7 early-stage start-ups set to accelerate with NDRC in 2022

20 Jan 2022

Image: © Bits and Splits/Stock.adobe.com

The first NDRC accelerator cohort this year at Dogpatch Labs includes four start-ups with women founders.

After taking over the NDRC accelerator in 2020, Dogpatch Labs gave the programme a makeover and launched with its first cohort of 11 early-stage start-ups last year.

This year, Dogpatch Labs will run two accelerators with two cohorts, increasing the total number of participating start-ups from 11 to 14. The first NDRC cohort of 2022 includes seven start-ups – four of which have women founders.

Find out more about these seven start-ups that are gearing up for the NDRC Demo Day on 7 April.

Boxes with images of co-founders and logos of start-ups in the NDRC cohort.

Image: Dogpatch Labs

Filter

This start-up is looking to help patients with breathing difficulties such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to monitor their health. A device called Filter can be used by patients in conjunction with an AI-powered digital health app to track their respiratory health and get alerts when something’s wrong.

Filter was founded in 2020 by Andrew Gallagher and Stephen Keenan, both University College Dublin alums. Gallagher, who is the chief technology officer, is an engineer by profession, while Keenan has a background in law and computer science.

GreyScout

GreyScout offers a business tool for companies that want to protect their brand against IP infringements and counterfeits. The start-up’s product scans online domains including marketplaces, search engines, websites, social media channels and web forums to identify and remove policy violations and unauthorised content, alerting clients in real time.

GreyScout was founded in 2019 by chief executive John Killian and chief technology officer Chris McCauley.

Herd

This start-up has built a novel social platform for sports fans to discuss live matches with friends and make predictions on the outcome. In a game-like interface, users can compete against each other in guessing next moves of payers and the winning side – with the aim of enriching the virtual live entertainment experience.

Herd was founded by chief executive Jack Cantillon and chief technology officer Robert Minford.

Jama AI

Jama is a start-up that uses natural language processing to help B2B sales reps with communication intelligence and analytics. The platform aims to provide a one-stop shop for all the messaging channels used by sales reps, such as WhatsApp, WeChat and Line, to make customer relationship management simpler and win more deals.

Jama was founded by Kerry-based Aisling Hayes, who is CEO, along with two international co-founders. The company has already graduated from the global accelerator by VC firm Antler.

Öogo

This Dublin-founded start-up uses AI to connect people who need childcare with those looking to provide it. Childcare providers can be booked to offer a wide range of services including babysitting and maternity nursing.

With changes in the nature of work for many parents because of remote and hybrid work, Öogo hopes to act as a Tinder for childcare. It was founded in 2020 by Kate Clark, who worked in sales in New York before starting the business.

Squid

Squid aims to promote customer loyalty for businesses by incentivising purchases through a digital loyalty card. By partnering with Squid, brands can ask their customers to download the Squid app and get rewards for purchases, while the business can get customer insights and track customer loyalty.

Businesses can also get discovered on the Squid app through a marketplace where they can advertise special offers and sell vouchers. Squid was co-founded by Katie Farrell and Matthew Coffey.

Upskill Marketplace

This online platform helps the HR and learning and development teams of businesses to connect with soft skills trainers and professional coaches.

The woman-founded company aims to make the process of finding trainers simpler through its online portal that has details, including pricing, listed upfront. Trainers with Upskill Marketplace go through a selection process before listing, and user reviews help businesses determine who to book.

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Vish Gain is a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com