Seven companies from Northern Ireland have made it through to the regional final of InterTradeIreland’s Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition 2020.
Two of these innovative businesses will pocket €20,000, before progressing to the grand final next month where they will compete against regional winners from other jurisdictions for €50,000 or €100,000 as either category or overall winner.
The Seedcorn contest mirrors the real-life investment process. As well as a substantial cash prize fund, participants can secure expert feedback on their business plans and pitches, improve their investor readiness and gain exposure to investors, all while boosting their firm’s profile.
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Congratulating the regional finalists, Connor Sweeney, Seedcorn Programme Manager at InterTradeIreland, said: “To get to a regional final, companies have already been shortlisted based upon their business plan submission and visual representation of their ideas, so I’m delighted to offer my congratulations to all those who have reached this crucial stage.
“This year the regional finals will be held remotely for the first time in Seedcorn’s history. We were determined to continue with the competition if we could find a safe way of doing so and thankfully, technology has presented the opportunity. We are thrilled to be able to run the next two stages remotely; as Seedcorn is centred around showcasing business innovation we think it’s a relevant approach.”
New Start Category
eXRt IntelligentHealthcare
eXRt IntelligentHealthcare, established in July 2019 by Dominic Holmes, CEO, is based in Ulster University, Belfast.
The company has developed Magic Glass, a virtual reality stroke physiotherapy system that enables stroke patients to self-manage their rehabilitation. Patients receive a personalised VR rehabilitation programme, which self-adapts over time through applied AI.
GenoME Diagnostics
GenoME Diagnostics was established in 2020 as a spin out of the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University, Belfast. The company is founded based on research conducted by Dr Paul Mullan, Dr James Beirne and Dr Laura Feeney.
GenoME Diagnostics is developing a novel blood test for the earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer. The technology can be applied to biomarker discovery and development in a wide range of diseases and applications. The diagnostic test differs from competitor technologies and may help to better identify ovarian cancer at an earlier stage.
VascVersa Ltd
Belfast-based VascVersa was established by Dr Christina O’Neill, CEO, in February 2020.
The new regenerative medicine company is making advanced therapy medicinal products for ischaemic diseases. VascVersa provides a unique cell therapy for blood vessel regeneration using innovative technology.
Zendra Health
Zendra Health is a Fermanagh based med-tech company founded by twin brothers David and Thomas Coleman in November 2019.
The company has developed a medical-grade software platform that empowers healthcare professionals to create their own branded health app. Healthcare professionals can publish new content, create care plans, engage with patients, and customise the look of their health app instantly using the content management system.
Early Stage Category
Mortgage Propeller
Established in January 2020, Belfast-based Mortgage Propeller was founded by Matthew McAllister, CEO; Paul Dalzell, CSO and Brendan Sheehy, CTO.
The early stage company has developed a platform that automates manual compliance processes for mortgage advisors, resulting in increased efficiency and higher profits.
Sonrai Analytics
Sonrai Analytics was established in 2018 by Co-Founders Darragh McArt and Deva Senevirathne in Queen’s University Belfast.
The company provides pharmaceutical, bioscience and other medical research organisations with a remotely accessible and highly secure online platform, where they can store, analyse and share large amounts of healthcare data.
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SonoTarg Ltd
SonoTarg Ltd was established in Ulster University by leading scientists; Prof. John Callan, Prof. Anthony McHale, Prof. Eleanor Stride, Dr. Mark Taylor and Dr. Mark Love in October 2018.
SonoTarg has created a targeted therapy for treatment of solid cancer tumours by exploiting microbubbles and ultrasonic energy. The treatment should be more effective and less toxic than conventional chemotherapy.
The competition can be followed on Twitter (@Inter_Trade) and on the website www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn.
