£50k up for grabs at Newry tech and innovation conference start-up competition

by Startacus Admin
-min.png)
A couple of weeks ago we announced that one Early-stage Irish start-up will walk away with £50,000-worth of cash and business support at the Innovation Nation 2018 Ascend Start-up Competition. Applications now close asap!
The inaugural tech and innovation conference taking place in Newry on 27th September has teamed up with leading startup platform Startacus (that's us!) to deliver the all-island irish pitch competition where up to 12 early-stage startups will be given a platform to showcase their latest innovation.
The Ascend Start-up Competition will see Irish startups (both North and South) with high growth potential from the digital and tech sectors taking to the stage to pitch their business to a panel of industry leaders and enterprise experts, as well as in front of the Innovation Nation 2018 attendees.
Apply here - closing date is Friday 14th September
The winning start-up, to be announced at the Innovation Nation 2018 Dinner on Thursday 27th September at the Newry Town Hall, will receive a cash prize of £3,000, as part of a wider £50,000 package of high value corporate and professional services.
Ascend start-up competition
The Ascend judging panel is made up of Kevin McGivern of Kx, Ashleen Feeney of KPMG in Northern Ireland, Fiona McElroy of Ulster University, Garrett O’Hare of Flexi Work Space and Drew O’Sullivan of InterTradeIreland.
Kevin McGivern of Kx commented: “We are thrilled to be supporting Innovation Nation 2018, and in particular the Ascend Start-up Competition, which will celebrate and highlight the wealth of entrepreneurial talent across the island of Ireland.
“With a significant prize package worth over £50,000, the winning start-up will receive industry-leading professional and business advisory services from some of the event’s key sponsors, and I have no doubt Ascend will prove a success at the inaugural Innovation Nation.”
Cllr Mark Murnin, chair of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council added: “We are pleased to offer a platform for the significant level of start-up talent that exists across the Newry, Mourne and Down district, and indeed across the island of Ireland.
Innovation Nation 2018, which is being run by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and a number of supporting partners from the public and private sectors, will show how organisations can use the latest innovations and technology to drive their businesses and will shine a light on the burgeoning tech scene in Newry and the surrounding area.
The Innovation Nation 2018 conference will take place on the 27th & 28th September, with the second day delivered in partnership with Catalyst Inc. which is lending its expertise to shape an exciting programme for up to 300 school children from 10 schools across the Council area.
To apply for the Ascend Start-up Competition, & for more info on the criteria, visit www.nmdinnovationnation.com
Apply asap as the closing date to apply is Friday 14th September!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Karen Meager, co-founder of Monkey Puzzle Training shares some insights on how leadership has changed in the last decade, and what it takes to be a great leader today.

Freight rate management platform Freightify raises Series A investment to support further international growth and mission to help more freight forwarding companies digitize their operations.

Crowdfunding success for Omni, the vegan dog food brand, reaffirms the recession-proof growth of the pet nutrition industry.

Want to learn a new language? Weeve is an innovative startup that has created an innovative, creative and effective way to help you do just that.

Want to build an investable, scalable tech startup? The Raise Accelerator programme is now open for applications and will help you do just that.

Want to increase visual engagement for your startup's Instagram account? These tips will help you do just that.

Fashion innovation thanks to Italian Artisan and its B2B one-stop marketplace that connects international brands with hard-to-get authentic artisans.

Want to gain an edge over your business competitors? Listening to your audience is an absolute must.

The Clothes Doctor mission to fight fast fashion continues as the innovative eco clothing care brand raises £1m to support further growth.

If you plan on using social media to promote your brand, these simple rules will help, increasing both brand awareness and the number of consumers.
Published on: 5th September 2018
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Freightify secures $12M funding round to power digital transformation for freight forwarders 2nd Feb 2023 Freight rate management platform Freightify raises Series A investment to support further international growth and mission to help more freight forwarding companies digitize their operations.
- Vegan Dog Food Brand, Omni Smashes £400K Crowdfunding Target 1st Feb 2023 Crowdfunding success for Omni, the vegan dog food brand, reaffirms the recession-proof growth of the pet nutrition industry.
- Raise Spring Accelerator programme seeking applications for next cohort 30th Jan 2023 Want to build an investable, scalable tech startup? The Raise Accelerator programme is now open for applications and will help you do just that.
- Leading French Travel Co. Offers Mentoring to two UK startups on its prestigious two-month programme 23rd Jan 2023 High-potential social impact startups from the UK sought for the 9th annual Les Tremplins by Voyage Privé programme.