Social enterprises among 13 new startups seeking investment

Posted on: 27 June 2019

How can we all live more sustainable lives, achieve our full wellbeing potential, and do more to support people caught up in Ireland’s homelessness crisis?

These are just three examples of societal questions that teams of budding student entrepreneurs are aiming to answer via the development of new startups at Trinity College Dublin. A total of 13 teams – some social enterprises and some profit-seeking – are currently being nurtured by experts in Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, as Ireland’s first and most successful student accelerator, LaunchBox, kicks into gear for its seventh season.

Over the next three months, the teams will benefit from office space, funding, mentorship, access to alumni, partner and investor networks, and the ideal collaborative environment from which to launch new startups that LaunchBox extends to them. The teams will work diligently to deliver investor-ready ventures by the end of the summer, when they will pitch to investors.

CEO of Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, Ken Finnegan, said:

We are very excited to be welcoming 13 new student companies onto this year’s LaunchBox programme – Tangent’s student accelerator and Ireland’s first and most successful student accelerator.

 At Tangent, we are inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators to explore new possibilities, embrace a changing future and empower disruptive thinking.  We are proud to work with our students over the summer to help support the development of their innovative ideas. This programme showcases why Trinity remains an international leader in producing entrepreneurs.

Since 2013, 70 student ventures have created 130 jobs and raised €9.4 million in investment and funding through the Tangent accelerator.

Their companies include:

• Foodcloud, a social enterprise that helps businesses redistribute surplus food to those who need it
• Touchtech, a payment processing venture
• Artomatix, which develops tools for automating digital media creation Equine MediRecord, which digitises the medical records of the multi-billion-euro horse racing industry’s equine stars — read more here
• Change Donations, which allows users to round up your everyday purchases to the next euro and donate spare change to the causes that mean the most to each donator.

Meet the 2019 teams

Aquahomes: A unique solution to the housing crisis that involves upcycling decommissioned rescue boats.

Bounce: For companies struggling to understand their customer, Bounce takes the guesswork out of marketing. They provide a smartphone solution to market research, allowing companies to reach the mobile generation.

CashBox: This team is dedicated to finding a way to facilitate cashless donations to people experiencing homelessness.

Ethicart: makes sustainability simple by providing a user-friendly app, with quick, easy to understand information around the sustainability and ethical standards of products.

Flowaste: A waste analytics product that aims to reduce avoidable food waste in the hospitality and food sector. By giving users information on the type, amount, and source of the waste, Flowaste users can make informed decisions about their menu and shopping patterns to reduce waste and save money.

Jolt Analytics: For residents who want to save money and time, Jolt Analytics provides technology enabled smart saving services on energy bills. Jolt Analytics services include a sensor and a Jolt app which enable you to monitor your utility spending, among other features.

KeepAppy: The app that puts wellness into pockets everywhere. With a combination of eight different features, KeepAppy empowers users to engage in their full wellbeing potential.

Macalla: Between podcasters, radio presenters, musicians and sound technicians, Macalla aims to tackle the challenges facing new users who try and enter the world of sound. Macallas’ team has over five years of AV production experience with a background in engineering, computer science, and business.

NeuronWoods: A Data Science and AI solutions company which operates on two business lines – Services and Products.

snaggletooth: An innovative toothbrush company devoted to fighting gum disease. snaggletooth toothbrushes are like a dream date – handsome and smart – but it is when you get it home that you see all it has to offer!

Study.ie: Study is an aggregator of learning experiences that reduces the amount of steps someone needs to take in order to find learning that suits them. Study allows the individual to refine their search, compare and contrast offerings with their standardised offering layout, and ultimately make a booking or reserve their place. 

The EcoSystem: The EcoSystem focuses on improving the efficiency of utilising existing space by providing secure and comfortable Japanese capsule style accommodation to homeless people.

Two White Socks: Traditional equestrian wear can be stiff, austere and lacking in colour. Not anymore! Two White Socks brings fun patterns and bright colours to the outfits of horse-riders, helping to brighten up their outfits (and lives). Designed for riders by riders, this game-changing equestrian apparel brand seeks to shake up rider wear for good.