NovaUCD startup stars competition sees 7 Irish startups go head to head

University College Dublin is pitting 7 student startups against each other for €3,000 in prizes. 

University College Dublin (UCD) has launched its 2019 Start-Up Stars Programme at NovaUCD, pitting 7 early-stage student and graduate startups against each other for €3,000 in prize money. The scheme is now in its fifth year, and was developed uUCD Innovation Academy NovaUCD as a way of promoting entrepreneurship among students and postgraduates.

A total of 18 team members in the 7 new ventures have entered the scheme, who will now work together to build and prove their business case to judges. The companies involved are Blue, Find-A-Side, Go Tappa, MedBell, PodMaster, Terranaut Equipment and UCD Formula Student. These companies represent the best from a series of applicants which all made their initial pitches to judges, with the running now whittled down to just these 7 companies. 

Tom Flanagan, UCD’s Director of Enterprise and Commercialisation said, “Over the next few weeks we look forward to helping the participating student entrepreneurs to transform their innovative business ideas into early-stage ventures. I would also like to encourage them to take advantage of the opportunity to network with the community that surrounds them here at NovaUCD to help them to succeed with their business ventures.”

Professor Suzi Jarvis, Founding Director, UCD Innovation Academy, said, "Programmes such as UCD Start-up Stars are key to giving UCD students an opportunity to apply what they have learned at UCD in a meaningful way. Irrespective of the success or otherwise of the start-ups taking part on the programme, what is of most value is that the students are nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset that will serve them well in their future careers no matter path they follow."

The final winner will be decided following the next stage of the competition, which involves a workshop in mid-June followed by a detailed pitch. The scheme has been sponsored this year by AIB, Arthur Cox, Goodbody Stockbrokers and Xilinx.

Source:Written based on press release