FoodMarble targets profitability as demand grows for gut health tech in US market
Founded by Aonghus Shortt and Peter Harte in 2016, the business is based in the Guinness Enterprise Centre, has 35 staff and has raised €8 million in funding to date. It has developed a device aimed at monitoring gut health using breath testing, to help patients and clinicians work out where foods cause problems.
'We help people understand how they digest different types of food. It's like a digestive companion to work out how well you digest one food or another, to allow you to make changes in your diet to adjust,' Shortt told the Business Post. 'It can also be used by doctors. They can use it to help with diagnosing certain conditions.'
The idea came about because of an issue that Shortt's then girlfriend, now wife, had and his engineering-minded approach to helping her.
'She was having a tough time with digestion. She had no idea what was driving it and had gone to a string of doctors, got lots of tests, with no help. It was curtailing her social life and work. I had access to research literature and thought about what could help,' he said.
'That's how I came across breath testing. I went and built a prototype and started using it with her. Even though it was basic, she was able to see when she was and wasn't digesting well. She would take one type of food, eat it, measure the breath, and see how she responded.'
This led Shortt to pair up with Harte, who he had met through his research in UCD. The duo set about developing FoodMarble into a business and made some interesting discoveries along the way.
'The expectations of what the patient might think is an issue so often isn't the cause. The classic one is that so many people believe dairy is a trigger for digestive issues when it actually comes up the least in testing,' he said.
'There's such a mismatch between what we often think is the issue and what the issue actually is. Digestion is complicated.'
The business is supported by Enterprise Ireland and has previously been part of the high potential start-up unit (HPSU).
'We did HPSU and that was a great way to meet other co-founders at similar stages. We also took part in the Founders Forum. Another big help for us has been the EI team in the US,' Shortt said.
'Their health team in particular has been excellent in helping us meet potential customers. Having access to their offices in different parts of the world is a big help.'
The US is the big focus for FoodMarble and Shortt is confident the company can make increasingly large inroads into that market.
'A big focus for us is US healthcare. We've seen a large uptake from gastro-specialists and from healthcare systems there, and we've gathered quite a lot of data in the process and we're using that to help doctors understand specific issues in more detail,' he said.
'The big process is on making it a longer-term usage model so both the doctor and patient can get more insights over time.'
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Letters to the Editor, July 22nd: On emergency dental treatment, Áras candidates and vulgar language
Sir – The Dáil held a two-hour debate last week highlighting the appalling lack of dental services for medical card holders who are among the most vulnerable patients in the State. I am a dentist in a busy urban practice in Dublin where over 90 per cent of our patients are medical card holders. We provide a walk-in emergency service treating severe toothache and acute oral sepsis. Untreated, these conditions can result in serious medical morbidity requiring hospital admission. In addition to self referral, we receive referrals from some of the major acute adult hospitals in Dublin, from local HSE clinics and even occasionally from the Dublin Dental Hospital. The provision of emergency dental care is a fundamental care requirement, but incredibly, the HSE does not provide emergency dental care for the majority of medical card holders in Ireland. READ MORE I am seeing medical card patients on a daily basis who are travelling increasing distances to access urgently required treatments. This is despite the fact that medical card holders often have complex care requirements precipitated by medical co-morbidity and widespread dental disease including rampant caries and generalised periodontal infection. Multiple treatments are regularly required to alleviate pain and stabilise chronic dental disease, but the HSE does not reimburse many of the treatments provided. Alarmingly, I care for a lot of patients who despite advancing pain and swelling are reticent to attend for treatment as they are unsure of what treatments the HSE will pay for on their behalf. Provision of emergency dental care is further hampered by the exodus of large numbers of dentists from the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), and a difficulty in recruitment due to a long cumbersome application process for new dentists. The paucity of emergency dental care services for medical card holders needs to be addressed urgently, if we are to stem the harm of untreated dental disease in our most vulnerable patient cohort. – Yours, etc, DARAGH FAGAN, Malahide Road, Dublin 3. Presidential election Sir, – Mary Hanafin suggested at the MacGill Summer School (' It will be an 'insult' if Fianna Fáil don't enter presidential race ', July 19th) that there is still 'not enough understanding' between communities in Northern Ireland or between North and South to justify extending presidential voting rights. It's difficult to see how this argument holds. Even putting aside the short-sighted partitionism, it's more than a little patronising to imply that civic equality must be earned rather than extended. People in Northern Ireland are not politically naïve; they live daily with the consequences of all-island decision-making and have done so since 1921. That effigies are burned on bonfires is deplorable – even more so when accompanied by explicit racist and sectarian messaging – but that doesn't justify withholding a democratic right from an entire population. Political understanding is not something we withhold until conditions