Kildare tech company The Beauty Buddy has won the second annual AIB Women in Enterprise programme. It will share winnings of €40,000 with fellow finalists Flowithme, Advanced Technical Concepts, Chupi and Dooley’s Hotel, who were also awarded prizes.

The Beauty Buddy is a data analytics company for the beauty and cosmetic industry. Founded in 2017 bu sisters Wendy Slattery and Tracy Leavy,  The Beauty Buddy gathers data for beauty brands and retailers through a TripAdvisor-type app, where users can rate and find products they’ve used or want to use.

The Beauty Buddy recently raised €340,000 from investors that included the NDRC.

Almost 80 companies took part in the AIB Women in Enterprise programme, an eight-month initiative that kicked off in December 2018. The programme saw more than 300 businesses take part in a series of half-day masterclasses across Ireland to improve their leadership and communication skills.

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Wendy Slattery (pictured above) said the programme helped her business with its growth strategy. “The academy exceeded our expectations and I would recommend any female CEO or MD to apply to participate,” she stated. “One of the best parts was to share this journey with like-minded, inspirational, ambitious, positive women.”

The other award winners in the programme were:

Business Development Award – Flowithme. The Cork-based wellness business combines yoga, cooking and life coaching services.

Leadership Development Award – Advanced Technical Concepts. ATC is based in Clare, providing engineering and supply chain components, parts and solutions to manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland.

Strategic Growth – Dooley’s Hotel Waterford. The female-led business has comprises a 112-bed hotel with restaurant, bar and conference suite.

Strategic Growth – Chupi. Founded by former Topshop designer Chupi Sweetman, this Dublin-based jewellery brand sells products in more than 60 countries.

Photo: Wendy Slattery (left) and Tracy Leavy