Start-ups secure investment following LaunchPad at NDRC

To date start-up enterprises supported by the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) have secured €10m in commercial investment following their time there, it has reported.

A significant number have also graduated from NDRC’s LaunchPad accelerator programme, and NDRC is holding an information night on 28 November where any interested party can learn more about the next one before the entry deadline of 14 December.

Successful companies that have participated in LaunchPad include Boxever and LogEntries which have recently secured investment following the programme.

The LaunchPad programme attracts aspiring entrepreneurs and recent researchers with ideas and intellectual property capable of being brought to market and achieving a commercial return.

NDRC provides up to €20,000 per project in pre-seed investment to support the founders during the three month programme.

Gary Leyden, NDRC LaunchPad director, explained: “LaunchPad’s structured programme provides hands-on mentoring over 12 weeks which helps the new innovators evolve their businesses. Support is not only from experienced professionals, but also potential investors.

“Should a start-up be selected for the programme, it will undergo the intensive three-month programme and, at the end, ‘pitch’ for follow-on investment. Participants will also have the option of a further six to nine months of development time at NDRC in Dublin.”

Sorcha Corcoran