Latest News & Announcements

Six of Waterford’s best young entrepreneurs will win a total cash investment of €50,000 from the Waterford Local Enterprise Office, as part of the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition this coming Friday December 2nd at an awards ceremony in Dooley’s Hotel

At the ceremony awards will be presented to winners and runners up in the categories of best idea, best start up and best established business. The winners will be chosen from 21 entrepreneurs, shortlisted from over 50 applicants in the competition which was launched in Waterford in September by Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan T.D.

To help prepare for this stage of the competition, the finalists enjoyed a three day, intensive business boot camp which was designed to help them develop the skills to take their ideas and businesses from the concept stage to reality, to build a viable business plan and commercialise their business.

The finalists were evaluated and judged by Elaine Fennelly (Bluefin), Regina Mangan (Liberty Blue), Louise Grubb (Q1 Scientific), Nora Widger (Theatre Royal), Laurent Borla (Senantra Ltd.), Richie Walsh (Waterford LEO) and Brid Kirby (Waterford LEO). Finalists were judges according to criteria including business investment needs, business prospects and the young entrepreneurs capabilities.

The winners go on to represent Waterford at the regional finals on Thursday January 19th. A total of 24 finalists will then compete at the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur National Finals

Speaking at the county final, Richie Walsh from Local Enterprise Office Waterford said “The standard of young entrepreneurs in Waterford has once again astounded me. The goal of the IBYE initiative and our Student Enterprise Awards is to encourage and support a culture of entrepreneurship among young people in the county, to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice, and to encourage the creation and development of new innovative businesses”.

Andrew Desmond
Skillar

Skillar is developing Quik, a new mobile application, to accelerate the part-time recruitment process. Quik will allow employers to streamline the hiring and job-search process by enabling them to advertise part-time jobs and subsequently shortlist and talk to locally-available applicants who apply through the application.

Anthony Cronin
Flexiwage

With Flexiwage, employees can now have the flexibility to determine their own pay to ensure they have their money when they need it. Flexiwage can also help employers to improve cash flow as the frequency with which the total pay of an employee leaves the companies account decreases. To read more check out www.flexiwage.com

Bébhínn McGrath  
BÉBHÍNN

BÉBHÍNN is a collection of locally crafted garments made entirely from Irish produce with produce with quality design and sustainability at the forefront of combining tradintional Irish fabrics with modern tailoring for an authentic expression of Irish design. Created in Ireland for the world.

Conor O’Codlatain Lachtna
Intellilarm

Intellilarm is designed for elderly members of your family and diabetics. Intellilarm is a smart alarm that contacts a second party if the user doesn’t wake up and stop the alarm. This application gives family members and carers peace of mind that their family member is ok.

Conor Coughlan
Blacktwist

The art of coffee brewing meets the craft of Irish whiskey distilling in Black Twist. Single origin coffee is carefully roasted, ground and slowly cold brewed in triple distilled Irish whiskey to create a uniquely balanced spirit drink. To find out more check out www.blacktwist.ie

Daniel Thewlis
Digital Test Tube

Digital Test Tube is developing a software solution targeted at solving issues experienced by scientists performing PCR testing in laboratories around the world.

Megan Winters
OnlineInk

OnlineInk is a software solution that gives journalists and editors one click control of every aspect of their web presence. OnlineInk is being developed for local newpapers who are experiencing falling revenue from their physical product.

Niall Cusack
Garrontee

Garrontee is an NFC driven app that allows users to tap their smartphone at a point of sale and receive receipts for their purchases. The app aims to replace paper receipts, coupons and loyalty cards by getting that data on to your phone.

