EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist: Ciara Clancy, Beats Medical

Ciara Clancy founded Beats Medical, a sound wave treatment that enables patients to regain mobility, in 2012 at age 22. A chartered physiotherapist, Clancy worked for several years with sufferers of Parkinson's, as a physiotherapist and a volunteer. She is also a former dancer and brand ambassador for Nike. Passionate about improving healthcare through technology, Clancy has received a number of awards over the years for her work.

Most recently she was selected as the Laureate for Europe in the International Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.

Describe what makes your business unique?

We provide individually tailored treatments to address the mobility, speech and fine hand movement symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. These treatments are available for just €1 a day.

What vision or lightbulb moment prompted you to start in business?

One of the reasons I wanted to become a physiotherapist was to work with people with Parkinson’s but it was while working in a hospital that I realised I wasn’t doing enough. There were clinically proven treatments which improved symptoms of the disease but people with Parkinson’s could not access these daily in their homes as they needed to be individually tailored. I thought if I could find a way to do this I could empower them in their care and management.

What moment or deal would you cite as the game changer or turning point for the company?

Although it didn’t happen overnight, I would say that building a board was a real game changer. As the business began to grow I realised that I needed expertise from individuals who had done this before. I was never going to attain 20 years’ experience overnight in research, business, marketing and leadership but our board had all that and shared Beats Medical’s vision for the future. The board we have today are all leaders in their respective fields and have been instrumental in supporting the growth of this business and my own growth as an individual.

What were the best and the worst pieces of advice you received when starting out?

The worst was don’t start a business and take a secure job. Founding a business has not been easy but I have never looked back since. The best was that “there is no such thing as failure, only opportunities you have and will learn from”.

I’ve learned so much from the things that haven’t gone right the first time round and they have ultimately made me more driven to do the best I can in future.

What numbers do you look at every day in your business?

We look at our user numbers, their overall progress reports for our ongoing research and, of course, our finances. Keeping a close eye on the finances ensures our sustainability and reviewing these informs our decision making.

To what extent does your business trade internationally and what are your plans?

We have users in 24 countries worldwide but our current focus is the UK and Ireland.

What was your biggest business mistake?

Not trusting my instincts sooner. I’ve learned that sometimes you have just got to follow your instincts and trust yourself.

Where would you like your business to be in three years?

We hope to have a greater impact on more people with Parkinson’s around the world while also treating other neurological conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, dyspraxia and cerebral palsy through technology.

I believe that non-intrusive technologies will have a powerful impact on improving the independence and quality of life of people with these conditions in the future.