are perfect; it's something we cultivate through equal participation. If the fundamental concern is mistrust or division, then the answer surely lies in more democratic engagement, not less. It's also hard to square Ms Hanafin's stance with the fact that she served in the government that co-signed the Belfast Agreement – and now seeks the nomination of the party that successfully fielded Mary McAleese in 1997 on a platform of building bridges. At least 141 countries already grant such rights. Why shouldn't we? – Yours, etc, GÁIBHIN McGRANAGHAN, Dunmurry, Belfast. Sir, – With what is looking like being an increasingly packed presidential election dance card this autumn, one way of whittling down the candidates at the first televised debate, might be to have them all perform Riverdance. (' Somebody has to speak for the Irish people': Michael Flatley 'seriously' considering presidential bid, ' July 19th). Michael Flatley could direct this long line of hoofers which would doubtless be of great 'benefit to the Irish people'. – Yours, etc, SEAN BOYLE, Singapore. Sir, – I see that the latest celebrity to declare an interest in running for the presidency has stated that he wishes to become a 'voice for the people'. Would it be too much to ask that candidates, potential candidates, commentators and assorted columnists, before they express their vision, hopes, policies, intentions or desires in respect of the office, study Article 13 of Bunreacht na hÉireann? We might be spared a lot of meaningless verbiage and pointless virtue signalling if they do so carefully. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL O'DWYER, Clogheen, Cork. R eluctant repealers Sir, – Breda O'Brien writes about abortion rates (' As abortions triple when will we admit that reluctant repealers were profoundly wrong, ' July 20th). Many abortions, initiated by the person themselves, involve the morning after pill. Others are done by families who have gotten a profoundly upsetting medical diagnosis and are trying to do the best for their family and an ultimately failed pregnancy. My heart especially goes out to that last group who must go through things I would never wish upon anyone. My judgment goes out to none of them – if they don't feel ready to have a child, it is certainly not my place to disagree with them. I do wonder about folks like Breda O'Brien, however. She still seems to want to battle the availability of abortion ostensibly for the children. If you care about children, we need housing. We need to address affordability issues that affect young families. Better childcare and better leave policies for parents. Last I checked, we're still not fortifying flour with folic acid, which is an internationally recognised way to help head off medical conditions in newborns. We need to expand our health service. We need concrete steps on addressing domestic violence. We need better mental health and addiction services. All these things can help families and reduce rates of abortion. Yes, they require effort and resources on our part and are harder than just dictating how people behave. However, I would argue that they're more effective. After repeal, I had hoped some anti-Repeal folks would actually help get things done to help families and make non-termination 'choices' more attractive. I must say that I have been disappointed, even in the low expectations that I had. – Yours, etc, KEVIN LYDA, Caherlistrane, Co Galway. Sir, – I was surprised by the judgmental tone of the article by Breda O'Brien. To my mind the provision of abortion is an integral part of creating a woman friendly society and judging the ways women manage the toll of any part of their obstetric or gynaecological history is most definitely not. – Yours, etc, DR MARY SCRIVEN, Athlone, Co Westmeath . Vulgar language Sir, – In your magazine section there is an article by Brianna Parkins ' People who get up early for no good reason are a menace to society, ' (July 19th). Ms Parkins, referring to jet lag, makes the point that to cope with it she went to bed late. She then tells us, 'But I shouldn't have bothered my hole.' Is Ms Parkins, as a journalist, so bereft in her vocabulary that this was the only way to express her frustration? More to the point perhaps is that The Irish Times doesn't seem to have a problem with it. – Yours, etc, NOEL HOWARD, Kilworth, Co Cork. 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Some Democrats and liberal commentators, long silent on Israeli abuses, have only found their voices now, mainly in partisan reaction to Trump-era figures like Huckabee and the crude symbolism they represent within domestic US politics. That's not good enough. Selective outrage offers no comfort to the people of Gaza. – Yours, etc, SÉAMUS WHITE, Stoneybatter Dublin 7. Sir, – Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne claims that there is 'very clearly a danger that the Occupied Territories Bill] would be misrepresented around the world as somehow sanctions on Israel', adding that 'it's not sanctions on Israel, rather it's sanctions on illegally occupied territories,' (Irish public's caution on Occupied Territories Bill reflects 'considered' view – Taoiseach, July 19th). A simple question: if the Palestinian territories are illegally occupied, then who is illegally occupying them? A simple answer: Israel. We are forever being told that we 'must not single out Israel', yet that state is forever being singled out for impunity, as if the crimes it perpetrates against the Palestinians somehow happened independently of the perpetrator. It's time to abandon this double-think and double-speak and sanction Israel until it complies with international law and international humanitarian law. – Yours, etc, RAYMOND DEANE, Dublin 7. Proud of Ireland Sir, – As I prepared to watch the match yesterday on TV, I was full of apprehension and hopeful, of course, that my native county of Tipperary might actually achieve victory. I was very taken, however, when the television cameras zoomed in to show our glorious Croke Park, which was very soon to be occupied by our teams from Cork and Tipperary displaying a game to