ESTHER set for success with New York prize

by Startacus Admin

ESTHER, a pocket-to-pocket giving app which allows a user to give directly to an individual living in poverty, wins an all-expenses paid trip to New York to showcase the business to some of the world’s top technology minds. 

A Belfast-based social impact, charity-focused tech startup has won an all-expenses paid trip to New York to showcase the business to some of the world’s top technology minds.

On a mission to empower 5000 of the lowest income families in the UK by 2021, ESTHER is a peer-to-peer giving app which allows a user to give directly to an individual living in poverty. Its founders, Carol Rossborough and Ailís Mone, picked up the prize as part of Digital DNA’s upSTART startup pitch comp, which they won last Wednesday.

Ailís Mone, the firm’s Chief Product Officer - explained that ESTHER will allow users to help make an impact within their own community. She said: 

“Donations received through the app can’t be spent on anything that is harmful - they can only be used for something that will help the end recipient. 

“We want to bridge the divide and give everyone the opportunity to prosper.”

Speaking about their plans to visit the tech startup scene in New York, Carol Rossborough - the firm’s Chief Executive - said they will be on a “fact-finding mission” as they aim to upscale the organisation over the next 18 months. She said:

“Looking ahead, we aim to launch in London at the start of 2020. After that, the plan is to move into the US market.

“There is a real wealth divide in major cities such as New York and San Francisco, so it’s important for us to learn what is happening in the American third sector. We’ll be speaking with charities on the ground as well as meeting investors and potential corporate partners. It’s a very exciting time for us.” 

Alastair Cameron, Startups Programme Manager at Digital DNA (and also co-founder of Startacus) praised the team, calling the idea behind ESTHER a “passion project turned reality”. He said:

“With a real emphasis on innovation, coupled with the potential to scale and grow, Ailis and Carol’s impassioned pitch saw them deservedly pick up the win at upSTART 2019. We said from the offset that this competition has a habit of finding the top tech talent in Northern Ireland and this year was no exception.”

ESTHER can next be seen pitching at the Propel Pre-Accelerator Showcase where the latest Ignite cohort will each presents a 3 minutes pitch at Ormeau Baths.

We look forward to also writing up a full feature on ESTHER over the coming weeks and a big congratuations to the Carol and Ailís! 

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Published on: 24th June 2019