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IGNITE at UCC

IGNITE: Empowering Ambitious Start-up Founders

Applications for our July 2025 programme are now closed.  You can express your interest for our next programme and schedule a call with us here.

Have a great idea? IGNITE are here to help you make it happen. We are Ireland’s leading graduate start-up incubation programme designed for ambitious founders ready to turn their innovative ideas into thriving businesses. IGNITE is open to recent graduates from any discipline and any third-level institution in Ireland. We provide the tools, guidance, and support you need to turn your idea into a thriving business. And we don't take any equity.

A World-Class Programme for Future Entrepreneurs

Our comprehensive programme equips you with tailored guidance on grant applications and investor readiness, alongside mentorship and training from industry experts to build essential entrepreneurial skills. You’ll also have access to top UCC researchers for research-backed insights and receive IP protection advice to safeguard your innovations, establishing a strong foundation for future growth.

Want to Change the World with Your Business Idea?
Ready to Make an Impact with Something You Create?

Join us at IGNITE and kick-start your journey to success.

IGNITE is Ireland’s premier start-up programme for recent graduates, open to all disciplines and third-level institutions. We’ll help you turn your idea into a thriving business with the support, skills, and connections you need to make it happen.

Why IGNITE?

  • One-to-One Coaching: Personalised support from experts who are invested in your success.
  • Workshops and Mentoring: Practical advice and insights from seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders.
  • Access to Research and Expertise: Benefit from the cutting-edge knowledge of UCC, a world leader in research and innovation.
  • Connections for Life: Build lasting relationships with your peers and the people you meet along the way.
  • Funding and Workspace: Access the resources you need to grow your business.

Flexible Support, Tailored to You
Every founder’s journey is unique, and so is IGNITE. We’ll give you what you need, when you need it, to help you face challenges and seize opportunities as they come.

 

Learn from our founder companies

IGNITE can help you at whatever stage you're at

As part of IGNITE, people have the opportunity to achieve immense growth personally but also for their business.

Elvis Seporaitis, Co-founder of Volta Robotics

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IGNITE has really helped us turned something that was just an idea into a reality. It's a good way of learning if your idea is a viable business.

Elaine Moynihan & Katie McShane, Co-founders of WiseWater Academy

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I needed support and mentorship to help to me build out my idea. The business wouldn't be where it is today without the support of IGNITE.

Danny McEnery, Founder of PrimaHealth

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IGNITE supports me and though mentorship and networking, I know a lot of people now in this area and get the chance to share my ideas.

Jerome Pan, Founder of TalentCen

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The biggest thing I found with IGNITE is coming in and being with likeminded people. I was also given the tools in the workshops that just made things easier.

Shannen O'Reilly, Co-founder of TrustDish

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We present every quarter on our progress to experienced entrepreneurs and the LEO - validating the work that we are doing is really empowering and inspires confidence in what we do.

Ailis Crowley, Founder of FASH Forward

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Latest News from IGNITE

David Cashman won the Grant Thornton High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 for The WellSchools Network and Sean O’Sullivan received the Local Enterprise Office High Achieving Merit Award, also with €5,000,
09 Jun 2025

National Student Entrepreneur Awards 2025

Two UCC students were recognised at the 2025 National Student Entrepreneur Awards for their outstanding ventures. David Cashman won the Grant Thornton High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 for The WellSchools Network and Sean O’Sullivan received the Local Enterprise Office High Achieving Merit Award, also with €5,000, for his innovative product Lion’s Reign. 
Read more
06 Jun 2025

IGNITE Start-up Spotlight: Stephen Feeney and The Flourishing Man

“The real value of IGNITE is in the support you get to refine your thinking. You start with an idea, but it’s only through listening, testing, and being challenged that you start to see what it could really become.”
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Student entrepreneurs who were in the final for the 2025 UCC Student Entrepreneur Awards.
23 May 2025

A Huge Thank You to Our UCC Student Entrepreneur Awards Finalists!

Ten exceptional student-led teams showcased their innovative start-up ideas at the 2025 UCC Student Entrepreneur Awards, tackling real-world challenges in health, education, sustainability, and more. Their creativity, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit made UCC proud and inspired everyone who attended.
Read more
12 May 2025

IGNITE Start-up Spotlight: Sara Meagher and DineFlex

"We didn’t want to take the conventional PAYE route after graduation"
Read more
Read More News

Programme Partners

IGNITE UCC

Clár Gnó Iarchéime IGNITE

Western Gateway Building, University College Cork

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