5th September 2019
Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, a new cutting-edge innovation facility, co-located in the Trinity College Business School, has been officially launched by Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Mr. Pat Breen, T.D.
Supported by the university’s Innovation Partner, Bank of Ireland, the new innovation space will invest €6 million in aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs by 2020. The space will be the home to all of Trinity’s world class innovation supports and education programmes and is open to all students, alumni, entrepreneurs and innovators. The new facility has been specifically designed to foster the creation of ideas, with flexible workspaces and event space providing for co-working and innovation for all.
Speaking at the launch today, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Patrick Prendergast said; “Cultivating innovation and entrepreneurship is central to our education mission. Trinity is responsible for generating a fifth of all spin-out companies and is ranked number one in Europe for educating entrepreneurs. Trinity is also a proud member of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a unique EU initiative that boosts innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace provides a creative home with the right supports and investment to enable budding entrepreneurs to share ideas and succeed.”
Ken Finnegan, CEO of Tangent added; ‘When you consider 67% of all new job creation comes from businesses in the first five years and small businesses make up 99% of the enterprise community; our goal in Tangent is to enable and foster this ambition. Trinity Ideas Workplace will invest €6 million in talented entrepreneurs by 2020. This is an exciting start to an ambitious overall strategy to establish a globally competitive innovation district in Dublin, including plans for a campus at Grand Canal Quay”
Trinity’s Tangent programme has already produced many successful student-led entrepreneurs including Foodcloud, a social enterprise that helps businesses redistribute surplus food to those who need it; Touchtech, a payment processing venture; Artomatix, which develops tools for automating digital media creation; Equine MediRecord, which digitises the medical records of the multi-billion-euro horse racing industry’s equine stars; and Change Donations, which allows users to round up your everyday purchases to the next euro and donate spare change to the causes that mean the most to each donator.
Following in their footsteps are 11 start-up companies that are taking part in Trinity’s LaunchBox programme. To coincide with the launch of Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, the companies will take part in a competitive pitch process this afternoon in front of an expert panel of judges. The winner will receive €3,500 in prize money, office space in Dogpatch labs, and a place on the international accelerator programme Tangent Pioneer. Tangent Pioneer allows Trinity student start-ups the valuable opportunity to learn how to operate on a different (more competitive) international market. The four-day international programme will take place during the first semester (commencing 25th October). Bank of Ireland’s Innovation Lab New York will host the programme.
One of these companies is Bélú, a start-up co-founded by two Engineering graduates Anna Rafferty-Lynam and Alex Shackleton. Started initially as a master’s project, Anna and Alex have since developed a unique computer vision technology product to analyse and reduce food waste in the hospitality and food sector. Speaking about the benefits of the product Ms. Rafferty-Lynam said; “Food waste is the third largest contributor of harmful CO2 emissions. Often, food such as sandwiches and burgers automatically come with a side of chips or salad, which tend to end up in the bin. Our product works by tracking food waste and allowing chefs and managers to order more effectively and reduce portion sizes if required. It not only saves companies time, effort and money in terms of food preparation and meals, but it will reduce food going to landfill which is ultimately better for our environment.”
Minister of State, Mr Pat Breen said; “I fully support this new and exciting addition to Trinity College Dublin’s world class innovation and entrepreneurship education programme. In my role as Minister, I am acutely aware of the importance of innovation and its contribution to our economy. Educating and mentoring future innovators and entrepreneurs is crucial if we are to stay ahead in an ever-changing global market. Ireland is ranked 12th out of 126 countries in the Global Innovation Index and with educational support and investment in place through the Trinity Ideas Workplace, we can expect to move up the rankings in the near future.”
ENDS
Contact: Hazel Dobbyn, PR Consultant, Alice PR & Events, Tel: 087-4190341, email: hazel@alicepr.com.
Notes to Editor:
About Tangent, Trinity Ideas Workspace
Trinity is committed to providing a transformative learning environment that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship at all levels across the university. Tangent aims to inspire generations to explore new ideas, embrace a changing future, and pioneer disruptive thinking. Today Tangent has educated over 1000 students, and has accelerated nearly 120 companies. Tangent start-ups have generated economic impact and employment nationally and internationally employing 150 people to date and raising €9.4m in investment and funding.
Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace is a place in which to imagination, collaborate and put ideas into action that can change the world.
11 Launchbox Accelerator Programme Finalists
Aquahomes: Founded by James Kennedy, this is a unique solution to the housing crisis that involves upcycling decommissioned rescue boats.
Bounce Insights: For companies struggling to understand their customer, Bounce Insights takes the guesswork out of marketing. They provide a smartphone solution to market research, allowing companies to reach the mobile generation. Unlike competitors, Bounce offers clients the ability to hyper-target their audience, allowing them to reach anyone, anywhere, and at any time.
Way Home: This team is dedicated to finding a way to facilitate cashless donations to people experiencing homelessness.
Ethicart: makes sustainability simple by providing a user-friendly app, with quick, easy to understand information around the sustainability and ethical standards of products. If you want to shop more sustainably but lack time to research and a place to get the information needed, EthiCart enables and empowers you to buy products that align with your values.
Bélú: A waste analytics product that aims to reduce avoidable food waste in the hospitality and food sector. By giving users information on the type, amount, and source of the waste, Bélú users can make informed decisions about their menu and shopping patterns to reduce waste and save money.
LadyBird Dynamics: For residents who want to save money and time, LadyBird Dynamics provides technology enabled smart saving services on energy bills. Jolt Analytics services include a sensor and a Jolt app which enable you to monitor your utility spending, among other features.
KeepAppy: The app that puts wellness into pockets everywhere. With a combination of eight different features, KeepAppy empowers users to engage in their full wellbeing potential. KeepAppy is a social enterprise, with a mission to destigmatise mental illness and reduce the number of lives lost to suicide each year.
Elucid Audio: Between podcasters, radio presenters, musicians and sound technicians, Elucid Audio aims to tackle the challenges facing new users who try and enter the world of sound. Macallas’ team has over five years of AV production experience with a background in engineering, computer science, and business.
NeuronWoods: A Data Science and AI solutions company which operates on two business lines – Services and Products. NeuronWoods have launched their first product AI-logist, which is an AI assistant for radiologists.
- Study.ie is an aggregator of learning experiences that reduces the amount of steps someone needs to take in order to find learning that suits them. Study allows the individual to refine their search, compare and contrast offerings with their standardised offering layout, and ultimately make a booking or reserve their place.
Two White Socks: Traditional equestrian wear can be stiff, austere and lacking in colour. Not anymore! Two White Socks brings fun patterns and bright colours to the outfits of horse-riders, helping to brighten up their outfits (and lives). Designed for riders by riders, this game-changing equestrian apparel brand seeks to shake up rider wear for good.
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