INVENT 2021 competition is back with £47,000 in prizes for new tech inventions

  • This year's INVENT competition has been announced, featuring an increased prize pool and new competition categories for proof-of-concept technology pitches.

    The annual INVENT competition has been an important driver in Northern Irish tech innovation, giving local start-ups and entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain recognition and cash prizes for their inventions. The competition is run each year by the Catalyst science and technology hub, and many past winners have gone on to become very successful start-ups.

    Entrants are tasked with developing proof-of-concept technology or ideas in categories such as green energy or health and wellbeing, and the winners are those that are judged by a panel of experts to have the greatest commercial potential. This year's awards have an increased prize pool, with a total of $47,000 in prize money up for grabs.

    RELATED: Cancer therapy tech named overall winner of INVENT 2020

    INVENT 2021 will take place in several stages over the next six months, with the final pitches being delivered at an event on September 30th. This year's awards include several new categories designed to match up with current global trends in tech, including Greentech, Health and Wellbeing, Product, Business Software, and Consumer Software.

    Category winners will take home £5,000 in prize money (higher than last year's £3,000 category prize) and one category winner will be selected as the year's overall winner, winning an additional £20,000. There will also be an additional £1,000 prize for best student application, and another £1,000 award for best elevator pitch delivered on award night.

    RELATED: NI tech startups to compete in the Invent Awards 2020

    Kerry McGarvey, programme manager for INVENT, commented: "We’re really excited to launch this year’s INVENT Awards and look forward to receiving entries from entrepreneurs and innovators from across Northern Ireland over the next six weeks. We’re confident that the new categories offer us the best opportunity to capture the energy and creativity of the next generation of founders who are aiming to solve real world problems, with the new Greentech category particularly relevant as sustainability becomes an increasing focus both globally and locally."

    For more information or to apply for the awards, head over to www.invent2021.co

    Source: Written based on press release

    About the author

    Brendan is a Sync NI writer with a special interest in the gaming sector, programming, emerging technology, and physics. To connect with Brendan, feel free to send him an email or follow him on Twitter.

    Got a news-related tip you’d like to see covered on Sync NI? Email the editorial team for our consideration.

    Sign up now for a FREE weekly newsletter showcasing the latest news, jobs and events in NI’s tech sector.

Share this story