the whole world that in my opinion must surely be one of the most skilful. How proud I was when I considered all we have achieved in this little country of ours 100 years since we achieved our freedom from English imperialism. Our glorious Croke Park and our 30 very skilled players are a source of great pride to our nation as pictures of our big day were seen all over the world. What a wonderful little nation we are and what a pity we are so slow in praising ourselves. – Yours, etc, MARIAN QUIRKE, Ballyglass, Co Tipperary. Sir, – The manner of Tipperary's dismantling of Cork in the second half of Sunday's hurling final was awesome and probably unprecedented. Despite the shock which registered on the faces of disbelieving Cork fans in the packed stands they accepted defeat with grace and magnanimity in post-match interviews – right down to the crushed rebel supporter who allowed that Tipperary was 'probably' the better team in the second half. Credit to both teams for delivering a memorable final. – Yours, etc, PJ McDERMOTT, Westport, Co Mayo. Lions tour of Australia Sir, – 'Whingeing poms' is the term used by Australians to describe complaining or moaning newcomers to their country. Matt Williams in his column, 'Charmless Lions put on a masterclass in how not to win friends', (July 19th) provided a splendid example of the whingeing Aussie. His piece is a litany of whinges: the Lions 'have not been great ambassadors for the game'; 'winning the hearts and of the Australian rugby public has not appeared on the Lions to-do list'; 'this not an overwhelmingly brilliant XV'; unlike the Wallabies – 'who are out in the community, visiting children's hospitals…' And so on. He then extends his gripes to rugby followers, noting 'the north (!) has conveniently forgotten that only a few weeks ago an understrength Argentina had defeated the Lions'. The purpose of a Lions tour is to play and win rugby matches; it's not an ambassadorial or charm mission. Yours etc. KEN MAWHINNEY, Dublin 16. Not just The Ticket Sir, – The Ticket highlighting Australian Dreams, a collection of Australian films on at the Irish Film Institute includes Jane Campion as an Australian director and Sam Neill as an Australian actor. I am proud to advise they are in fact both Kiwis. And I thought it was only Australians who liked to claim famous New Zealanders as their own. – Yours, etc, CLAIRE SANDERS, Fairview, Dublin 3 . That Coldplay concert footage Sir, – Well done to Coldplay for simultaneously releasing four singles to the market overnight. – Yours, etc, ULTAN Ó BROIN, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Ryanair bag money Sir, – Having witnessed firsthand the distress Ryanair gate agents cause for often imperceptible infractions of baggage size, I am disturbed to find out they are doing this for only €1.50 each time. In future, should I see this happen I will offer the agent €2 to allow a fellow passenger on without paying a fine. – Yours, etc, COLM DOYLE, Arbour Hill, Dublin. Failed by the system Sir, – We write as organisations representing people under 65 with neurodegenerative conditions, brain injuries, disabilities, and complex needs – along with their families, carers and frontline workers. We speak for a growing community failed by this system. Across Ireland, people under 65 are placed in nursing homes – never designed for their needs. Isolated among residents their parents' or grandparents' age, they are denied vital supports like therapy, rehabilitation, neurological care, peer networks, and meaningful activities to preserve their independence and wellbeing. We know of a man with cerebral palsy whose only option was a nursing home – the same type of facility where both his parents live with dementia. Successive governments have promised to end this practice. His situation has not changed. This is not a care pathway. It is a dead end. The Ombudsman's Wasted Lives Update (2024) reports 32 people under 65 admitted to nursing homes every month. More than 1,200 now live in these settings , not because of clinical need, but because there is nowhere else to go. This is a human rights issue. Everyone, including those with disabilities and complex needs, has the right to dignity and equal treatment. We call on the Government to commit to urgently develop and enact a national strategy to end this practice. This must include regular publication of national data on admissions, their diagnoses and unmet needs; development of community-based, age-appropriate supported living options and clear exit pathways for those already in nursing homes. It must also include guaranteed access to multidisciplinary care while people await transition. These are not radical asks. They are the bare minimum in a country ranked among the wealthiest in the world based on GDP per capita. We need action –now. – Yours, etc, JOE CONDON, Early Onset Parkinson's Disease Ireland, EMER BEGLEY, Disability Federation of Ireland, DR KAREN FOLEY, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, MAGDALEN ROGERS, Neurological Alliance of Ireland , AVA BATTLES, Multiple Sclerosis Society, ALAN BREATHNACH, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, SHANE O'BRIEN, Parkinson's Ireland, MAUREEN SWEENEY, Ataxia Foundation Ireland, PHILIP HENDRICK, Centre for Independent Living Galway, CATHERINE COX, Family Carers Ireland, MARIE HICKEY, Dystonia Ireland, THOMAS J LILLIS, Huntington's Disease Association of Ireland, RICHARD STABLES, Headway Ireland, CHRISTINA DONNELLY, Chronic Pain Ireland, VICKY McGRATH, Rare Diseases Ireland, THERESA ANDERSON, Cheshire Ireland, FIONA BOLGER, Spinal Injuries Ireland. Letter heads Sir, – I suppose I have been fairly fortunate in having an acceptable percentage of letters printed in your esteemed publication, keeping to the rule of being short, pithy and hopefully droll. I can tell you that regardless of the success or failure rate, nothing beats ripping open The Irish Times the following day to see – 'Has it been printed?' – and again the second day or even the third until reaching the inevitable conclusion - not this time. – Yours, etc. JOHN RISELEY, Killiney, Co Dublin.
