NDRC LaunchPad programme seeks 15 digital start-ups

1 Nov 2011

NDRC LaunchPad participants, Terence Hong from Adjuno and Claire Bruge from ThoughtBox, pictured with LaunchPad director Gary Leyden

The LaunchPad start-up accelerator at the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) in Dublin is now open for applications from digital start-ups to take part in the next programme that begins in February 2012.

NDRC invests in and collaborates with participating early stage start-ups to establish market focused technically excellent and profitable ventures.

To date, 30 start-up companies have taken part in NDRC’s Irish start-up accelerator, with 30pc of participating companies already having secured follow-on investment.

The 15 digital start-ups that will be chosen for the next LaunchPad (comprising teams of up to three people) will be based at NDRC for three months, starting from 13 February 2012.

During this time participants will receive:

  • A hands-on, intensive mentoring programme;
  • Weekly workshops and networking opportunities with experts;
  • Investment of up to €20,000 per project.

The programme will culminate with NDRC’s ‘LiftOff’ competition in May 2012 when start-ups will present to a room of investors and compete for access to a follow-on investment prize fund.  

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 16 December 2011.

LaunchPad opened its fourth programme in early September, with 15 high-potential start-ups participating over 12 weeks. NDRC received 81 applications for 15 places on the current LaunchPad Programme, with participating start-ups from Ireland, Europe and North America.

Between 2010 and 2011, NDRC mentored, trained and developed 39 entrepreneurs, and has to date secured €4.8m in commercial investment for technologies and start-ups.

LaunchPad, which was ranked in the ‘Top 10’ EU Accelerator programmes 2011, as well as being nominated for Best European Accelerator at The Europas, has already been the spawning ground for award-winning start-ups such as Redeem & Get.

Last week Redeem & Get won the Spark of Genius Award, giving it access to a term sheet worth €100k from ACT Venture Capital, half way through its time with NDRC.

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

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