Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Finalists Meet with Minister Humphreys and Minister Breen

The bid to find Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) moved into top gear as candidates prepare for the National Final on 15th September.

This year’s 24 IBYE finalists were in Dublin this week to meet with Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, T.D. and Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D.

The finalists had the opportunity to discuss their businesses and ideas with the Ministers ahead of the IBYE Final which will take place on the 15th September in Google HQ in Dublin.  The IBYE programme is run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in local authorities, funded by the Government of Ireland with the support of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland.

The 24 entrepreneurs also attended a pitch training day at Google HQ in Dublin where they were given extensive pitch training and they had the chance to meet their fellow finalists for the first time.

Ciaran Brennan from Ground Up Software Ltd. T/A “Livecosts.com” in Blanchardstown will be representing Fingal, and the Dublin Region, in the “Best start-up” category. In January 2018 Ciaran created LiveCosts.com, an artificial intelligence technology platform which helps construction companies increase their profits by leveraging said technology to manage and analyse their project costs in real time.

Oisín Geoghegan, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices and Head of Enterprise in Fingal wished Ciaran Brennan success in the final; “Ciaran is an exceptional entrepreneur with an ambitious plan to grow his business. He has the vision, drive and determination to become a global player in this sector and is a further example of how the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Dublin.  We wish him the very best of luck at the National Final.”   

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, T.D., said: “Our young entrepreneurs are our business leaders of the future; their ideas will help to create jobs and ensure that our economy continues to evolve and grow. We want to encourage entrepreneurship and that’s one of the reasons we’re lowering taxes and extending more social benefits to the self-employed. Congratulations to all this year’s IBYE finalists, who are showcasing the huge wealth of ideas that exist across the Irish start-up sector. This competition, and the recognition it provides, will be the first step for many of you on a long and hopefully successful entrepreneurial road.”

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, T.D., said: “The IBYE programme has been a hugely successful initiative of the Government with an investment fund of €2 million. Since its inception in 2014, it has attracted over 7,000 applications and has provided our young entrepreneurs with the peer-to-peer experience and contacts that open doors to help them on their entrepreneurial journey now and into the future. These finalists are Ireland’s very best young business minds and, whatever the result in the final, the supports will be there for them to continue in business.”  

The finalists for this year’s Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur include a recent BBC Dragons’ Den participant, an entrepreneur using artificial intelligence drones for river rescues, a serial entrepreneur bringing shopping from your phone to your door, a 19-year-old whose skills learned in transition year now sees her employ 23 people, an entrepreneur using plant based nutrition to combat MS and diabetes and a young woman who is revolutionising the methods by which horses are bred. 

The 24 IBYE Finalists for 2019 will be competing for a €100,000 fund across the three categories.  The winner of the Best Business Idea will receive a €15,000 investment with the runner up securing a €5,000 investment.  The Best Start-Up Business and Best-Established Business winners will receive a €25,000 investment each with the runners up in those categories receiving a €5,000 investment, while the 2019 Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur selected from the three category winners will receive an additional €20,000 investment. 

The Final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur takes place on Sunday 15th September at Google HQ in Dublin.  For more information on the competition go to www.IBYE.ie and for additional information on Local Enterprise Office supports and programmes go to www.LocalEnterprise.ie