Trustap is a secure digital transaction platform, founded in 2017 by Conor Lyden. The TrustAp platform aims give buyers and sellers confidence when undertaking online or in-person transactions with unfamiliar individuals.

During his time studying Engineering at UCC, Conor regularly travelled over and back to the United Kingdom to watch football games, and continuously felt uncomfortable about sending strangers money in the hope that they would send him the ticket afterwards. Through this experience, he developed the initial concept for Trustap, while partaking in the IGNITE programme.

The Trustap platform seamlessly integrates Stripe's payment capabilities with a comprehensive transaction management system. When a buyer makes a purchase, their funds are securely held in a safehold account until all the transaction milestones are met and the complaints period elapses. The money is then released to the seller.

Since the establishment of the start-up, Conor and the Trustap team have won numerous awards, including Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur – Regional Category and Best Start-up AT THE Online Marketplace Conference in Madrid. Conor was also featured in the Sunday Business Post’s 30 Under 30 cohort in 2019, showcasing Ireland’s rising tech stars.  

Trustap have raised over €6m in investment and have grown their team to 35 people. Headquartered in Cork, the start-up also has offices in Croatia, the UK and the US. Trustap has over 40 partners all over the world - from Europe to the US to Southeast Asia.

Speaking about his experience working with UCC Innovation, Conor Lyden said: “The Trustap journey began in UCC and without the structure and supports available through UCC Innovation and the IGNITE program in particular, it wouldn’t have been possible to get to where we are today.”

Looking to the future, Trustap’s main focus is to continue expanding internationally by partnering with marketplaces and ecommerce businesses, powering their transactions. The start-up has seen a high demand for their platform in emerging markets in particular. Conor and his team will continue to work to partner with local payment processors and orchestrators on the ground in these countries and localise the platform to support that area.