Ocean Exchange is a unique ocean tech accelerator that hosts an annual startup pitch competition to recognize and advance innovation in technologies for the health of our oceans and the Blue Economy. As an exclusive media partner, Ocean News & Technology looks back at past Ocean Exchange finalists and shares brief updates on where they are now.

Lios—inventors of SoundBounce—was founded in 2009 by Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll. Lios is an Irish deep-tech company with a mission to eliminate harmful noise at its source by delivering high-performance sustainable acoustic materials that control noise and vibration. They were a finalist at Ocean Exchange in 2022.

Since 2021, Lios has been partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deploy SoundBounce as a Fairing Acoustic Protection (FAP) used in space flight. In 2026, SoundBounce was showcased at the European Innovation Council’s program tackling noise and vibration in large ships. In 2023, they won the European Patent Office Invention of the Year.

Lios was awarded a €2.5 million grant and €3.75 million in recommended equity from the European Innovation Council (EIC) in 2025. With this milestone, they have launched production, targeting a first launch in the construction industry with SoundBounce ceiling tiles.

Winning Formula: “Our winning formula has been building alongside the best people possible. Having a strong founder relationship built on trust and friendship has carried us through the hardest moments, and resilience has been essential at every stage. In deep-tech, there are countless setbacks, delays, and unknowns, so sometimes you have to be almost blindly determined to keep moving forward. Surrounding ourselves with brilliant people, staying mission-driven, and refusing to give up has made all the difference.”

Discover more about their mission and technology: https://lios-group.com/