Castlebar company netts €70,000 Dragon investment

CASTLEBAR-based company Allergy Lifestyle has featured on Dragons’ Den, with founder Anne Walsh successfully netting a €70,000 investment from dragon Barry O’Sullivan.

Anne was pitching her product, the anaphylaxis emergency response (AER) case - a case specifically designed for people who carry adrenaline pens for anaphylaxis. She impressed the dragons with her extensive knowledge of allergies and anaphylaxis and her own background in biomedical science.

Barry O’Sullivan offered €70,000 and a partnership with pharmacy Healthwave to sell the case with the medications inside.

Ms. Walsh explained how new legislation will allow organisations such as schools, crèches and sports clubs to avail of training to hold an adrenaline pen.

She informed the dragons: “25% of all allergic reactions occur in schools and one in every five anaphylactic reactions occur in individuals with no previously known allergies, therefore their first allergic reaction could potentially be life threatening.”

Allergy Lifestyle is based in the Innovation Hubs, GMIT Mayo. AllergyLifestyle.com provides products and information for people with allergies, anaphylaxis and asthma.

Said Anne: “Our vision is to help those managing allergies, anaphylaxis or asthma to lead a normal active life and to stay safe while doing it.”

They have brought together a collection of the best products for carrying adrenaline pens, wristbands for alerting people to allergies and medical conditions, medical jewellery and allergy bedding, books and toys. It also has a wealth of information for people managing allergies on its blog and Facebook page.

“I felt if someone could have shared all the knowledge I have picked up over the years, the journey would have been a lot easier, so that’s why we also built an allergy community online to share information and resources,” she said.

Last year, while completing the GMIT New Frontiers programme and with the backing of Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund, Ms. Walsh developed Allergy Lifestyle’s first own brand product, the anaphylaxis emergency response case. From the experience of managing her daughter’s allergies, Anne felt it was vital the medicine but also information on how to manage the reaction is with the allergic person at all times.

After reading a study which showed that without training 83% of people in a simulated emergency did not administer the adrenaline pen correctly, she decided to tackle that issue with her case.

The case includes inserts which guide the user in recognising the symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to administer an adrenaline pen.

Ms. Walsh was inspired to set up the business after her own daughter, Aisling, had an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts.

“As a family we were suddenly thrown into the allergy lifestyle. Anaphylaxis affects 1 to 2% of adults and 2 to 3 % of kids and can be fatal in less than 20 minutes but there was very little support available at the time to help families,” she said.

Anne had trouble finding cases for her daughter, often having to buy them from across the world. “I bought them online from Canada and Australia. They took weeks to arrive and when they did, if she lost them, I was back to square one!

“That’s when I decided to set up Allergy Lifestyle. I sourced the best, high quality products from around the world and started selling them online from right here in the west of Ireland.”

She added: “The investment from Dragons’ Den is such a positive move for us. It is allowing us to step up to the next platform as we now are aiming to break into the mainstream retail/pharmacy sector.”

With the new legislation Anne plans to make the AER case available in every school, crèche, and sports club in Ireland.

For more, go online to www.AllergyLifestyle.com or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.