Time is running out to apply for the upcoming cohort of IGNITE, an award-winning business incubation programme run out of UCC. We talk to IGNITE’s director Eamon Curtin about how the programme has evolved.
Promising start-ups are being urged to apply for the next IGNITE programme at UCC.
Co-funded by Bank of Ireland through a public-private partnership, IGNITE offers a distinctive programme for people to transform their ideas into successful start-ups. The application deadline for the October 2024 programme is August 26th, 2024. To learn more click here
“We’re actually seeing more PhD or Master’s graduates coming to us, or in general people who are a little later in life than the more recent graduates that were typically the case. It’s a pretty significant change”
Established in 2011, IGNITE is a collaborative initiative between University College Cork (UCC), Bank of Ireland, Cork City and Cork County Councils, and the Cork Local Enterprise Offices. This partnership combines public and private resources to foster entrepreneurship and drive enterprise creation among Ireland’s recent graduates.
IGNITE is dedicated to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing comprehensive support that includes funding, mentorship, and specialised training.
Blazing a trail
The start-up programme’s director Eamon Curtin told ThinkBusiness how the programme has evolved.
Over the past decade, IGNITE has supported more than 175 start-ups and 211 founders, leading to the creation of impactful companies such as AnaBio Technologies, LegitFit, TrustAp, Telea, Addaptiv, Recruitroo, Neurobell, TrustDish, and Zirkulu.
These success stories underscore IGNITE’s commitment to nurturing innovative ideas and transforming them into thriving businesses.
Most recently Trustap has raised $5.5m in Series A funding round, bringing the company’s funding to more than $9m.
“What we’re seeing a far greater diversity in terms of the people coming to us with ideas,” Curtin explained. “We’re actually seeing more PhD or Master’s graduates coming to us, or in general people who are a little later in life than the more recent graduates that were typically the case. It’s a pretty significant change. We’re seeing a greater diversity of sciences and technologies and the kind of industries that they wish to work in.”
IGNITE itself has changed considerably since its early days in 2011. Curtin said the main difference is the focus on business disciplines that budding entrepreneurs need to grasp. Not only that, but IGNITE has reduced the size of groups that start-ups take part, to ensure greater focus.
“The start-up founder comes first. We’ve worked hard to shape the programme so that it meets the founder’s and the start-ups needs rather than having them bend themselves out of shape to meet a prescribed porogramme. Our workshops focus on topics like customer discovery, marketing, branding, communications, financial projections, writing a business plan, project management for start-ups and pitching to investors. These topics are addressed in small group workshops. It’s not a training programme where people have to sit through a 50-slide deck. It’s more of a facilitated discussion focused on how these learnings have been applied.
“It’s very much geared around equipping the founder with skills and adapting it around the particular stage of the development of the start-up.”
How IGNITE sparks potential
Support: Tailored support for those fresh out of third-level education, providing the tools and guidance needed to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey. €5,000 Seed Funding: Receive initial €5000 financial support along with expert advice on accessing additional funding avenues as they progress.
Expert Mentorship: Learn from experienced mentors across various industries who will guide you through the challenges of launching and growing your start-up.
No Equity Taken: Maintain full ownership and control of your business while benefiting from comprehensive support services.
Specialised Training: Gain essential skills through workshops and seminars covering finance, pitching, business planning, sales, and more.
Main image at top: Eamon Curtin, director, UCC IGNITE
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