Organisers of Ignite NI Propel Pre-Accelerator have announced the names of the Northern Irish start-ups who will take part in the 2020 programme.
Kicking off in January 2020, twenty-one local companies in total have been named by Ignite NI - with the support of Invest Northern Ireland - to launch their businesses during the immersive six month programme.
The teams selected to take part on the programme come from all corners of Northern Ireland, from the North West to Newry, and a variety of sectors including, healthcare, agriculture, AI, developer tools, education.
The full list of companies are: Budibase, CropSafe, designtrack, Dotmaker, Eolas Medical, Farm Compare, Flows 2 Forms, Fooday, Freeperiod, Integra, Legitimate, Lowdown, Machine Eye, Material Evolution, Mathan Hub, Netminds, PersonalCarer, PulseAI, STAND, VerdantLearn and Workplus.
Applications for this cohort hit their highest levels to date, with Ignite receiving over 400 applications during the Propel recruitment stage.
While only 5% of those companies were accepted and many teams will be disappointed, Ignite NI views the number of new businesses entering as a good sign for Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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The companies who secured a place on the programme will receive a £15,000 grant, 12 months free co-working space at the Ormeau Baths and the support of seasoned entrepreneurs experienced in a vast range of businesses.
“To see so many people starting businesses in Northern Ireland is fantastic," said Chris McClelland, Programme Director of Propel. "It’s made the programme as competitive as some of the top accelerators in the world.
"The calibre of teams who secured a place on the programme is excellent and even getting these teams in a room supporting each other is an exciting prospect.
“Exposing founders to experienced entrepreneurs as well as practical workshops has a massive impact on companies. Taking an idea and making it into a reality is not an easy process, so it’s important that companies have the best start and are equipped with the tools they need to grow a successful company.
"We hope to guide these teams through their first steps in the start-up journey and help develop their concepts into ground-breaking businesses."
The Ignite NI Propel Pre-Accelerator programme is run by Ignite, who have invested in more than 150+ companies across the UK since 2011 with 500+ alumni founders who between them have raised more than $100m.
Ignite NI is also accepting applicants for the Ignite NI Accelerator programme which helps later stage companies at pivotal moments, raising capital or potentially looking to expand to the US. If you are interested in expressing your interest for this programme, further information can be found here.
