Enterprise Ireland has named Leah Fletcher, founder and CEO of Athlone-based Dunbar Pharma, its High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founder of the Year for 2026. The award highlights the growing international ambition of Ireland’s pharmaceutical and life sciences start-up sector.
Dunbar Pharma is described as Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified cannabinoid pharmaceutical manufacturer. The company produces WaterClear THC™, a plant-derived dronabinol active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and has developed specialist manufacturing capabilities for pharmaceutical partners in international markets.
Enterprise Ireland celebrates Ireland’s next generation of founders
The Founder of the Year award forms part of Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU Founders Forum, which supports entrepreneurs building high-growth companies with global potential. Five finalists were selected by their peers to represent their Founder Groups and participate in the programme over the past year.
The other finalists recognised at the 2026 awards 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
- Seán Kirwan, CEO of MedWrite AI
The finalists represent a broad cross-section of Ireland’s innovation economy, including medical technology, food and nutrition, communications technology and digital health.
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Dunbar Pharma’s pharmaceutical innovation
Leah Fletcher built Dunbar Pharma from concept through to manufacturing. According to Enterprise Ireland, her work included securing significant funding, obtaining a technically demanding suite of licences, developing internal processes and intellectual property, and bringing WaterClear THC™ to partners behind ten magistral preparations in two major export markets.
The company’s EU GMP certification is an important milestone because Good Manufacturing Practice standards help ensure that medicinal products are consistently produced and controlled according to recognised quality requirements. Dunbar’s focus places the Athlone business within Ireland’s wider life sciences ecosystem, alongside established pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotech companies and medical-device innovators.
Fletcher is also recognised as an authority on cannabinoid regulation. Her team combines experienced pharmaceutical professionals with a scientific graduate programme, reflecting the importance of specialised skills in regulated manufacturing.
HPSU Founders Forum marks 11 years
The 2026 awards took place at Salesforce Tower in Dublin and were moderated by Gary Fox of The Entrepreneur Experiment. The judging panel included Donnchadh Cullinan, divisional manager at Enterprise Ireland, alongside Founders Forum alumni Dan Fox and Heidi Davis.
This year marks the 11th year of the HPSU Founders Forum, delivered in partnership with Select Strategies. Enterprise Ireland says 500 HPSU companies have participated to date, spanning artificial intelligence, biotech, food and beverage, cybersecurity, healthtech, medical devices and software as a service.
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What the award means for Irish start-ups
The recognition illustrates how peer networks, founder support and export-focused development can help Irish companies progress from early-stage concepts to internationally oriented businesses. It also underlines the diversity of sectors supported through Ireland’s HPSU ecosystem.
Enterprise Ireland Executive Director Mark Christal congratulated Fletcher, Dunbar Pharma and the other finalists, describing the group as representative of the ambition and creativity within Irish entrepreneurship.
For founders and investors watching Ireland’s start-up market, the award offers a clear takeaway: specialised expertise, regulatory capability and global commercial planning remain central to building scalable Irish companies.
Enterprise Ireland’s recognition of Leah Fletcher as Founder of the Year 2026 places Dunbar Pharma at the centre of Ireland’s emerging pharmaceutical innovation story.
Article/Image Courtesy: Enterprise Ireland