Rachel Blackwell
Chitinator

Chitinator manufactures high-quality chitin and chitosan from crustacean shell waste for both existing and future biomedical applications. By utilising an innovative biological extraction process that involves two different types of bacteria and one fungi, Chitinator can reduce production costs and generate highly homogenous material in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Steven Davy
LiquidEdge

The LiquidEdge smart solution enables businesses to use Wi-Fi as an incredibly versatile tool to drive revenue, boost business, deliver personalised and engaging user experiences, and even gather real-time network and customer specific data. To learn more about how LiquidEdge could help your business check out www.liquidedge.ie

Best Start Up

Criostoir O’Codlatain Lachtna
WOWit

WOWit gives you the power to discover the events that you want to attend! Get personalised recommendations when using the app so that you never miss an event just because you didn’t know about it! See what events your friends are attending so you can go too! Keep your tickets on the app for easy access, no more having to print out tickets! Check it out at www.wowit.me

Dara O’Neill
Dreamboat

DreamBoat specialises in the development and production of films , television programming, online content and music. Dreamboat recently produced the short film ‘Digs for Pennies’. Dreamboat are also planning on producing commercial advertising for TV. To see some of what Dreamboat has produced check out www.dreamboat.tv

David Shanley
Atex Verification Services

Atex Verification Services is Ireland’s only accredited, independent and impartial Inspection Body providing conformity assessment solutions to industry and service contractors operating with Flammable Materials and/or in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres. To find out more about AVS check out their website www.atexverificationservices.com

Jonathan Shaw
PartyRock Travel

Partyrock Travel have set about reinventing the youth, student and sports travel market, creating holidays that are genuinely exciting, some of which can’t be found anywhere else on the market – they are currently the only company in Europe who offer UFC package holidays. To find out more visit their website www.partyrocktravel.ie

Justin Kearns
Tucr

Tucr simplifies how shoppers reserve products/services with a deposit and make follow up payment online or face to face. Tucr is growing rapidly since launching in May and has helped shoppers ‘Tuc away’ over €130,000 worth of products and services with over 20 local businesses. To find out more about how your business can sign up to Tucr check out www.tucr.io

Margaret Noonan
Liveeka

Liveeka is a natural and effective range of medicinal natural pain relief creams for muscle & joint pain, bruising & inflammation, sports training, injuries and arthritic ailments that are optimised to work effectively, without the addition of chemical additives.  To find out more about Liveeka’s products go to www.liveeka.ie

Robbie Skuse 
Kollect

Kollect is a pay as you go bin collection company. They find the next bin truck passing your house and arrange your collection for you. Kollect have multiple collections every week in Waterford and Cork for general waste, recycling waste and organic waste. To book your next bin collection check www.kollect.ie

Best Established

Abbygail Wood
Ireland Website Design

With over 15 years’ experience in the web design world, Ireland Website Design have been carefully crafting our processes and honing our skills to keep ahead of the revolutionary online world. They are now looking to change the way we book GP appointments with a new system ‘See The Doctor’ being launched next year. To see their work check out www.irelandwebsitedesign.com

Danielle Kennedy
Lloyds Hair Salons

Lloyds have three hair salons across the South East and are close to moving into to one of Ireland’s biggest Salons in 44 Patrick Street. Lloyds pride themselves on creating a fantastic positive environment for customers to ensure that their salon experience is the absolute best it can be. To book your next hair appointment check out www.lloydshair.ie

Kevin Walsh
Aphex Automation Systems

Aphex is an engineering consultancy company, founded in 2012, focused on providing expertise in commissioning & validation to pharmaceutical clients. In addition to their core business. Aphex are developing the second facet of their organisation in conjunction with the TSSG; an innovative software solution for laboratories in the Pharma sphere. To learn more about what Aphex do check out www.aphex.ie

Padraig O’Scanaill
Fund Recs

Fund Recs offer a software product which is specifically tailored to the needs of fund administrators to automate cash and portfolio reconciliation. Taking the latest technology and approaches from the best loved consumer software applications, Fund Recs team combine the consumer user experience and interfaces with enterprise accuracy, security and availability. To find out more go to www.fundrecs.com