About us
History
INEYE THERAPEUTICS was founded on September 5, 2017, by Marcos Mariz and Paula Ferreira, the company’s CEO and CSO, respectively, two biochemists from the University of Coimbra.
Despite the company’s young age, the two founders have already developed other projects in the area of biomaterials for more than two decades. The idea of creating a start-up came as a need to market the InEye® technology, developed by Marcos during his PhD research.
Our Mission
INEYE THERAPEUTICS contributes to improving people’s quality of life, particularly in the prevention of blindness or visual impairment, by developing innovative medical devices and pharmaceutical products of the highest quality. Our mission is that each person may have “Healthy eyes for a lifetime.”
Managing team
Marcos Mariz
CEO & Co-founder
Marcos Mariz is a biochemist with a PhD in chemical engineering, possessing extensive experience in the synthesis and characterisation of polymeric biomaterials, particularly for ocular applications.
He spent over a decade working in the R&D analytical laboratory of a Portuguese pharmaceutical company. A natural entrepreneur with a passion for science, he delights in questioning the unquestionable.
Every day, he engages in a physical exercise session to keep his mind sharp. He finds enjoyment in all things, especially games and challenges.
“The simplicity and versatility of InEye® technology will make it a benchmark on ocular delivery”
Paula Ferreira
CSO & Co-founder
Paula is a co-founder of INEYE THERAPEUTICS and a full-time researcher at the Polytechnic University of Coimbra. A Biochemist with a PhD in Chemical Engineering (University of Coimbra), she focuses on polymeric materials for biomedical applications, especially ocular drug delivery.
Entrepreneurship became a natural continuation for research, as Paula strives to turn scientific advances into real-world healthcare solutions.
Beyond research, she finds calm in the strings of the cavaquinho—a habit she’s nurtured for nearly a decade—and celebrates her Portuguese heritage through music, lively conversation, good company, and great food.
“The changes that InEye® will bring to the patient’s daily life will be outstanding.”
Francisco Viana
Non-Executive Diretor
Economist from Universidade Católica, with advanced training from institutions such as Kellogg, INSEAD, and Porto Business School. He began his career at KPMG in 1989 and spent over two decades at Galp, including 18 years in executive roles, serving as CFO of Downstream Oil and as President of Galp Açores, Galp Madeira, and Gasinsular. During this period, he also held various leadership and board positions at both national and international levels. In 2019, he led the award-winning project at the Kaizen Global Awards in Galp’s Iberian retail sector. In 2020, he founded Tows&TOOLS Business Consulting, standing out as an entrepreneur. Since 2023 he is also Board Member at Insight Venture SCR.
“At INEYE THERAPEUTICS, we believe that the gift of sight should be naturally preserved throughout life’s journey, especially as we age.”
Nuno Macedo
Non-Executive Diretor
Nuno has over 29 years of experience in the venture capital industry. As an investment manager, he has been involved in screening investment opportunities, monitoring portfolio companies, mergers and acquisitions, and business structuring across various industries, with a focus on biotechnology, healthcare, and IT industries, particularly in early-stage or seed investments. Currently, Nuno is part of the Therapeutics & Health Tech unit at Portugal Ventures, focusing on generating deal flow and overseeing projects in the MedTech and Digital Health sectors.
Co-Inventors
Helena Gil
Co-inventor and Material Science Advisor
Helena Gil is one of the main Portuguese specialists in the biomaterials field and supervised the PhD thesis that led to InEye® development.
She is an Emeritus Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Coimbra. She has published over 200 papers on polymeric biomaterials, 40 of them on drug delivery systems.
“The InEye® technology is excellent due to the stability and biocompatibility of the material.”
Joaquim Murta
Co-inventor and Medical Advisor
Joaquim Murta is the coordinator of the Coimbra Ophthalmology Unit (UOC) and Director of the Ophthalmology Department of the Coimbra Hospital and University Center (CHUC). He is also a full Professor of Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra.
