Do you want to hear more about the IGNITE Programme? Join us on Wed 10 Feb at 17.00 for an information webinar. The IGNITE team, Eamon Curtin - Director and Michelle Dorgan - Programme Manager will talk about IGNITE, what it entails, the application process and answer any questions you may have.

Friday 19 Feb @ 23.00 is the closing date for applications for the next intake of participants for the 15^th IGNITE programme which gets underway in April. 

IGNITE Alumni, Addaptiv, Yooni, Safecare and Legitfit were shortlisted under four categories for the Munster region in the National Startup Awards 2020.

Interview with Silicon Republic, IGNITE Programme Director, Eamon Curtin gives his advice for start-ups, from the importance of a business network to why you need to ‘eat, sleep and breathe’ your customer.

We are open for Expressions of Interest from individuals or teams considering starting a business in 2021.

Start-Up Lab at UCC is looking for people with passion currently working either full-time or part-time on scalable start-up ideas that have potential for commercial or social impact and with the ambition to work full-time on the idea in the future. It's open to undergraduate and postgraduate students and recent graduates in any discipline from any 3rd level institution in Ireland.

Neurobell a company developing a diagnostic medical device for the early detection and monitoring of brain injuries in newborns has been named Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Best Business.

The IGNITE Autumn Awards & Showcase will take place online on Thursday 15 October at 19.00. 

Three IGNITE participants were recently featured in the Irish Times Newspaper.

Mark O'Sullivan, of Neurobell was named Enterprise Ireland's 2020 Student Entrepreneur of the Year.

Friday 5 June 2020 @ 23.00 is the closing date for applications for the next intake of participants for the 14^th IGNITE programme which gets underway early Autumn.

UrAbility, a company reinventing the way parents and educators support children with disabilities, enhancing the learning experience with an online training and support model has been named Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Best Business.

ApisProtect won the Think Global Award 2020 in the Start-Up category, during a virtual awards ceremony on April 22, 2020.

IGNITE has moved online and so the IGNITE Awards & Showcase has moved online too.

The IGNITE team reacted quickly to ensure there was no break in support for IGNITE start-ups arising from COVID-19 restrictions.

Rent-It, an online rental service was named "Best Business Idea" at the Start-Up Lab at UCC Grand Pitch event on 10 March 2020. The business idea was pitched by Aishwarya Adyanthaya and her team Bhavik Chandora, Sidharthan Kamaraj, who are completing an MSc in Information Systems for Business Performance at University College Cork.

Mark O'Sullivan of Neurobell was named UCC Entrepreneur of the Year for 2020.

On Monday 2 March, IGNITE visited the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, Ireland's first rural 1 Gig society.

IGNITE start-up, UrAbility won a Zero Project Award 2020 at the United Nations in Vienna. 

AnaBio Technologies Ltd, founded by Dr Sinéad Bleiel (Doherty) was named Cork Chamber SME Company of the Year 2020 at Cork Chamber's Annual Dinner on 7 Feb.

Friday 14th February 2020 @ 23.00 is the closing date for applications for the next intake of participants for the 13^th IGNITE programme which gets underway this April 2020.

Start-Up Lab at UCC is looking for people with passion currently working either full-time or part-time on scalable start-up ideas that have potential for commercial or social impact and with the ambition to work full-time on the idea in the future. It's open to UCC staff, students and Alumni. 

Meeting founders, making connections, contacts, meeting mentors and learning from expert talks were the objectives when IGNITE hit Dublin on 5th/6th Dec 2019. 

The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney, visited IGNITE on the 18th November 2019. 

Dr Sinead Bleiel, IGNITE Alumni and founder, AnaBio Technologies invited IGNITE cohorts to visit their new production facility, Centre of Encapsulation in Carrigtwohill on the 13th November 2019.

IGNITE had the fantastic opportunity to meet the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Edward F. Crawford during his visit to University College Cork. 

Soileir, a product blend of proteins, cultures and flavors creating a high protein, allergen free, Greek yogurt product was named as Best Business Idea at the Start-Up Lab at UCC workshops on 5th November 2019. The business idea was pitched by Lisa Zychowski, who completed a PhD in Food Science, UCC in 2018.        

IGNITE Alumni, ApisProtect wins Gold in Tech Start Up of the Year and Gold in AgTech Start Up of the Year in National Start Up Awards 2019.

On Tuesday, 8th October 2019, IGNITE welcomed Bank of Ireland's Youth Ambassador, Rob Heffernan, Olympic and World Race Walking Champion.  

The IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme was recently shortlisted in the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centres (GCEC) Awards 2019.

EziVein, a medical aid designed to enhance the visibility of a vein to reduce the time and trauma for a blood draw or IV cannulation in the 35% of patients who suffer from DVA (diffculty vein access) has been named Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Best Business.

Start-Up Lab at UCC is looking for people with passion currently working either full-time or part-time on scalable start-up ideas that have potential for commercial or social impact and with the ambition to work full-time on the idea in the future. It's open to UCC staff, students and Alumni. 

Ross O'Dwyer, CEO and Co-Founder of sports media business, Pundit Arena has joined IGNITE's mentor panel. 

IGNITE Alumni Eoin O'Carroll and brothers Kevin Bambury and Richard Bambury, founders of Portable Medical Technology's ONCOassist partner with pharma giant MSD. The opportunity comes after the company won the MSD Innovation Factory competition in Beirut earlier this year.

Richard Barrett, co-founder of PunditArena and Conor Lyden, founder of Trustap both listed in the Sunday Business Post's Top 30 Under 30 in Irish Tech. 

We are now open for Expressions of Interest from individuals or teams considering starting a business in 2020.

IGNITE Startup Founders Paul O’Shea of Peckish and Darragh Lucey of Yooni won Awards for Best Business Idea at IBYE Cork Finals.

Sunday 26^th May 2019 is the closing date for applications for the next intake of participants for the 12^th IGNITE programme which gets underway this September 2019. 

T4Adventure, a company that creates and produces a range of lightweight, quick-cooking breakfasts, entrees and snacks that nourish and reward outdoor athletes, has been named Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Best Business.

BSc (Accounting) student, Luke Pottinger won the Best Business Idea Award at the Start Up Lab at UCC workshops on 12 March 2019, with his idea for Stalios Gloves, a glove designed specifically for bar tenders to improve health & safety. He identified the product need through personal experience working in the hospitality sector.

Friday, 8 March, is the closing date for applications for the next intake of participants for the IGNITE Programme which gets underway this April. The twelve month business incubation programme at University College Cork, that nurtures, develops and strengthens entrepreneurial potential, is inviting applications from recent graduates from any discipline, from any third level institution with a viable business idea.

Start-Up Lab at UCC is looking for people with passion currently working either full-time or part-time on scalable start-up ideas that have potential for commercial or social impact and with the ambition to work full-time on the idea in the future.

ApisProtect, an Irish agtech innovator using the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor honey bee colonies, announced the close of a €1.5 million seed round of financing led by top-tier international venture capital investors Finistere Ventures and Atlantic Bridge Capital. Radicle Growth, the Yield Lab and Enterprise Ireland also participated in the investment round.

Make a Mark, a product to apply marking fluid to sheep, was named as Best Business Idea at the Start-Up Lab at UCC workshops on 13 November 2018. The business idea was pitched by First Year BSc (Government) student Mary Murphy.

We are now open for Expressions of Interest from individuals or teams considering an application to either IGNITE11, starting April 2019, or IGNITE12, starting October 2019.

Success has a low-calorie flavour as Milis Bio is named Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Business of the Year 2018.

Start-Up Lab at UCC is looking for people with passion currently working either full-time or part-time on scalable start-up ideas that have potential for commercial or social impact and with the ambition to work full-time on the idea in the future.

The nominees for the 5th Annual Cork Digital Marketing Awards are in, and this year three IGNITE startups have been nominated. These include OnTheQT.ie (Founder, Stephanie Lynch), Evolve Therapy (Founder, Emily Ahern) and Shopless (Founder and CEO, Niamh Parker).

University College Cork’s brightest entrepreneurial talent was in royal company on Thursday June 14, as students and alumni assembled to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales to campus. 

Making contacts, meeting mentors and learning from expert talks were the objectives when IGNITE hit Dublin for 24 hours on 3/4 May.

On April 24 2018 in the Knights’ Hall in The Hague at the Finals of Ideas from Europe, twelve passionate innovators presented their sustainable solutions for today's global issues.

We are open for applications to the next IGNITE programme starting in October 2018.

On Monday 26 March AnaBio Technologies LTD celebrated the inauguration of its Centre of Excellence for Encapsulation Technologies in Carrigtwohill, Co.Cork. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr Michael Creed TD officiated over the inauguration.

KneeMetrics, a product to aid rehabilitation after knee surgery, was named as Best Business Idea at the Start-Up Lab at UCC workshops on 13 March 2018. 

