(From left) Michael O'Connor of CorkBIC and 2012 participants Mike O'Leary of Transact Carbon and David McCarthy of Incidentcontrolroom.com
Up to 23 emerging entrepreneurs from Ireland, the US, Spain and the UK will be heading to Kinsale, Co Cork, later this week for a coaching event to fast track their ideas.
Cork BIC is running the event called The Entrepreneur Experience and it says it whittled the applications down to 23 finalists.
The two-day event will have an international feel, as well, as there will be participants coming from the US, the UK and Spain. There will also be start-ups from Waterford, Galway, Kerry, Dublin, Clare and Cork.
Coaches and mentors at the event will include Liam Casey, CEO of PCH International, internet entrepreneur Bill Liao, and Jim Barry, head of Barry Group.
Transact Carbon is among the participants. Set up by Mike O’Leary, it is a global platform-as-a-service which allows developers to integrate carbon credits into any aspect of their app, games, consumer service or product.
Ardán Audio, which was set up by New Zealander Brent Smith, is also participating in the event. Based in Blackrock in Co Dublin, the new venture designs and manufactures speaker stands and audio isolation units. Already it has achieved success overseas, having sold its products in places such as Nashville and Tokyo.
Incidentcontrolroom.com is a new start-up also engaging in the event. David McCarthy set up the website after he was made redundant from an environmental health and safety consultant position in 2009.
Based in Cork, Incidentcontrolroom.com allows large companies to analyse emergency events.
“Our biggest challenges at the moment include funding and building a top-class team. Getting the opportunity to pitch to an audience with that width of experience is incredibly exciting,” said McCarthy.
The event will run 30-31 March in the Trident Hotel in Kinsale.
