National Startup Awards 2024 Launch

At the launch of the 2024 National Startup Awards today are (L-R) Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD, Jamie Heaslip, Ireland Strategic Growth Lead @ Stripe, Leo Clancy, CEO Enterprise Ireland, Stephen Dillon, Founder, The National Startup Awards

The 2024 National Startup Awards are celebrating 13 years of recognising Ireland’s best Startups and are open for entry now.

www.startupawards.ie

The National Startup Awards supported by Enterprise Ireland were officially launched today by Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD and Enterprise Ireland CEO, Leo Clancy. The competition recognises and rewards Irish startups for their success in business across 11 categories.

The competition, now celebrating its 13th year, has become a pivotal date in the Irish startup calendar, with the best and brightest startup companies being recognised at a national level. The National Startup Awards recognise the dedication, resilience and perseverance of entrepreneurs that are contributing so much to the nation’s economy. 

The competition is open to companies and organisations across all sectors which have been operational for up to 5 years. There are three key stages to the competition with qualifying entries first shortlisted by region and then nationally.

The Awards are judged by a panel of experts including Jamie Heaslip, Ireland Strategic Growth Lead @ Stripe, Anna Marie Turley, Head of Entrepreneurship & HPSU Operations at Enterprise Ireland, Des McCarthy, CEO Microfinance Ireland, Dr Ros Beere, Consultant at Furthr, Gary Fox, Host of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Paula Egan, Head of Sales at Sage, Kmla Sharma, Technical Lead at Hubspot and Michael O’Dea, Senior Development Advisor HPSU at Enterprise Ireland

A full list of judges is available at www.startupawards.ie 

Commenting on the 2024 Awards Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD Said

“On behalf of Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment I am thrilled to acknowledge the launch of the 2024 National Startup Awards, a celebration of Ireland’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. Supported by a variety of state agencies, including Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office, and backed by leading private sector companies such as Stripe and Microsoft, this event demonstrates the robust support network available to startups in Ireland. Together, these partnerships are fostering innovation, driving job creation, and positioning Ireland as a hub for world-class entrepreneurship. My very best of luck to all of the 2024 entrants."

Enterprise Ireland CEO, Leo Clancy added

“Enterprise Ireland is delighted to partner with the National Start-up Awards, reinforcing our unwavering commitment to fostering innovative, export-focused start-ups. A key priority for Enterprise Ireland is to enhance Ireland’s profile as a premier location for starting and scaling businesses. The National Startup Awards offers emerging companies a valuable platform to showcase the energy and innovation driving our start-up sector. We are particularly excited that this year's awards will feature a special prize recognising participants from the New Frontiers accelerator programme, highlighting the exceptional talent nurtured through this initiative. We look forward to engaging with the outstanding enterprises nominated, as we continue to champion innovation and entrepreneurial excellence". 

Stephen Dillon, Founder, Startups.ie added; "We are delighted and proud to launch the 2024 National Startup Awards! Over the years we have seen some incredible companies come through this program which is now recognised as the leading awards event for early stage businesses in Ireland.  The first few years in any business are by far the toughest and we believe that it is really important to give Startups as much support and encouragement as possible at this early stage. The National Startup Awards represents a fantastic opportunity for companies to showcase their businesses and gain valuable national & international exposure. Last year we received a very high volume of entries and met some truly inspirational entrepreneurs, we very much look forward to meeting this year’s entrants. I would like to wish all the startups taking part the very best of luck”.

To enter or nominate someone for a National Startup Award visit www.startupawards.ie and submit your application by October 17 2024.  Entry is free and is open to sole traders, partnerships and companies that have been set up in Ireland and that are in business for five years from date of incorporation or less On October 16 2024.  The awards judging committee will comprise representatives from  Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices ,BIC’s and leading Irish entrepreneurs. The regional finals will take place during November with the national Awards taking place in Dublin on Thursday, November 21st 2024  

The National Startup Awards are sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Microsoft, Stripe, Microfinance Ireland, McCann Fitzgerald LLP, Dublin City Council, Virgin Media Business, Furthr and Cronin & Co (Startup Accountant).

Notes for Editors

The National Startup awards shines a light on the best and brightest early stage companies in Ireland by providing a highly regarded national platform where the Startups can gain national and international recognition.

The National Startup Awards are now open for entries at www.startupawards.ie 

Closing date October 17 2024

Startup Awards 2024 categories

• Early Stage Startup
• EmergeTech Startup
• Fintech Startup
• AI Focused Startup
• Food & Drink Startup
• Sustainability Focused Startup
• Product & Manufacturing Startup
• eCommerce & Retail Startup
• Tech Startup
• Medtech Startup

Special Awards

Grand Prix - Best of Category 

To enter the awards visit www.startupawards.ie. Entries must be submitted by October 17th at 11.59PM

Ends

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