We are open for applications to the next IGNITE programme starting in April 2018.

IGNITE founder Conor Lyden, CEO, Trustap was awarded the prize of Best Startup in Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Regional Finals on Monday evening and will now go on to the National IBYE Finals in Dublin.

IGNITE start-up Apis Protect has been shortlisted in the Cork Chamber Cork Company of the Year 2018 awards in the Best Emerging Company category.

IGNITE Founder Conor Lyden, TrustAp was named as Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 for Local Enterprise Office South Cork at the Cork local IBYE awards. 

Four IGNITE alumni are set to join 1500 other entrepreneurs and investors at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India, 28 - 30 November 2017.

Seven IGNITE start-ups made the shortlist for the Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur Cork Boot Camp at the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, 24-25 November 2017.

Paul O’Shea’s Peckish was named as Best Business Idea at the finale of the Autumn 2017 Start-Up Workshops on 13 November 2017. Other winners on the night were Kate Morris for EquiClean and Dave Calnan for SourceAcademy.

ApisProtect was announced as Bank of Ireland/IGNITE Business of the Year 2017 at the IGNITE Showcase & Awards in a packed Aula Maxima, UCC on 28 September 2017.

Our Start-Up Workshops, run as a collaboration between IGNITE and Blackstone Launchpad at University College Cork and supported by Bank of Ireland, are designed to help anyone with a good business idea to develop a robust business model.

The annual IGNITE Awards & Showcase event will take place on Thursday 28 September 2017 to celebrate the achievements of our graduate entrepreneurs.

Cork’s RedFM have partnered with award winning travel website OnTheQT.ie to launch a brand new tv series for online called Red Travel.

Thursday, July 13th, 2017 11:20am

Source: http://www.redfm.ie/news/cork/redfm-launch-new-online-travel-tv-series/

ApisProtect buzzing with €100k to help save bees
Source: The Sunday Business Post, 9 July 2017
BY ELAINE O’REGAN
Sourcelink: https://www.businesspost.ie/business/apisprotect-buzzing-e100k-help-save-bees-392931

Software company to raise bar with its hire hopes
Source: The Sunday Business Post, 9 July 2017

BY EMMET RYAN
Sourcelink: https://www.businesspost.ie/technology/software-company-raise-bar-hire-hopes-392883

IGNITE 2017/2018 is now open for applications. The announcement was made at the IGNITE Open Information Evening in UCC's Western Gateway Building on 4th April. The programme is open for applications until Friday, May 26^th.

Call For Applications IGNITE 2018 (starting September 2017)

When: 18.00 Tuesday 4 April 2017

Where: Western Gateway Building, UCC

Richard Barrett, co-founder of Pundit Arena with Ross O’Dwyer, was presented with the Best Promotion of Business On-Line Google Award at the National Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Finals at Google’s European Headquarters on 5^th March 2017.

Emerald de Leeuw was announced as winner of the 2016 European Young Innovator of the Year by the European Young Innovators Forum. The announcement was made at Unconvention2017 in Brussels on 25^th January 2017.

Two IGNITE start-ups were announced among the three companies shortlisted for Cork Chamber Emerging Company of the Year 2017.

Have you a great business idea but don't know where to start?

Sign up to Start-Up Workshops by IGNITE and Bank of Ireland Workbench on or before Monday 19 December 2016.

Deirdre Clune, MEP for Ireland South, visited IGNITE on Thursday 17^th Nov 2016.

IGNITE and UCC were well represented at Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur IBYE Boot Camp over the weekend of 4th/6th November.

IGNITE has announced details of sponsorship that sees Musgrave Group partner the business innovation programme that helps recent graduates launch sustainable businesses.

Vconnecta Ltd was awarded the 2016 Smart Technology Innovation Award at IT@Cork European Tech Cluster Leaders Awards. 

Irish sports media start-up, Pundit Arena, recently announced plans to raise €3M and target the US market in 2017.

Ten aspiring graduate entrepreneurs, working on exciting start-up businesses were introduced on Monday, October 3rd at a packed reception at the Western Gateway Building, UCC, to mark the launch of the 7th IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme.

Sponsored by Bank of Ireland, EY and J.W. O'Donovan Solicitos, awards were presented in several categories, among them the overall 'Business of the Year,' as well as prizes for 'Business Plan and 'Innovation'.

The IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme was recently named as Irish National European Enterprise Promotion Award Winner 2016. 