He specialized in the cornea (transplants, external diseases, and refractive surgery) and pediatric ophthalmology.
He has been a member of several Portuguese and International ophthalmology organizations.
TEAM
Sandra Almeida
Quality Manager
Sandra Almeida began her academic path in Biochemistry at the University of Coimbra, but it was during her final internship in the pharmaceutical industry that she found her passion for Pharmaceutical Sciences.
She gained practical experience in Quality Control and Analytical Development, helping ensure the quality, safety, and performance of pharmaceutical products. A brief experience in medical cannabis quality control expanded her understanding of emerging therapeutic standards.
Sandra is especially motivated by product development, enjoying the challenge of applying quality and regulatory requirements throughout the product lifecycle. Her attention to detail and hands-on nature are also reflected in her personal hobbies, such as baking and crochet.
Teresa Cernadas
Product Manager
Teresa holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Coimbra and has a passion for transforming scientific research into meaningful innovations. Since 2018, she has been dedicated to developing advanced polymeric biomaterials, ranging from surgical adhesives to ocular drug delivery systems.
Curious, creative, and guided by a good sense of humor, she believes that science — much like life — works best when approached with both rigor and joy.
Outside the lab, Teresa finds inspiration in cooking, music, films, and books, especially when shared with family and friends. In 2025, she embraced her most rewarding challenge yet: motherhood.
Advisors
Maria João Quadrado
Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra
Coimbra, Portugal
Medical Affairs
Christophe Baudouin
Hôpital National des Quinze-Vingts
Paris, France
Medical Affairs
Jose Benitez del Castillo
Universidad Complutense
Madrid, Spain
Medical Affairs
Paulo Santos
Instituto Pedro Nunes
Coimbra, Portugal
Business Development
investors
Portugal Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2012 to support the growth and global expansion of innovative Portuguese startups with high-potential projects.
Portugal Ventures is a leading venture capital investor in life sciences in Portugal and made its first investment in INEYE THERAPEUTICS in 2023 through the Call INNOV-ID initiative.
Insight Venture is a fund management company that invests in innovative Portuguese companies at any stage, with a strong focus on R&D. Backed by a highly experienced team, it provides strategic support, risk analysis, and business structuring to drive growth and profitability.
Awards
The project has been awarded with several Portuguese and European prizes:
Women TechEU, February 2025
Attributed to Paula Ferreira as a co-founder and Director of Development at INEYE THERAPEUTICS, Lda.
InsudPower Award, Spain October 2023
Attributed to INEYE THERAPEUTICS by the pharmaceutical company Insud Pharma (Madrid, Spain).
EIT Health Headstart Awards, Italy, July 2018
Finance and support in developing the business plan for the project “InEye® – Healthy eyes for a lifetime. An ocular insert with drug delivery technology”.
Gold Award - EIT Health PhD Transition Fellowship, Portugal, November 2017
Awarded to Marcos Mariz as PhD student of the University of Coimbra, in the context of an international competition promoted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology.
3rd Price of EIT Health Innostars, for Business Ideas, Italy, November 2017
Attributed to the project “InEye® – Healthy eyes for a lifetime. An ocular insert with drug delivery technology”.
"InovC 2020" award, in the "Proof of Concept" typology, Portugal, August 2017
Awarded by the consortium that includes 10 nuclear partners amongst Entities of Higher Education, Incubators, Applied Research Centers and Science and Technology Parks.
ARRISCA C 2016 Prize, in the "Business Ideas" typology, Portugal, June 2017
Attributed by a set of Portuguese Institutions. Attributed to the InEye project – Development of an insert for ocular drug release.
"Best Business Idea" award, Portugal, June 2017
Awarded by the Institute for Support to Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation (IAPMEI) to the InEye project – Development of an insert for ocular drug release – in the scope of the Arrisca C 2016 contest.
