Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at TCD
2nd June 2018
Three students at Trinity College Dublin were winners of a €50,000 investment fund for a winning pitch on Demo Day for their fledgling enterprise, Biological & Optical Prevention (BOP). The student entrepreneurs have created a solution that will prevent and treat healthcare associated infections. Their product changes colour depending on the germs present on a surface, eliminating them and completely disinfecting the area.
The winning students (pictured) are Sinéad McAleer, second year Computer Science and Business; David Ola, second year Human Genetics; and Paul Allan, third year Computer Science and Business. Demo Day was organised by the Trinity Business School and the investment fund was financed by TheStartUp.Com, a platform which supports entrepreneurs, from business design to investment.
Demo Day also marked the launch of the Trinity Business Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, an ambitious project that aims to foster high-level connectivity across the University and city, including faculty and students, investors, and service providers ─ all operating within a supportive infrastructure.
The Dean of Trinity Business School, Professor Andrew Burke explained: “The aim of this initiative is to connect relevant stakeholders in Dublin with Trinity Business School students who are working on new business ventures, providing them with mentorship and funding opportunities. Through the Trinity Business Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, students and Dublin-based stakeholders will have the opportunity to meet regularly and work on the ideation and development of new business ventures.”
Trinity has been ranked as the number 1 university in Europe for producing entrepreneurs by independent assessor, Pitchbook. The initiative seeks to build on that tradition of innovation by connecting Trinity students to investors, service providers and faculty who can help them develop and improve their business ideas.
The winning team won against stiff competition with seven other shortlisted teams comprising Trinity undergraduate and postgraduate business students who also pitched at the inaugural Demo Day on campus.
They included ideas from protein alternatives made from worms to virtual reality solutions for art sales, and from financial planning tools for millennials to Irish vegan food products.
The standard was so high that a runner up enterprise Work Smarter, led by students Anika Riley and Sebastian Khün, was also unexpectedly announced. The enterprise will offer a comprehensive toolbox for small business owners and freelancers that combines work management tools with a unique escrow payment and contract solution.
Both winners of Work Smarter and BOP will also go on to participate in Trinity’s highly successful accelerator programme, Launchbox 2018 this summer.