Five Awards will be presented at the annual Awards & Showcase event on Wednesday, 27th June 2016 at 6.00pm to celebrate the achievements of our graduate entrepreneurs.

Irish based sports media platform; Pundit Arena, has raised a seed round of €650,000 from a collection of angel investors, based both in Ireland and the United States.  Pundit Arena, the leading sports media platform that enables articulate fans to become paid journalists through their unique revenue-share model has grown to more than 300 writers and over 1.4 million monthly users in the last year.

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Richard Barrett and Ross O’Dwyer, cofounders of Pundit Arena (www.punditarena.com), Danny O’Donovan founder of SUPP (www.supp.ie) and, current participant, Alpa Agrawal, founder of Allmin Resources Ireland Ltd (www.allminresources.com) will share their stories at this year's IGNITE Open Information Evening.

Biotech company Anabio Technologies Ltd has announced that it will invest €200,000 in a New Product Development facility at Teagasc’s Food Research Centre in Fermoy, Co. Cork and grow the workforce to 24 over the coming 12 months.

The launch of the 6th IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme in UCC sees 14 enthusiastic graduates of University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technlogy and Dublin City University with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Molecular Cell Biology, Cloud Computing, Business Information Systems, Food Science, Commerce and Law. This year’s businesses are developing products and services in areas as diverse as medicine and health, food and ICT.

Bitcove.ie is awarded the Business of the Year Award, Key wins Innovation of the Year Award and eXtensicon wins Business Plan Award at the 2015 IGNITE Showcase and Awards evening in the Aula Maxima in UCC on Wednesday the 24th June.

The completion of the fifth phase of the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme will celebrate the progress and achievements of this year's eleven start up businesses at the Awards and Showcase evening.

If You Have a Great Start-Up Idea, Why Are You Waiting to Get Started!

That was the key message from the speakers at the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme Information Evening on Thursday 30^th April 2015.

A capacity audience heard three inspiring start-up stories at the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme Open Information Evening on Tuesday 6^th May.

This year’s Information Evening for the 6^th IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme will be held in UCC’s Western Gateway Building at 6.00pm on Thursday, 30^th April 2015.

Ged Nash, TD, Minister of State at the Department for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation with special responsibility for Business & Employment and Ciaran Lynch, TD for Cork South Central visited IGNITE on Friday 6^th Feb.

Microfinance Ireland (MFI) has announced details of a partnership with the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme that sees €1/4 million finance ring-fenced for young entrepreneurs undertaking the nine month business incubation programme, based at UCC, which is aimed at nurturing, developing and strengthening entrepreneurial potential.

The IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme and UCC was well represented at Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneurs Awards in Cork and Waterford.

The launch of the 5^th IGNITE Graduate Business Programme in UCC sees 15 enthusiastic graduates from UCC, CIT, UL and UCD with qualifications in information systems, computer science, physics, commerce and marketing working on 12 exciting business ideas in industry sectors as diverse as energy, IT, food, health & fitness and social media.

This year's IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme Awards and Showcase will celebrate the progress and achievements to date of ten graduate led start-ups and mark an important milestone with the completion of the fourth phase of the programme.

PunditArena.com scoops Business of the the Year Award, Problem wins Business Plan Award, and AgTeCH4 wins Innovation of the Year Award, at IGNITE's 2014 Showcase and Awards night held in the Aula Maxima in UCC on Wednesday the 25th June. 

AnaBio Technology Ltd wins Business of the Year Award, VConnecta Ltd wins Business Plan Award, Mohago Ltd wins Innovation Award at IGNITE’s 2013 Showcase. Eight businesses of the future were recognised today (Wednesday 26 June) at IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme’s Awards and Showcase held at a packed Aula Maxima, UCC.

Sarah Dineen became the youngest female entreprenuer to receive investment from RTÉ’s Dragons’ Den following successful pitch of UniWink.com business concept.

Hear Raomal Perera talk about how he raised over €27 million to help build Network365 as a global company.

Dr Sinead Doherty's AnaBio Technologies Ltd was named as Cork Chamber of Commerce Emerging Company of the Year 2014 at Cork Chamber Annual Dinner on 7th Feb.

Pat Falvey is best known as a mountaineer, an adventurer and an explorer. He is the first person in the world to have twice reached the highest peak on each of the seven continents, including Mt Everest from both Nepal and Tibet. He has led four expeditions to Mt Everest, reaching the summit twice. He has crossed Antarctica to the South Pole, traversed Greenland over shifting ice flows and completed many more life-changing expeditions. Less well known is that Pat left school at 15, was a millionaire at 20, overtraded and went broke at 29, rebuilt and retired at 40.

