Three ‘New Frontiers’ companies to pitch for €10k prize in March
Tony Staunton of Propertygate, Kevin Ryan of Pura Light and Tim Schmidt of Simply Connected are to compete for the title of ‘Best investment proposal 2014’ and a €10,000 prize at the Docklands Innovation Park Enterprise Awards.
All participants on the Enterprise Ireland-funded Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Hothouse New Frontiers programme (past or present), the finalists will pitch their investment proposals and be questioned by a panel of judges on their business plans on 6 March.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Dublin, Propertygate is designed for large-scale asset managers who require a single platform to provide instant transparency of their portfolio. In July 2013, the company won the NDRC’s Swequity programme and Launchpad V11 with an investment prize of €30,000.
Staunton has a degree in computer science from DIT Bolton St. Before setting up Propertygate, he worked for a number of successful Irish technology companies including Taxback.com and HostelWorld.com.
Pura Light has developed a product utilising proven technology to combat the growing global issue of hospital acquired infections.
Its product will re-circulate the air from the environment through a uniquely designed germicidal chamber exposing the bacteria to the relevant ultra violet wavelengths.
Pura Light was formed in 2013 by Ryan and Fergus Hopper, both of whom have extensive business knowledge and experience with start-ups.
Having completed the New Frontiers programme, Ryan now plans to start testing in some of the 26,500 healthcare institutions throughout Ireland and the UK.
SimplyConnected has developed a software platform that is enterprise or cloud-based to manage and monitor smart devices.
Its software can provide instant alerts when a device stops functioning or has technical issues. It provides a direct relation to the “owner” of the device, so the person responsible for the device can be notified.
A current New Frontiers participant, Schmidt moved to Ireland from the US in 2013.
He has extensive experience in large scale software enterprises and international business consulting. He is a graduate of Northwood University, Michigan.