Student entrepreneurs travel to the US with their new businesses

Posted on: 24 October 2019

Seven Trinity student and alumni-created startups are this week tapping into the stateside market as ‘Tangent Pioneers’ – Trinity’s international accelerator programme – takes place.

The programme will ensure six award-winning startups will develop new contacts and mentors in the US while learning how to operate in a very different and more competitive market.

The programme is being led by ‘Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace’, which is an exciting, recently launched initiative at Trinity College Dublin that is supported by Bank of Ireland.     

Tangent, based in Trinity, provides cutting-edge innovation and entrepreneurship education; start-up company acceleration programmes; innovation and entrepreneurship community events; and supports for fledgling to mature entrepreneurs all across Ireland and beyond.

The Tangent Pioneers programme represents one of the first forays into the global entrepreneurship ecosystem by these Irish startups.

Ranked number one university in Europe for graduate entrepreneurship by Pitchbook 2019/20, Trinity is now internationalising its entrepreneurial programmes, giving student and graduate entrepreneurs access to the one of the best ecosystems in the world to develop their new businesses.

Gavan Drohan, Head of Student Entrepreneurship at Trinity, said:

Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace is committed to supporting and developing our student startups. We are grateful for all the support we are receiving on this trip and are excited to see how the US market responds to some really innovative solutions.

Over the course of the five-day programme Trinity startups will engage with a diverse mix of US startups, alumni and recruiters.

Events will begin with a welcome session at the Bank of Ireland Innovation Lab in New York. In addition to a unique workspace and environment, the programme will let these startups benefit from personalised coaching and support from business leaders.

As the week progresses, the startups will spend time with Techstars NYC (a global network with access to over 1,500,000 founders, investors, mentors, and industry leaders); meet representatives of Enterprise Ireland; and deliver pitches to potential investors.

The seven startups travelling to New York comprise of a Consumer Insights company (Bounce Insights); an app that puts wellness into peoples’ pockets (KeepAppy); a rapid housing solution (Aquahomes); an equestrian clothing company (Two White Socks); a social enterprise that helps users donate to charities (Change Donations); a next-generation art tools company (Artomatix); and a social enterprise that turns food waste into a food need (FoodCloud).