Portable Medial Technologies become the 1^st Irish company and only the 3^rd company worldwide to achieve CE approval for a mobile app.

Portable Medical Technology Ltd was the winner of the ‘Best Company’ award presented at a recent reception honouring IGNITE 2012 graduates at the Western Gateway Building, UCC.

University College Cork (UCC) has achieved the unique status of becoming Ireland’s first five star university and has once again improved its position in world rankings announced today (September 5th 2011) in the QS World University Rankings.

The MSc (Innovation, Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship) commencing in September 2011, is a full-time one year programme offering a multi-disciplinary perspective on Innovation, Commercialistion and Entrepreneurship.

Applications are now being welcomed from graduates of any discipline, from any 3rd level institution for IGNITE 2011/2012.

NONE is an Irish based, internationally staffed, globally concerned fashion and lifestyle magazine providing a platform for the riskier elements of Design, Art, Theatre, Music and Story.

NONE is an Irish based, internationally staffed, globally concerned fashion and lifestyle magazine providing a platform for the riskier elements of Design, Art, Theatre, Music and Story.

Mike McGrath creates Supply.ie to assist buyers to source great local suppliers with competitive quotes

Cork photographer and IGNITE participant, Damian Drohan was featured recently in the Sunday Times' Culture Magazine for his project on Irish World War 2 Veterans.

The launch of the 4^th IGNITE Graduate Business Programme in UCC sees 14 entrepreneurs striking out to conquer the business world across the food and nutrition, engineering, education, fashion and ICT sectors amongst others.

This year, the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme Awards and Showcase will be better than ever. To reflect the significant progress made by the programme since it was launched just two years ago, this year we will present Awards in five categories based on the judgements of four experienced business people and with the generous support of our three Awards sponsors.

Friday 12 Nov 2010 -IGNITE, a new Centre designed to give graduates professional help with business start-ups, was launched at University College Cork (UCC) today (November 12th 2010) by Mr Billy Kelleher TD, Minister for Trade & Commerce.

An IGNITE "Ideas Generation & Wealth Creation" Workshop will be held on Wed, November 24th 2010 at 6pm

A new Centre designed to give graduates professional help with business start-ups, was launched at University College Cork (UCC) today (November 12th 2010) by Mr Billy Kelleher TD, Minister for Trade & Commerce.

Pictured from left: Michael O'Connor, CORKBIC, Declan Fox, MAGELLAN PARTNERS, Rónán O'Dubhghaill, UCC, Miriam Collins, IGNITE UCC, Pat Lynch, COMPLIANCE & RISKS and Dick Lehane, Chairman IGNITE ADVISORY BOARD

Front Row: Left to Right; Aylmer Barrett, Will Martin, Sarah Jane O’Sullivan, Andrew Hobbs, Damian Drohan.

Back Row: Left to Right; Mike McGrath, Mike Broderick, Peter Power, Miki Barlok, Niall O’Sullivan, Artemij Fedosejev.

Pictured at the announcement of the companies that have been awarded funding under Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund for software start-ups were Tom Cusack, Enterprise Ireland Manager, High Potential Start Ups (left) Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD (centre) and Mike McGrath of Supply.ie. (right)

Mike McGrath, founder of Supply.ie emerged as the principal winner at the inaugural awards ceremony of UCC’s IGNITE programme. As well as receiving the “Most Collegial” award as nominated by his peers on the Programme, Supply.ie won the Best Company award.

IGNITE & UCC’s Entrepreneurial & Social Society PRESENT INNOVATION WEEK – INNOV8 ALL WELCOME

CALLING ALL STUDENTS!! HAS YOUR BUSINESS PLAN GOT SPARK?

Enter the Ireland Funds Business Plan Competition for a chance to WIN €10,000 !!!!!

Are you a graduate or are you about to graduate?

Do you want to set up your own business?

Need funding and support?

Calling all budding entrepreneurs…

Ahead of the 2012 IGNITE participants being announced, Network Cork will provide free membership along with mentoring to any female participants of the programme.

Saturday 6th October 2012, 9:30am – 2pm Boole 1, University College Cork

To encourage SME’s to look to Europe as a viable market place, Network Cork in association with the European Parliament is organizing a half day seminar in Boole 1 UCC on Saturday 6^th October.

UCC announces the appointment of Eamon Curtin to lead the IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme.