Way2Pay, a fee collection system for schools, said it has completed a fundraising round of €500,000 to facilitate expansion into the UK market and further afield.

Founded by Denise O’Grady, Digital Hub-based Way2Pay allows parents to pay for an activity or event using text message, email or a dashboard if they don’t have a smartphone. The company recently introduced the first ever dedicated school payment app.

“We already have a strong customer base in both Northern and Southern Ireland and this investment will now help us rollout in the UK market,” said O’Grady. “The service was founded on highly innovative technology and makes fee payments between schools and parents much easier and more efficient.”

Denise O'Grady (centre) with Patrick Joy and EI's Susan Cahill

Way2Pay, which employs with people, is used in a quarter of all Irish post-primary schools and seven ETB schools across Ireland. The company participated in the DCU Ryan Academy’s Propellor Programme and the NDRC’s Launchpad programme.

In Association with

Investors in the company include Enterprise Ireland, Patrick Joy, founder of Suretank Group, and John Aiken from Jenson Solutions in England.

“I’m truly impressed by this business idea and by the energy and ambition of the founder Denise O’Grady,” said Joy, EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2013. “Way2Pay will easily transfer to other English-speaking markets with similar school systems.”