Cork startup raises €700,000 to improve access to speech therapy for people with Parkinson’s

A medtech startup in Co Cork has raised €700,000 to improve access to speech therapy for people with Parkinson’s.

eleatherapy, based at University College Cork, provides speech therapy technology to clinics and people living with the disease.

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease worldwide and 90 percent of patients have difficulties with their language.

Around 12,000 people live with the disease in Ireland.

Teleatherapy’s co-founder and chief executive officer said Parkinson’s disease can cause voice deterioration and sometimes a loss of speech.

Clare Meskill, speech and language therapist, founded the app-based service in November 2020.

Chief Technology Officer Dave Calnan joined as co-founder in late 2022 to lead technical development.

Ms Meskill said the service empowers “individuals with the skills needed to keep their voice and slow down progress”.

“Loss of the ability to communicate can be incredibly isolating, affecting people’s ability to participate in daily life. Voice is a big part of who we are,” she said.

“Our technology enables speech and language therapists to remotely support their patients with Parkinson’s disease and improve outcomes between therapy sessions.

“We’re excited about the progress we’ve made to date and this funding will help us build on that momentum and bring our technology to as many people as possible.”

Teleatherapy, which has raised a total of €700,000 in pre-seed funding from private investors and Enterprise Ireland, has created the first full circle platform connecting speech therapy clinics to their clients.

The platform allows speech therapists to prescribe exercises for clients, which they can then perform at home using an app on their phone or tablet.

The results of these exercises are then fed back to the therapist in real time to monitor progress and intervene if necessary.

The platform saves time for speech therapists who work with limited resources and can help reduce waiting times.

Consistent speech and language therapy can save up to two more years of voting rights for a person with Parkinson’s disease.

This leads to an improved quality of life and preserves a person’s ability to communicate and socialize with those around them.