The Claddagh, Galway. Image: A G Baxter/Shutterstock
NDRC at PorterShed is welcoming 10 new digital start-ups as its inaugural cohort, boosting innovation in the west of Ireland.
In May (2017), NDRC announced the opening of its first ever regional accelerator programme, to be located at PorterShed in Galway.
Supported by Galway City Innovation District (GCID), the NDRC at PorterShed accelerator was launched by Enterprise Ireland to boost the quality of the start-up ecosystem in the country.
This Tuesday (8 August), the start-up seed was brought to fruition as 10 companies were revealed as the first cohort, to be based in the heart of the city in Eyre Square.
The start-ups were chosen “on the basis that they demonstrated the best potential for rapid growth and expansion”, according to NDRC. As part of the programme, they will receive membership and spend 100 days at PorterShed, benefiting from a strong network of like-minded peers.
Big welcome to the ten new startups joining NDRC at PorterShed today @Entirl @portershed #bestplacetostart – https://t.co/23JbeG0kOn pic.twitter.com/xV9l3xqvAu
— NDRC (@NDRC_hq) August 8, 2017
Ben Hurley, CEO of NDRC, said: “This is an exciting week for the teams; they will be working intensively over the next few months to take their businesses to the next level. We were delighted with the quality and depth of the applications we received and believe we have a strong group of start-up companies to invest in and build.
“We look forward to helping them progress in this over the next 12 weeks.”
Dr John Breslin, lecturer at NUI Galway and founding director of GCID, added: “This is a key milestone towards increasing Galway’s entrepreneurship capacity and growing our innovation ecosystem in the west of Ireland.
“Enterprise Ireland have recognised the need for regional jobs growth through this co-funded regional accelerator programme for start-ups, and we look forward to working with our experienced accelerator programme partners at the NDRC as these 10 exciting digital start-ups are mentored and trained through the NDRC at PorterShed accelerator programme.”
The selected 10 are an international bunch, hailing from countries such as Estonia, Ukraine and Spain. Their activities span a wide range of sectors, including autotech, agritech and AI.
But who are they?
Meet the start-ups
Appraisee: A start-up that offers vehicle appraisal software with valuation and communication features.
BIM Container Jenca: A business model based on construction project procurement for clients in various sectors, such as architecture, engineering and construction.
Eirscope Instillo: A SaaS (software-as-a-service) company developing scalable and remotely managed solutions, on a global level, for oil distribution companies.
FarmEye: A software system that forms a digital chain of custody, from soil to supermarket.
GarageCRM: A business that offers simple and intuitive CRM software designed specifically for auto servicing.
RealSpeaker: A web service for transcribing media files from speech to text using deep learning technology and AI.
ShowHouz: A start-up offering video marketing services for the property sector, using software that enables clients to create their own high-quality video content.
Sintermedical: A medtech company with a digital value chain, from design to manufacturing, aiming to improve orthopaedic and trauma implants.
TaskBlast: A project management platform for small-to-medium agile software teams.
Travatar: An airline-focused B2B start-up that aims to personalise travel on an everyday basis.
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