Dublin-based healthcare sustainability startup Nocomed has raised €650,000 in seed funding to address carbon emissions in the medical sector, which contributes more than 4% of global emissions, the company announced.

In a report by Think Business, the funding round was led by independent medtech investor Barry Comerford, founder of Sauleen Holdings and Cambus Medical, alongside software angel investor Edmund Wilson of Calira, and Enterprise Ireland. The capital will support development and scale-up of Nocomed's carbon tracking platform for medical suppliers.

Founder Rosemary Durcan, a former Enterprise Ireland executive, said healthcare exists to improve human health but its emissions and pollution burden increasingly contribute to the challenges the system attempts to solve. The sector's carbon footprint exceeds that of the aviation industry, with more than 70% originating from supply chains rather than hospital operations.

Nocomed has developed sector-specific software enabling medical suppliers to measure and reduce carbon emissions across operations. Unlike generic carbon accounting tools, the platform is designed for healthcare's regulatory environment, automating data collection through bill uploads and equipment scanning whilst applying region-specific emissions factors aligned with greenhouse gas protocols.

The funding arrives as European health systems tighten climate requirements for suppliers. The NHS now mandates all suppliers provide carbon reduction plans, whilst EU sustainability reporting directives are expanding to cover smaller companies in healthcare supply chains.

Durcan's research with 30 companies across Ireland, the United Kingdom and United States revealed a sector struggling with new sustainability requirements. She noted challenges include understanding complex supply chains and recognising that product changes require regulatory approval, preventing rapid substitutions.

Discover how Nocomed is transforming healthcare sustainability.