Leah Fletcher, founder and CEO of Dunbar Pharma, has been named Enterprise Ireland HPSU Founder of the Year 2026 at the awards in Dublin.
Leah Fletcher, founder and CEO of Dunbar Pharma, has been named Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start-Up Founder of the Year for 2026.
The Athlone-based company is Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified cannabinoid pharmaceutical manufacturer and produces WaterClear THC, a plant-derived dronabinol active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Fletcher built Dunbar Pharma from concept to manufacture, securing funding and a suite of technically demanding licences while developing in-house processes and intellectual property.
WaterClear THC has been launched to partners behind ten magistral preparations in two major export markets. Fletcher leads a team in Athlone that combines senior pharmaceutical professionals with a scientific graduate programme.
The Founder of the Year Awards recognise entrepreneurs and start-ups working to build internationally focused companies. Five founders were shortlisted for this year’s award after being selected by their peers to represent their Founder Groups.
The other finalists were Breda O’Regan, co-founder and CEO of Lia EyeCare; Mark Birrane, founder and CEO of WONDR; Robert Norton, co-founder and CTO of Kaptea; and Seán Kirwan, CEO of MedWrite AI.
KEY NUMBERS: HPSU Founder Awards
• 500 HPSU companies through the Founders Forum to date
• 11 years of Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU Founders Forum
• Five founders shortlisted for the 2026 award
• Two major export markets for WaterClear THC partners
• €1m+ raised by finalist MedWrite AI
• Up to 10x faster workflows using MedWrite AI
• Seven sectors represented among Founders Forum participants
Editorial takeaway: The figures underline the scale and sector diversity of Enterprise Ireland’s founder pipeline, alongside Dunbar Pharma’s growing export footprint.
Eleven years of the Founders Forum
The 2026 awards mark the 11th year of Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU Founders Forum programme, which is delivered in partnership with Select Strategies.
Some 500 HPSU companies have participated in the programme to date, spanning sectors including AI, biotech, food and beverage, cybersecurity, healthtech, medical devices and SaaS.
The Founder of the Year Awards took place at Salesforce Tower in Dublin and were moderated by Gary Fox of The Entrepreneur Experiment.
👉 No tech background needed to bring your business into the AI age! Secure your Google AI Professional Certificate to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
The judging panel included chair Donnchadh Cullinan, divisional manager at Enterprise Ireland, alongside Founders Forum alumni Dan Fox, founder of Johnson Hana and strategic advisor at Eudia, and Heidi Davis of Peri.
Announcing Fletcher as the winner, Mark Christal, executive director at Enterprise Ireland, said:
“Over the past 11 years, 500 HPSU companies have come through the Founders Forum, from food and beverage, biotech and medical devices to AI, cybersecurity and SaaS. That mix reflects the diversity, creativity and ambition that define Ireland’s entrepreneurial spirit. Tonight’s five finalists were chosen by their peers to represent their Founder Groups, which says a great deal about the respect they have earned within this community. Congratulations to Leah and the team at Dunbar Pharma, and to all of this year’s finalists. Here’s to the next decade of ambition, scale and success.”
Five founders recognised
Lia EyeCare is an Irish eyecare technology company developing science-backed solutions. Led by Breda O’Regan, a KPMG-trained chartered accountant who has held senior leadership positions at Apple, Allergan and Johnson & Johnson, the company has progressed through fundraising, CE certification and manufacturing scale-up. Its first product, Nightleaf, is a non-invasive wearable for use before sleep that supports the eyes’ natural ability to restore and recover.
WONDR, led by former League of Ireland footballer Mark Birrane, produces jellies that are low in sugar and high in protein and fibre. The company is growing across Ireland, the UK and Europe, with the US identified as a target market.
Kaptea is the company behind Pronto, a journey orchestration platform built on Twilio. Robert Norton leads its technology and product strategy. Pronto runs workflows and AI across communication channels, connecting people, AI agents and business systems.
MedWrite AI, led by Seán Kirwan, works with public and private healthcare organisations across Ireland. Hospitals use its technology to deploy and manage AI agents that automate clinical documentation, coding and administrative workflows, completing tasks up to 10 times faster. The company has raised more than €1 million in funding.
Kirwan has more than 20 years of experience in digital health and was previously Global Director of Digital Health Solutions for Neuroscience at Novartis.
Main image at top: Dunbar Pharma founder Leah Fletcher
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Leah Fletcher?
Leah Fletcher is the founder and CEO of Dunbar Pharma, an Athlone-based company and Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified cannabinoid pharmaceutical manufacturer.
What award did Leah Fletcher win?
Fletcher was named Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founder of the Year for 2026.
What does Dunbar Pharma produce?
Dunbar Pharma produces WaterClear THC, a plant-derived dronabinol active pharmaceutical ingredient. It has been launched to partners behind ten magistral preparations in two major export markets.
Who were the other finalists for Founder of the Year 2026?
The other finalists were Breda O’Regan of Lia EyeCare, Mark Birrane of WONDR, Robert Norton of Kaptea and Seán Kirwan of MedWrite AI.
What is Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU Founders Forum?
The HPSU Founders Forum is a programme delivered in partnership with Select Strategies. It is now in its 11th year, with 500 HPSU companies from sectors including AI, biotech, food and beverage, cybersecurity, healthtech, medical devices and SaaS having taken part.
👉 No tech background needed to bring your business into the AI age! Secure your Google AI Professional Certificate to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
