users for the device at that point were those already experiencing impaired brain capacity due to the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Fast forward four years and Neuronic has successfully carved out an international customer base for the Neuradiant 1070 which Pingree says has helped thousands of people around the globe struggling with their brain health.
What started out as a business employing two people has grown to a workforce of 23 and, with sales growing nicely, the founders could have eased back. But that was never on the cards as one of their primary goals is to make light therapy as accessible to as many people as possible.
To this end, they have now developed a second product called the Neuronic Light, which offers similar benefits to the 1070 but is aimed at the wider consumer market and priced accordingly – at €1,795 versus €3,395 for the 1070 which has more features.
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“The application of light for therapeutic purposes is not new. It’s been used for centuries for healing, but when it comes to the type of products we’ve developed there wasn’t anything comparable that was well researched and widely available,” says Pingree. Transcranial light therapy is non-invasive, and one of Neuronic’s key USPs is that its LEDs are capable of penetrating deep in to the skull to target the mitochondria, he adds.
The Light comes with an intuitive user interface and is activated with the click of a button, making it easy for older users in particular to manage.
The new unit has increased neck coverage and more power than the 1070 and comes with a portable power bank for use on the go. It’s also linked to an app that can connect with a user’s smartphone.
“This is a massive leap forward as it will enable us to track progress and conduct even larger home studies to assess the benefits of light therapy,” Pingree says.
“Our main goal is improving cognitive function, whether that’s for better performance, improved mental health or for specific neurological conditions, and we are currently in the process of obtaining a licence for the use of our device for Alzheimer’s disease,” he says, noting that there is strong interest in the Light from those participating in contact sports such as rugby.
Getting the Neuradiant 1070 from the drawing board to finished product stage cost in the region of €150,000 and since then Pingree estimates additional investment at close to €900,000.
“Developing the new technology took two years and includes costs for salaries, time, research and manufacturing,” he says. “We have reinvested our profits from day one and are continuing to do so. So far, we’ve progressed without outside investment and, while we’re open to it, organic growth has worked very well for us so far.”
