'We were still falling short and not doing everything we could'

CIARA CLANCY HAD helped people with Parkinson’s reclaim their lives and even go on to overcome challenges like walking the length of Great Britain, but the Beats Medical founder still wasn’t satisfied.

Founded in 2012, her company developed a smartphone app that assists those with the debilitating condition regain mobility. The app provides a metronomic beat that makes it easier for a sufferer to sustain the rhythm of their walk.

While the software has proved effective for those in the earlier stages of the disease, Clancy told Fora that she ultimately wants Beats Medical to provide a complete ‘toolkit’ for those with all levels of symptoms.

“We felt we were still falling short and not doing everything we could. We felt that we could do more,” she said.

“The mobility treatment is only effective in stage one to three of the condition but people with Parkinson’s still experience issues with speech and fine hand movement into the later stages of the condition.”

So Clancy went back to the drawing board and talked to Parkinson’s sufferers to shape the next iteration of the product.

Now Beats Medical has added speech and language therapy, and exercises to improve dexterity into its app and there are more developments on the way later this year.

“We have a couple of new additional treatments for Parkinson’s that are coming out before the end of the year.

“Over the next few years, we want to get to a point where we can address as many symptoms as we see possible. Then we want to focus on other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, dyspraxia and cerebral palsy.”

Sensible expansion

While Clancy has been grabbing international attention, including being named laureate for Europe at the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards last year, she is also wary of overreaching in her business.

“For us it has always been about keeping the person with Parkinson’s at the centre of everything we do. We want to have an impact, but we want to make sure that impact is sustainable and long-lasting in whatever country we enter.

“We want to help as many people around the world that we can, but from a business perspective we focus on key markets and that’s the UK and Ireland for now.”

Reclaiming their lives

Although there have been some notable successes from people using Beats Medical’s technology, like Parkinson’s sufferer Alex Flynn who trained with the app to row across the Pacific Ocean, Clancy said everyday stories were just as important to her.

“Someone saying they can walk to the shops again or they can walk to put on the kettle, to be honest, those mean as much as the bigger stories, because being able to go the shops can be people’s Everest.”