Fifteen startups led by women have started an online business accelerator programme to prepare for future growth and the search for investors.

The 12-week-long Innovate programme is facilitated by the Dublin Business Innovation Centre and will mentor participants in the drive to get their startups investor-ready while also developing a supportive peer network.

The 15 women entrepreneurs, who have also secured up to €50,000 each in CSF funding, hail from across Ireland and are aiming at global markets in sectors including digital, e-health, data intelligence and green technologies.

The fund is supported by Enterprise Ireland, whose high-potential startups divisional manager Jenny Melia said: “Greater gender diversity in senior roles will lead to better businesses. Enterprise Ireland has worked with Dublin BIC over recent years to deliver the ‘Innovate’ accelerator programme, exclusively for Women Entrepreneurs who are awarded CS funding. Since then, graduates of the programme have gone on to raise investment, enter export markets, recruit staff and very significantly grow their businesses.

“Overall, the programme aims to support the entrepreneur and their business to become investor ready and positioned for significant growth. Participants will have the opportunity to expand their networks including investors, mentors and peers.”

In Association with

One of the new participants is co-founder Aisling Kirwan of Positive Carbon, a green company that provides fully automated food waste monitoring for hotels and kitchens to save them thousands of euro each month on food costs. 

Kirwan said: “It's a particularly tricky time to be starting a business but, thanks to Enterprise Ireland's funding and support, we know that we are going to excel and be able to bring our solution to hotels all across the country and beyond. It's an amazing opportunity for us to grow our business and become investor ready, while developing keys skills.

 “It's really great to be working alongside so many talented women in the programme and allows for great collaboration and peer-to-peer support.”

Melia added that EI’s part-time key manager grant, on offer to client companies, is available for both women and men key managers, but that she expected it would “attract more women into senior management roles”. 

The grant covers up to 50% of eligible salary costs for a new senior manager who will play a significant strategic role in the future growth of a company.

Photo: Jenny Melia (left), Aisling Kirwan minister Damien English. (Pic: Maxwells)