The IGNITE programme at UCC, which nurtures startups from ideas to commercial reality, held its Awards and Showcase online for the first time on Thursday last, 23rd April via webinar.
Among the finalists were a qualified nurse working on the frontline and a Masters graduate who was diagnosed with dyslexia and has now developed a technology company for parents and educators.
The IGNITE programme at UCC has supported more than 120 new companies since its inception.
Founded in 2011 and supported by Bank of Ireland, it is a joint initiative by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, the Local Enterprise Offices and UCC to encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise creation.
Three awards were presented on the night. These included Best Business Award (sponsored by Bank of Ireland) won by James Northridge, UrAbility; Best Business Plan went to Conor Walsh and Luke O’Mahony, Traxsit, while the award for Best Video Pitch went to James Northridge, UrAbility.
The first two awards were voted for by an external panel of judges while the Best Video Pitch was voted for on the night by the audience.
Best Business Award winner, James Northridge, founded the company ‘UrAbility’, which reinvents the way parents and educators support children with disabilities, enhancing the learning experience with an online training and support model.
UrAbility’s online platform uses algorithms to auto assign online courses and advise on assistive technologies based on users’ technical abilities, spoken language, and location.
James was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in school and went on to study a Masters in University.
Best Business Plan Winner, Traxsit, owned by Conor Walsh and Luke O’Mahony, is a GPS system to help fight rural crime. It helps farmers track stolen machinery.
