ESB and Web Summit announce final three Spark of Genius finalists

ESB has announced the final three Spark of Genius finalists in its search for Ireland’s most high potential start-up. The five finalists pitched live on RTE 2FM’s The Eoghan McDermott Show last week and the final three were chosen by an expert ESB and Web Summit judging panel:

Coroflo is developing the world’s first accurate breastfeeding monitor. Mothers can now know how much milk their baby is getting.

Electrical Analytics use data and automation to provide actionable intelligence on the health and performance of power transformers.

Mobility Mojo is an award-winning website that works like TripAdvisor but focuses on Accessibility.

Representatives from each company will travel to Lisbon to exhibit at Web Summit and pitch live to an audience of global investors, with one finalist winning the ultimate prize of a cash injection from ESB of €25,000 as well as mentoring from ESB Innovation Experts.

The ESB Spark of Genius Award is open to high potential technology start-ups who have been in operation for less than three years and have received under €1 million in funding. Entrants are judged on the uniqueness of their idea, their level of development to date, and their potential for future growth.

Now in its seventh year, the ESB Spark of Genius Award is the longest running competition of its kind in Ireland, offering unrivalled exposure to entrepreneurs and investors at Web Summit, the world’s fastest growing tech conference. It has a strong track record of success with previous winners using the award as a launch pad to grow their companies, with €20 million in funding secured by winners since its inception in 2010.

Congratulating the three finalists, John McKiernan, Head of External Collaboration at ESB, said:

“ESB is collaborating with a cohort of tech startups and creative entrepreneurs to develop a range of compelling futuristic services for all our customers to make their living, working and commuting more comfortable and less carbon intensive. We are delighted to continue our engagement with the Irish startup community which is thriving judging by the high number and quality of entries for the ESB Spark of Genius 2017 competition. More particularly, we congratulate the three successful finalists who are sure to be super ambassadors for the indigenous Irish tech community as they compete at Web Summit in Lisbon for the overall ESB Spark of Genius title. Good luck guys!”

Patrick Griffith, Head of start-ups at Web Summit added: “We are looking forward to seeing the three ESB Spark of Genius finalists pitch in Lisbon. Web Summit is an incredible backdrop for these three finalists to pitch their products in front of a global audience.”

More than 60,000 people from over 170+ countries will attend Web Summit this year in Lisbon. Keynote speakers include: Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition: Brian Krzanich, CEO Intel; Al Gore, Former US Vice President; Mark Hurd, CEO Oracle and Sean Rad, Co-Founder, Tinder.

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