New Frontiers Participants pictured with Geraldine Beirne, Programme Manager
Eleven founders who participated in Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme at ATU Donegal and Sligo were showcased at a ceremony in Letterkenny on March 14th.
This year as part of the end of programme event, each participant had the opportunity to “pitch” their business with a chance of winning two cash prizes. The “Most Investable StartUp” award went to Kostya Gorsky of hirehire which was sponsored by Growing Capital. The winner of the “One to Watch” award sponsored by ATU was Paul McGoldrick of Slíglas. Leitrim based hirehire is using AI to transform recruitment interviews into meaningful notes and scorecards. One of the main advantages of hirehire is that it leaves the recruiter free to focus on the person, not on writing down everything they say. Gorsky co-founded the company in 2023 and started selling the SaaS platform less than a year ago. Sales to date have been strong and the company is poised for significant expansion in 2025 with planned investment accelerating this growth. Slíglas has been co-founded by Paul McGoldrick from Sligo, which is a biochar focused carbon dioxide removal business. McGoldrick has ambitious plans to build a scaleable business in the North West using biomass residues from sawmills and forestry. Slíglas will not only sell carbon credits but also the biochar for use in farms and other sectors.
The other nine graduates are:
Aoibheann Walsh, SashSó, Donegal Dual purpose utility tool for hairdressers, make-up artists, costume/set designers with detachable brush cleaner.
Aoibhín O’Dea, Donegal A range of ‘Ready to Bake’ from Frozen, Home Bakery Items targeting both foodservice and retail channels.
Brian McGeehin, Blue Eye Highway, Donegal Specialising in the development of an advanced road safety device, the primary product is a patented black-ice detecting cat’s eye, a novel solution in the market aimed at preventing accidents due to icy conditions.
Emer Shovlin, Cassan, Donegal Marine Planning Applications platform.
Hannah Joyce, Flexera, Mayo Foldable reformer pilates machines and an online app with classes www.joinflexera.com.
John Duffy, Wild & Co, Donegal A minimally processed, high protein (venison) meat based food product for people on-the-go.
Karen Kearney, Soak, Sligo Irish wellness range that harnesses the healing power of the Atlantic ocean & home grown organic herbs, to help you with sleep, anxieties, mood and stress.
Paul Dockery, BlackLayer, Roscommon Manufacturing grass maintenance machinery for the worldwide sports turf industry.
Sarah-Jane Harte, Neula, Sligo Digital tool for people with ADHD to track symptoms, challenges, and treatments for personalized care.
Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme is delivered through ATU Donegal and Sligo and is the National Entrepreneur Development Programme with a support package worth €40,000.
The programme’s primary purpose is to accelerate the development of sustainable new businesses that have strong employment, growth, international potential and contribute to job creation and economic activity in the region.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Orla Flynn, President of ATU said. “The embedding of Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme within ATU is critical to balanced regional development. Participants of the programme are playing a significant role in the indigenous business community – driving the region’s economy forward. We know that many of you have benefited from engaging with the wider ATU community during your time on the programme, accessing the knowledge and assistance from the academic staff and students to help you on your development phase.
We hope that you will continue to link in with the services of the university after you leave the programme to help drive your businesses forward”.
Meabh Conaghan, Regional Director of Enterprise Ireland also attended the awards and described New Frontiers as “a truly national programme with significant regional outreach and global export potential.”
Guest speaker at the ceremony was New Frontiers alumnus Clare Ryan, co-founder of ITUS Secure Technologies who are based at the CoLab, Letterkenny.
ITUS are a cybersecurity solutions provider. Their innovative cybersecurity SaaS platform, ITUS Protect, helps small businesses understand and mitigate their cyber risks, empowering them to stay safe online. Clare was a participant on the programme back in 2018. She gave insights into the challenges they have faced, from making that first sale to bootstrapping a scalable tech product. She also gave some key learnings on the funding landscape at present, building a tech product as a non-tech founder and how to manage your ‘founder fuel’ for the journey ahead.
Applications are now open for Phase 1 of New Frontiers which starts on March 25th. For more information about the programme visit www.newfrontiersnw.ie
New Frontiers is Enterprise Ireland’s national programme developing an entrepreneurial skillset in early-stage founders. Aimed at individuals with an innovative early-stage startup with growth potential and ambition, it builds the promoter’s toolkit and skills and provides invaluable networking and support infrastructure.
Delivered through third-level institutions across 18 locations nationwide, New Frontiers, since its inception in 2012, has been a proven pipeline for the Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU.
The programme’s primary purpose is to accelerate the development of sustainable new businesses that have strong employment, growth, international potential and contribute to job creation and economic activity in the region.
