IGNITE Founder Spotlight - Nadine Seward
After speaking with people in construction, Nadine realised that improving safety wasn’t just about better equipment. It was about better training that lead her to build a VR-based solution that makes safety training more immersive and effective.
What problem are you solving, and what was the moment you realised, “I actually need to build this”? Was there a specific trigger or frustration that made it personal?
I’m looking to improve the way safety training is conducted in the construction industry by introducing VR (Virtual Reality) to make training more hands-on and impactful. I don’t think there was ever an “aha” moment. It came more from talking to people in the industry and evolving from my original idea (which was building proximity sensors for machinery that automatically stopped the machine from slewing and potentially hitting someone). However, the more I spoke to people, I realised everything came down to training and the standard of training, and that’s what’s led me onto the path that I am currently on.
What’s been the most valuable part of IGNITE for you so far, practically, or personally?
For me, it’s being in the room with people on a similar path. Although we are all building something different, it’s great being able to listen to others' successes and failures, as this allows us all to learn from each other.
You’re back playing with Cork City. Is there anything from elite sport - resilience, discipline, handling setbacks that’s directly helped you in business? Is there a moment in your startup so far that felt like a match-day situation?
I could talk a lot about how sport has helped me on my entrepreneurial journey, but I think the main lesson sport has taught me is that no matter what happens, you just have to keep showing up - It doesn’t matter how good or bad a match goes at the weekend, you show up for training on Monday ready to go again and ready to keep putting in the work. It’s the same with starting a business, you can’t get too hung up on the wins or losses.
If someone’s sitting on an idea but unsure whether to apply to IGNITE, what would you say to them? What almost stopped you from applying?
Nothing stopped me from applying! If you have an idea or you’re early in your start-up, the best thing you can do is apply for as much as you can. I think it’s critical to build strong foundations early on, and the best way to do that is to join programmes like IGNITE.
What’s one thing you can do now that you couldn’t do before joining IGNITE?
Before IGNITE, I would have questioned a lot of my decisions, as I didn’t have anyone to ask for help or guidance. But now, after joining IGNITE, I have access to mentors and networks that genuinely want to help.
IGNITE also brings in valuable guest speakers (people who have successfully started their own businesses), which means I get to be in rooms I wouldn’t otherwise have access to without this programme.
Where do you see the business 12 months from now?
12 months from now, the goal is to have the business successfully up and running with 8–12 paying customers and generating recurring revenue. I plan to have a full-time team member working with me, and by that stage we should have refined our core product, proven demand within our target market, and established a clear roadmap for scaling further.