Galway-based start-up ByoWave has been named the overall winner of InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition and received a cash prize of €10,000.

ByoWave makes modular, accessible and customisable video game controllers for people with disabilities.

The company has developed a new solution allowing users to build their own controllers based on their own physical needs, and have unrestricted access to the world of video-gaming.

Seedcorn is the only competition aimed at improving the investor readiness of innovative start-ups and early-stage business. In addition to a prize fund of €300,000, participants also benefit from business planning workshops, networking opportunities and access to angel investors and mentorship support throughout.

"Seedcorn has been a great journey for us, and we are over the moon to be named overall winners of this year’s competition," said Brandon Blacoe, CEO and co-founder of ByoWave. "The Seedcorn journey has been invaluable for us, and we are grateful to the programme team for all their support and encouragement throughout the process.”

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Eibhlin O'Riordan, co-founder of ByoWave, added: “There are millions of people all over the world with a physical disability that prevents them from using traditional video game controllers.

"Indeed, accessibility barriers affect 40% of gamers who have a disability. We have been working for the past two and a half years to develop solutions that help people overcome this barrier, and the €100,000 prize fund will go towards our product development as we build more accessible controllers to make gaming open for everyone.”

Atlas Smart Technologies, from Ballymena, Co. Antrim, won the Best New Start category award and a cash prize of €50,000.

Founded in 2021 by students of Queen’s University Belfast, Atlas has developed an adjustable smart dumbbell, the SmartBell, providing 26 different weight levels, and Stronger Mobile, a workout app that has been downloaded 38,000 times since launch this year.

Jack Fullerton, chief technology officer at Atlas Smart Technologies, said: “Being named Best New Start is a huge honour after what has already been an incredible journey for us, and the prize fund will go towards our product development and marketing.

"The InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition has been a perfect opportunity for us to refine our business plans and practise our pitch in front of experienced investors. We are delighted to have picked up the €50,000 prize, and the guidance and feedback we received throughout the competition will prove invaluable as we take SmartBell to market.”

Capella Workspace Solutions, a Dublin-based company specialising in technology to facilitate hybrid office and home based working, picked up the Sustainability/Low Carbon Award.

Now in its second year, the Low Carbon prize recognises start-ups innovating within the low carbon and green sector.

Cancer detection start-up EpiCapture Limited, won a €10,000 Special Award for best venture stemming from a university spin-out or support programme. Based in NovaUCD on the University College Dublin campus, EpiCapture has developed a cutting-edge diagnostic test for prostate cancer.

Congratulating the winners, Margaret Hearty, CEO at InterTradeIreland, said: “Seedcorn is all about promoting and nurturing the growth of innovative start-ups from across the island of Ireland, and it has been exciting to see fresh new talent from a range of sectors. 

"As well as rewarding the winners with a substantial cash prize, Seedcorn provides all entrants with specialist support and guidance to achieve their growth plans.

“ByoWave, Atlas Smart Technologies, Capella Workspace Solutions and EpiCapture each demonstrate the talent, fresh thinking and ‘can do’ attitude that epitomises the very best of what companies across this island have to offer.

"In the current challenging economic climate and with a global recession looming, it is innovative businesses like these who can embrace change and shape the future of our economies.  InterTradeIreland is proud to support these companies at this early stage of their development. We will continue to focus on supporting SMEs to start their innovation and export journey and help them navigate a pathway to growth."

Photo: Eibhlin O'Riordan, co-founder of ByoWave, overall InterTradeIreland Seedcorn winner pictured alongside James Logan, Jack Fullerton and Joseph Gillan, Atlas Smart Technologies who were named Best New Start, and InterTradeIreland's CEO Margaret Hearty and Chair Richard Kennedy.