Ten innovative start-up founders, who have successfully completed Phase 2 of the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Programme at South East Technological University (SETU), were honoured at the New Frontiers showcase held at Glassworks.
The showcase marked the culmination of an intensive six-month entrepreneurial journey, during which participants received comprehensive business supports, including expert mentoring and training, enabling them to build strong foundations for their new ventures.
The event also event represented a significant milestone as, for the first time, the SETU New Frontiers Waterford showcase took place at Glassworks, a 37-acre flagship innovation campus located on the historic former Waterford Crystal site.
Glassworks is designed to foster collaboration, creativity and global impact by bringing together research and industry to accelerate discovery, support enterprise, and drive regional transformation through innovation-led growth.
The event brought together stakeholders from across the regional start-up and innovation ecosystem, including Dr Patricia Bowe, Head of the Department of Management and Organisation at SETU, and Ciara Concannon, New Frontiers National Programme Manager at Enterprise Ireland.
On behalf of the Faculty of Business at SETU, Dr Patricia Bowe extended a warm welcome to attendees at this year’s Waterford New Frontiers showcase event.
The New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme, funded by Enterprise Ireland, is delivered twice annually by SETU across our Waterford and Carlow campuses, providing aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the South East with the knowledge, skills and support needed to transform innovative ideas into sustainable businesses.
Dr Patricia Bowe Head of the Department of Management and Organisation at SETU
“Over the past six months, this exceptional cohort has immersed themselves in Phase 2 of the programme, engaging deeply with their target markets, identifying customer challenges, and developing innovative solutions with strong commercial potential. Their commitment, creativity and resilience have been evident throughout the journey, and I wish each of these entrepreneurs every success as they continue to grow and develop their ventures.”
Ciara Concannon, New Frontiers National Programme Manager, acknowledged that the journey of an entrepreneur is not an easy one. “Having the privilege of managing this programme on a nationwide basis I see the effort it takes for entrepreneurs to go from start up to commercialisation and the support it takes from their families on this journey.
I’d like to congratulate this year’s cohort and hope New Frontiers has given them the springboard they need to go forward. For Enterprise Ireland, we have set an ambitious target of supporting 1,000 new start-ups by 2030. It is our ambition that Irish owned and started companies will be the primary driver of the Irish economy and that starts with programmes like New Frontiers.
Ciara Concannon New Frontiers National Programme Manager
SETU’s partnership with Enterprise Ireland through the New Frontiers Programme provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Delivered across SETU’s Waterford and Carlow campuses, the programme nurtures innovative ideas, supports early-stage businesses, and provides a live entrepreneurial learning environment where founders can develop and validate their business opportunities.
As part of the Waterford programme, nine of the 10 founders presented five-minute pitches showcasing their ventures, which address challenges and opportunities across a range of sectors including business intelligence, healthcare, equine management, fertility care, education technology, and AI governance.
Two participants were recognised with special awards on the day. The Best Business Opportunity Award, sponsored by Klearcom, was presented to Leo Moore of Subbie, a platform that automates the collection and calculation of SaaS metrics across multiple payment sources, removing the need for manual spreadsheet analysis.
The Most Innovative Business Idea Award, sponsored by Scurri, was awarded to Feargal Máirtín of SúilSiar Teoranta, an intelligent EdTech platform supporting bilingual and minority language education.
The winners were selected by an expert judging panel comprising Sandra Whelan, COO of Engage XR Holdings, Liam Dunne, CEO of Klearcom, and Dr Brian Casey, Lead for SETU’s Professional Doctorate in Design.
Both award winners received a €1,000 cash prize, generously provided by the sponsors, along with a bespoke handmade glass trophy sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. The trophies were created by the Irish Handmade Glass Company in Waterford, itself a former participant of the New Frontiers Programme.
Dr Eugene Crehan, New Frontiers Programme Director at SETU in Waterford, congratulated the cohort on their achievements and commitment throughout the programme.
I would like to commend you on your dedication in staying focused on the market opportunity, increasing your knowledge of your market, and developing solutions for your target customers. I hope that you can continue on your growth trajectories and that several of you will follow in the footsteps of former Waterford New Frontiers participants who have scaled their businesses, securing private investment and Enterprise Ireland’s Pre-Seed Start Fund and High Potential Start-Up funding.
Dr Eugene Crehan New Frontiers Programme Director at SETU in Waterford
Guest speaker Rory O’Connor, founder and CEO of Scurri and a former New Frontiers participant, shared insights into his own entrepreneurial journey, from his early days on the programme in Waterford in 2012 to building a global technology company.
Since participating in New Frontiers, Rory has grown Scurri into a leading technology business, securing more than €15 million in investment from European venture capital firms, private investors, and family offices. Today, Scurri’s technology powers more than 200 million parcel deliveries annually worldwide.
Attendees heard valuable insights into the realities of building and scaling a high-growth technology company, the importance of agility in overcoming challenges, and how early-stage businesses can harness emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to create competitive advantage.
SETU is looking forward to working with Enterprise Ireland to deliver New Frontiers in the South East over the next five years.
The New Frontiers Programme continues to play a vital role in developing the next generation of entrepreneurs in the region, helping them to transform ideas into sustainable businesses with national and international growth potential. For more information see SETU New Frontiers