A young Irish entrepreneur could be on the way to fulfilling his dream after he agreed to partner with a major American firm.
Gareth Sheridan created Nutriband patches while studying at Dublin Institute of Technology. They work in a similar way to nicotine patches with users wearing them on their body, but instead of receiving a slow release of nicotine, they get vitamins and nutrients.
The product was first launched in 2012 after Sheridan had invested €10,000 of his own money and worked night and day on development.
All that hard work may be about to pay off, as Nutriband attracted the attention of US supplement manufacturer NNRX and will now become a subsidy of the American giants.
Sheridan initially had the idea for Nutriband while working on his thesis for a business and management degree, but soon realised that he had a really great product and wanted to pursue it.
He said: “It was initially a thesis idea that I was playing around with, but the more I researched it, I realised that it was much more than just a college project.
“I started missing a lot of college and it was a tough year. I didn’t want to tell anyone what I was working on and people thought I was a dosser, but the hard work paid off and all was later revealed.”
The deal with NNRX will see Nutriband fast-tracked to markets all around the world. Sheridan explained: “It made sense to work with a bigger company that has developed contacts over the last 20 years.
“We currently have three products, one containing nutrients to boost energy, one with multi-vitamins and one formulated for use during weight loss.
“We have exclusive sales and distribution licenses for Canada and South Africa. The product will also be available in Ireland and the UK, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Korea and we have had enquiries from Brazil and Australia.”
Sheridan is one of a series of talented young business people to come out of Ireland in the last few years. His achievements have been recognised car manufacturer Nissan, who gave him a free Nissan Qashqai and made him a Nissan Generation Next ambassador for 2015.