The Irish University Entrepreneurship Forum (IUEF), a wholly student run initiative, recently held its inaugural entrepreneurship event at the TCD-UCD Innovation Academy, Fosters Place.
The vision of the IUEF is to foster a strong and successful culture of entrepreneurship at university level in Ireland.
The IUEF aims to develop a network for entrepreneurs in third-level education and to provide a channel of communication between these entrepreneurs and the business community in Ireland. Ultimately, by achieving these aims the Forum will showcase young entrepreneurial talent and facilitate discussion surrounding new ideas, potential partnerships and fresh capital.
The IUEF was established in January 2012 by UCD students Kevin Glynn (a final year Business and Law student) and Michael Magee (a final year Economics and Finance) and group of eleven other university students from across Ireland.
(
l-r) Alastair Nolan (UCD, Business & Law), Padraig O'Connor (UCD, Economics & Finance), Eoin Callaghan (UCD, Economics & Finance), Michael Magee (UCD, Economics & Finance), Kevin Glynn (UCD, Business & Law), Lucy McLean (UCD, Business & Law), Elaine Lavery (UCD, Business & Law) and Síofra Moriarty (TCD, Business, Economics & Social Studies)
At its inaugural event 8 student entrepreneurs from universities around Ireland presented their businesses via a five minute pitch, prepared in conjunction with Accenture, to an audience of Ireland’s top business leaders - including a number of CEOs, successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors.
Among the companies participating were:
getHealth is an online and mobile solution which helps employees improve their health by making it fun. The application encourages users to team up with their co-workers and to set weekly health goals.
getHealth was founded by Chris Rooney and Liam Ryan. Chris is currently studying a degree in business and law at UCD and Liam has just completed a degree in civil engineering at TCD.
Once a health task is complete, the user checks-in to it on their smart phone. Each check-in earns the user points which gets added to their team's overall tally, moving them up the company leader board. The product will be aimed at employers primarily in the US market as an interactive corporate wellness programme which reduces health care costs such as absenteeism and health insurance.
getHealth is currently based at the NDRC following completion of the Lauchpad Programme in December 2011. The company launched its alpha version of the product in February 2012 and is seeking to raise €100,000 in seed investment to fund product development and launch of Irish and US user trials.
Restored Hearing’s mission is to research and develop scientifically verified auditory solutions in a safe, reliable and efficient manner. The company’s vision is to be the recognised performance leader of the new innovative hearing device industry. Restored Hearing’s main product is the SomtusTM Sound therapy which gets rid of the ringing in the ears often experienced after exposure to loud noise or music.
Rhona Togher, currently studying physics at UCD, Eimear O’Carroll and Anthony Carolan, co-founders, Restored Hearing
The SomtusTM sound therapy has been scientifically proven to alleviate temporary tinnitus after only one minute of therapy. Proven effective in 99% of cases where individuals had experienced loud noise in the immediate past, the SomtusTM sound therapy is completely safe to use and non-invasive.
The Restored Hearing sound therapy is delivered online where customers only need a pair of headphones and a broadband connection to get relief from the ringing after one minute of therapy.
The company was established in 2009 by Rhona Togher, currently studying physics at UCD, Eimear O’Carroll and Anthony Carolan.
Restored Hearing was a runner-up on the NovaUCD 2010 Campus Company Development Programme.
Popdeem.com is a new social commerce network that rewards students for doing things they love the most. Popdeem.com was founded by UCD undergraduate students Declan Egan, Kevin Glynn, Gavin Hayes, and Richard Whelan.
Popdeem.com actively challenges students to engage with their social networks. Students earn badges and points for cool activities on their social networks. Essentially Popdeem.com rewards students for putting up killer statuses, funny posts and for engaging in meaningful content. The company is currently in beta stage development and will be launching mid-April 2012.
Business leaders in attendance at this event included:
John Conroy, CEO, Merrion Capital; Chris Horn, co-founder, IONA Technologies; Martin Murphy, MD, HP Ireland; Raymond Coyle, Founder & CEO, Largo Foods; Colum O’ Sullivan, Co-founder, Cully&Sully; Gavin Duffy. Mediatraining.ie & Dragon's Den judge and Norah Casey, CEO of Harmonia & Dragon’s Den judge.
The inaugural event was sponsored by IVEA, KPMG, Accenture, BP Multipage, Archipelago and AIB, and was supported by eight Irish universities across Ireland.
ENDS
2 April 2012
For further information contact Micéal Whelan, University College Dublin, Communications Manager (Innovation), e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: + 353 1 716 3712.