Long before it became trendy, a group of Cork-based academics were highlighting the connection between gut and brain health.
But prophets in their own land are rarely heard, and Prof Siobhain O’Mahony, who was a young academic at the time, remembers the group’s pioneering research being dismissed by some as voodoo science. Not any more.
What was voodoo then is mainstream now, and public awareness of the “second brain” that lives in the gut has grown. This, in turn, has driven an explosion in the number of foods and supplements designed to improve gut health.
As O’Mahony dug deeper into the gut-brain axis over a research career spanning two decades, she began taking a particular interest in bowel bacteria, before narrowing her focus to the differences in gut bacteria between the sexes.
“Conditions such as gut-related stress, pain and anxiety showed up more frequently in women, and I began to wonder if it was differences in the microbiome driving this,” she says. “I originally trained as a neuroscientist, and I used to think the brain was complex and the gut would be easy. Far from it – the gut is just as complex as the brain.”
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Getting funding for research in the underfunded field of female health was difficult, but O’Mahony persevered because she believed her research could have a real-world impact. This is now coming to pass: in the second quarter of next year, FemmeBiome will spin out of University College Cork. Cofounded by O’Mahony and Dr Eimear Gleeson, its first product is a gut supplement specifically aimed at women in the 45-55 age bracket.
“We want to transform the landscape of women’s health, making science work for women, not just around them,” O’Mahony says.
“The practical realisation of this was to develop a clinically validated, scientifically backed precision supplement that supports women, specifically through perimenopause and menopause. By 2030, almost one billion women worldwide will be in the perimenopause or post-menopausal phase. That’s a big addressable market.”
Gleeson is a dietitian with a background in life sciences innovation, commercialisation and investment. Before teaming up with O’Mahony, she worked with the Kerry Group, Enterprise Ireland and Atlantic Bridge, where she was investment manager.
The founders began laying the groundwork for their business by asking groups of women about their menopause-related symptoms. In particular, they wanted to know which symptoms were the most distressing and not alleviated by current remedies.
They ended up with a list of 40, but sleep disruption, anxiety and brain fog dominated. “It was shockingly evident that brain health was a major issue affecting women’s wellbeing and self-confidence. I was really taken aback that women in their 40s were doing dementia tests because they thought they were losing their minds,” O’Mahony says.
“Given my research into how gut microbes and gut health status affect brain and hormonal health, I was able to design an oral supplement to optimise the microbes that can enhance the bacteria that produce metabolites and optimise wellbeing and hormonal health.
“Certain bacteria produce sufficient amounts of proteins that can get from our gut into our blood system, where they travel around the body to reduce inflammation and enhance gut health, but they also signal the brain to calm down, relax and be more resilient.”
The FemmeBiome supplement consists of a daily capsule and a fibre sachet. “The addition of the fibre element is unique, and the reason it’s included is because you can’t put everything you want into a capsule. The sachet provides fibre but also other beneficial bacteria.
“We’ve tested the supplement with our primary age cohort with very positive results, including improved sleep and an increase in energy levels,” O’Mahony says.
The specialist ingredients used in the supplement come from Italy and the Netherlands, while the encapsulation is also currently carried out abroad. However, O’Mahony is expecting this to change in the not-too-distant future. The launch product is ready to go and will be on the market by the third quarter of 2026.
Development costs to date are running at about €800,000, with backing secured from the Enterprise Ireland commercialisation fund. The next step is €110,000 in pre-seed investment, followed by a €2 million Series A fundraising round in 2026.
“As an academic, I didn’t have business experience, so I benefited hugely from the expertise of the innovation office in UCC, while meeting Eimear was really important because of her background and commercial experience,” O’Mahony says. “Two aspects of running a start-up I’ve had to learn about fast are knowing what to prioritise and dedicating the appropriate time to key areas.”
The founders have recently taken part in the Foodworks accelerator, which is run jointly by Bord Bia, Teagasc and Enterprise Ireland and is currently open for 2026 applications.
“Our product is classified as a food supplement, so we were eligible for the programme, which was helpful in so many ways. We had a great mentor and got good advice on marketing, branding, packaging, exporting and how to set up the ecommerce side of the business,” says O’Mahony, who adds that there is more work to be done now to analyse all the data collected during the clinical trial with a view to even more accurate targeting of future products.
“The gut microbiome is extremely different depending on race, genetics and diet,” she says. “We want to launch in different countries, so we need data to fine-tune the products for different ethnic groups, for example.
“FemmeBiome is inspired by nature and guided by cutting-edge science. Our mission is to deliver products that truly make a difference. When the body and mind are in balance, you don’t just get through life – you flourish.”