For nearly two decades, IRALEB’s LIRA competition has acted as a critical platform for fostering innovation by uniting Lebanese academic and industry talent to tackle real-world challenges. This year, the program saw a continued strengthening of its efforts, with valuable support from Berytech, and funding by the European Union under the Lebanon Innovate initiative. The role of Berytech in providing mentorship, resources, and a collaborative ecosystem has been crucial in accelerating the development of startups.
What stands out in this year’s edition is the focus on advancing early-stage innovations, with a clear emphasis on refining prototypes and preparing them for the next stages of development. Berytech’s involvement ensures that these startups are well-equipped to make progress and move closer to market-ready solutions through a 35-month incubation period.
Here’s a look at the promising projects that are currently in development:
Pharmaduct: Improving Drug Testing
Linkedin: Malak El-Tfayli
Pharmaduct is tackling the issue of animal testing by creating lab-grown blood vessels from human cells. This model, still under development, aims to provide a more accurate and ethical alternative to traditional drug testing methods, offering researchers a better understanding of how drugs might affect human tissue.
Neurotech Solutions: Advancing Epilepsy Monitoring
Linkedin: Serena Ghieh
Neurotech Solutions is in the process of developing dissolvable ECoG devices that monitor brain activity during surgeries with minimal intrusion. These inkjet-printed sensors are designed to offer high-resolution data collection and, when fully developed, will eliminate the need for a second procedure to remove the device making it more cost effective.
IntelliMicroTex: Enhancing Manufacturing Precision
Linkedin: Christophe Abboud | Cynthia Al Labaki
IntelliMicroTex is a building device that combines ultrasonic vibration and AI technology to create precise micro-textures on surfaces. While still in the early stages, the project shows potential to address growing precision needs in the manufacturing sector.
SenseBNP: Early Detection of Heart Stress
Linkedin: Jad Daorah
SenseBNP is developing a biosensor prototype that uses a small blood sample to measure heart stress proteins. The team is focused on further testing and validation to ensure the reliability and practicality of their device for early heart failure detection.
Bionikle: Accessible Prosthetics
LinkedIn: Lea Youssef Baby | Angelo Yaghi | Fadi Kaafarani
Bionikle is creating an AI-powered prosthetic ankle designed to be both affordable and functional. The current prototype is still undergoing development and testing to improve mobility solutions for lower-limb amputees, especially in underserved communities.
iolokis: Simplifying Dental Data Management
Linkedin: IOLOKIS
iolokis is working on a unified digital platform that will help dental professionals manage and interact with patient data intuitively. Their platform, currently in the testing phase, aims to be fast, intuitive, and affordable, offering an efficient solution for dental practices.
Supporting the Next Generation of Innovators
As these teams continue to evolve, they are playing a vital role in strengthening Lebanon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and showcasing how innovation can address both local and global challenges. Their progress is ongoing, and the path ahead holds great potential for impactful solutions. The coming months will reveal exciting developments as they refine their technologies and move closer to market readiness.
