Bizstartup.ie - NewsNDRC's LaunchPad programme under way

LaunchPad is a three-month accelerator programme targeted at emerging start-up promoters with strong academic links.

Modelled in part on the globally renowned Y-Combinator initiative in Silicon Valley, the programme assists individuals and or teams through the provision of incubation space in Dublin’s Digital Hub, project mentoring and advisory services and financial assistance of up to €20,000 per project.

Entrepreneurs who are supporting LaunchPad

The Inaugural NDRC LaunchPad programme started in January and is running until April.  Entrepreneurs lending their support include Eamonn Fallon of Daft.ie, Greg Turley, founder of CarTrawler.com and Dylan Collins, founder of DemonWare (which was sold to Activision for US$12m) and JOLT Online, the company that GameStop has invested heavily in.

Eleven innovative projects

There are currently 11 projects being supported by LaunchPad, including: the EyePhone,  an innovative solution for assisting visually impaired people by capitalising on new developments in mobile navigation and location technologies and Glidebooks, a new instant activity sharing service that addresses the cost and complexity of managing a mobile workforce.

Further information on these projects and the LaunchPad programme can be found here.

Photo: From left, participants of the LaunchPad programme: Paul Campbell of Ketchup; John Ryan and Tim Walsh of Point-the-Way; and Stuart Chaney, SokoHealth