Innovative Start-Ups complete inaugural Furthr Foundry Accelerator Programme

Ireland's top ten emerging tech entrepreneurs have successfully completed the inaugural Furthr Foundry Accelerator programme.  On the final day, the participating start-ups took part in investor pitches and had one-on-one meetings with leading Irish VCs and Angel Investors. Safely, a company providing driver safety solutions for commercial vehicle fleets in the US, UK, and Ireland, emerged as the 'Most Investable Start-Up' following their pitches and intensive one-to-one meetings with the investors. The ten promising start-ups that completed the Pre-Seed Accelerator Programme are now poised to secure a combined pre-seed capital investment totalling up to €4 million.

Legitify, NoFrixion and WrxFlo are among the finalists for the KPMG Global Tech Innovator Ireland 2024

Legitify, NoFrixion and WrxFlo are among the eight tech start-ups selected to compete for the title at the Ireland chapter of the KPMG Global Tech Innovator competition later this year. On the final day, the companies will pitch to a panel that includes Frontline co-founder Will Prendergast, Soapbox Labs founder Dr Patricia Scanlon, Stripe’s global head of enterprise services Eimear Hennessy, Cubic Telecom CEO Barry Napier and KPMG Ireland head of technology and media Anna Scally. The winner will compete again tech innovators from 23 countries in the global final in November. 

Dublin City University spin-out company, MoveAhead, has closed a €1.5 million seed investment to support their growth strategy in the Irish and international markets. The round was led by private investment firm, Growing Capital along with Enterprise Ireland and angel investors. Founded in 2020 by Johann Issartel and Jamie McGann, MoveAhead is a movement analytics software company focused on children and teenagers. 

Dublin-based Wind Capture Technologies is looking to raise a new round later in 2024 as it looks forward to conducting a new large-scale pilot project for its technology. Co-founded by Aaron Boylan and Ronan Hearne in 2022, the company focuses on developing a wind turbine blade that harvests carbon directly from the air filtered by a wind farm. "Our priority is to mineralise the C02 we filter from the air, using either magnesium oxide or calcium oxide. That means the C02 can be locked away or stored from the atmosphere", Boylan said.

AI-powered app to support travellers through real-time safety alerts

Co-founded by Dr. Sheelagh Brady and John Roberts, Kowroo is an AI-powered travel safety app supporting travellers by providing real-time security and safety alerts. Dr Brady, the commercial lead for the project, has 25 years of experience in policing and security while working with An Garda Síochána, the EU Common Security and Defence Policy assignments and the UN on various international missions.

CroíValve, one of Furthr VC's portfolio companies, announced favourable patient outcomes in a first-in-human clinical trial of its DUO tricuspid coaptation valve system. Co-founded by Dr Lucy O'Keeffe and Dr Martin Quinn, the Dublin-based company is focused on developing a minimally invasive device for treating tricuspid regurgitation. The company had won FDA investigational device approval earlier this year, facilitating this study. 

One of Furthr VC's portfolio companies, GridBeyond, has partnered with Stagecoach, the UK's largest bus operator, allowing Stagecoach to join the UK's capacity market starting in October 2024. GridBeyond will assist the bus operator in optimizing the energy consumption of its EV fleet and incorporating renewable energy into its business strategy. Started commercial trading in 2010, GridBeyond is now present around the globe in countries including Japan, Australia and the US. 

NewsWhip wins 2024 PR Tech Hot List

NewsWhip received PR Daily's PR Tech Hot List award for 2024 and was honored at a reception during PR Daily's Media Relations Conference in Washington D.C. Founded by Paul Quigley and Andrew Mullaney in 2011, NewsWhip, a Furthr VC portfolio company, is the fastest and most accurate real-time media monitoring platform used by PR agencies and newsrooms. NewsWhip facilitates proactive crisis management and strategic decision-making, offering insights into evolving public and media interests.

South East BIC rebrands as Propelor BIC as they expand their support to clients in Laois and Offaly, in addition to Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford. Propelor represents momentum, innovation, and a relentless drive to elevate startups to new heights. Reach out to Propelor BIC at hello@propelorbic.ie to know more about their services. 

Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet has launched the 'Sustainability Toolkit' in collaboration with Native Events. The toolkit provides comprehensive, practical solutions for professionals at every level, enabling them to integrate sustainability into their work. The website features a range of resources for all those working in creative sectors including Guides and templates, Case Studies, Tools and Templates and Resource Organisations.

ISIF backs new €150 million fintech fund from MiddleGame Ventures

Ireland Strategic Investment Fund has backed the new €150 million fund by MiddleGame Ventures alongside the European Investment Fund and returning investors such as S & P Global and the Luxembourg Future Fund. ISIF invested €20 million into the fund that will invest in companies across legacy and emerging financial sectors, deep tech and cybersecurity. MiddleGame Ventures has teamed locally with Enterprise Ireland previously for two investment vehicles. 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced $230 million in credits to support early-stage AI start-ups. These credits can be used for computing, storage, access to database technologies, and AWS's AI chips, Trainium and Inferentia2. This initiative is part of Amazon's ongoing substantial investments in AI to maintain its competitive edge. 

Google has introduced 'Get Ahead with AI,' a new AI education training pillar for SMEs in Ireland. This module is part of 'You're the Business,' Google's digital upskilling program, delivered in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. This free resource offers on-demand training, educational materials, and tools to help SMEs effectively incorporate AI into their businesses.