From Sligo to Space: Reinventing acoustic materials with Rhona Togher

In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Rhona Togher, the CEO and co-founder of Lios. Based in Dublin, Lios is on a mission to reduce noise pollution and prevent hearing damage through advanced material science. Rhona and her co-founder, Eimear O'Carroll, have developed SoundBounce, an award-winning acoustic material that is thinner, lighter, and significantly more effective at dampening low-frequency noise than traditional solutions. From its origins as a school science project to winning the European Patent Office’s Invention of the Year 2023, Rhona shares the remarkable story of Lios’s growth. The conversation explores the challenges of building a hardware powerhouse in a risk-averse industry, the importance of long-term customer relationships, and the unique dynamics of a co-founder partnership that began in high school. **What you’ll learn in this episode:** **The Founder’s Journey:** How Lios evolved from a high school science project in Sligo into an advanced materials company operating across the automotive, aviation, and construction sectors, and even in space. **A Unique Co-Founder Partnership:** Insights into building a long-term, successful co-founder relationship, and how constant, transparent communication serves as the foundation for overcoming the challenges of a deep tech startup. **Overcoming Industry Resistance:** Strategies for convincing veteran, risk-averse industries to adopt new, breakthrough materials through multi-phase processes and long-term engagement. **Supporting Women in Tech:** Why visibility and community are vital for encouraging more women to pursue careers and leadership roles in deep tech. **Chapters:** 00:00 Introduction to Deep Tech Unleashed and Rhona Togher 01:22 Lios’s Mission and SoundBounce Technology 05:04 Origin Story: From High School Project to Business 11:50 Building the Team and Scaling 14:23 Managing Funding and Capital Efficiency 18:56 Navigating Early Investor and Supplier Challenges 23:04 The Power of the Co-Founder Relationship 26:11 Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Deep Tech 31:13 Best Practices for Entering Risk-Averse Industries 34:35 Moments of Magic and Recognition 39:24 Personal Insights and Life Outside of Work **About the Guest: Rhona Togher** Rhona Togher is the co-founder and CEO of Lios, an advanced materials company based in Dublin. Along with her co-founder Eimear O'Carroll, she has spent over ten years developing breakthrough acoustic materials to combat noise pollution. Rhona’s work with Lios has earned significant recognition, including being named the European Patent Office’s Invention of the Year 2023. She is a passionate advocate for women in deep tech and focuses on building sustainable, customer-driven technology that has applications across global industries and in space. Follow Rhona on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonatogher/  Find out more about Lios here: https://lios-group.com  **About the Host: Christian Noske** Christian Noske is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.   Follow Christian Noske here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-noske/   Find out more about NGP Capital here: https://www.ngpcap.com/ * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.