Successful Startup Weekend in Limerick

By@SimonCocking

Interview with Keith Kennedy @keithdkennedy, mentor at the recent Limerick Startup Weekend.

How many teams took part?

From 17 initial pitches, various mergers of teams and break outs we had 6 final teams make it through the weekend to present on Sunday.

What were their names and their ideas?

Head Food

Healthy meals that really are good for you

Mark Carey, Maree Lanigan, Kieran Normoyle, and Duncan Kerin

Haulio

An efficiency driven haulage management platform that gives hauliers access to more jobs, and companies access to more hauliers.

Eoin Kelleher, Criomhthainn McCarthy and Keith Loughrane

Honest Fit

Web/app based system helping you find clothes that fit

Sorcha moore, Ali I Dobyan, Bhupathy Subramanyam, Gerald Glynn, Harry VanHaaren, Fiona Kiely and Bríd Davis

Insight VR

Enabling visually impaired persons to explore real places with real sound physics through Virtual Reality.

Simon Spratt, Marius Pranskunas, and Rick Nassar

Olive Branch

Cost effective work conflict resolution solutions

Liam Moore, JP Sheehan, Sallyanne O’Sullivan

Sort’D

A life planner app audio and motion features

Jonathan Roddy, David Watters and Mohammad AlZahrani

Who were the judges / mentors ?

Judges:

• Gert O’Rourke – CEO Nexus Innovation Centre https://twitter.com/gertorourke
• Kieran Martin – Senior Business Manger Bank of Ireland
• Tony Treacy–IrrusInvestments

Mentors:

• • Shane McCarthy – CEO Bluechief – https://twitter.com/shanebluechief
  • Stephen Dunworth – GM Bluechief – https://twitter.com/stevebluechief
  • Gareth Chambers – CEO Around Noon – https://twitter.com/ScribblesFood
  • Shane McCallister – CEO Mobanode – https://twitter.com/Shaneymac
  • Gillian Horan – MD The Pudding – https://twitter.com/GillianHoran
  • AodhO’Mahony – Collegecribs.ie – https://twitter.com/aodh0_o
  • James Corbett – Co-Founder Simvirtua – https://twitter.com/eirepreneur
  • David Quaid – Director of Inbound Marketing Manager Kemptech – https://twitter.com/davidgquaid
  • Gillian Barry –Enterprise Development & Business Liaison Manager -https://twitter.com/GillianBarry
  • Ronan Skehill – CEO Cauwill – https://twitter.com/skehillr
  • AislinnO’Flynn – CEO Sensomi – https://twitter.com/Aislinn_OFlynn
  • David O’Shea – CEO nTrai – https://twitter.com/oshea_david
  • Briga Hynes – Entrepreneurship Lecturer at U.L.
  • Keith Kennedy –Freelance Designer – https://twitter.com/keithdkennedy

Who won, in reverse order, honorable mention, 3 – 2 – 1

Honorable Mention / Crowd Favourite: Insight VR

3^rd place: Honest Fit

Sorcha moore, Ali I Dobyan, Bhupathy Subramanyam, Gerald Glynn, Harry VanHaaren, Fiona Kiely and Bríd Davis

2^nd place: Haulio

Eoin Kelleher, Criomhthainn McCarthy and Keith Loughrane

1^st place: Head Food

Mark Carey, Maree Lanigan, Kieran Normoyle, and Duncan Kerin

How did it go?

After a post breakout with the judges, organisers and all of the attendees the consensus was that the weekend was a resounding success. In 54 short hours a group of people who for the majority had never met before came together, formed ideas and teams as their idea continued to evolve and grow into a viable presentable product. The entire weekend was a flurry of positive energy as everyone worked together and learned from each other, naturally all of that positivity rubs off on you and you look at what can be achieved in the future as our new fledgling entrepreneurs take their first steps into the wider world of business.

What did people do well?

Having mentored at previous startup events I was hugely impressed with how well people banded together and formed their tightly knit teams, roles were delegated and strengths came to the fore. Above everything the attendees knew they were here to evolve and learn and took stock of everything their mentors and indeed the organisers afforded them when it came to advice and best practice.

Any tips for future attendees?

If you have an idea, never be afraid to pitch, hustle or chase down what you need to make that happen. I saw a group of people almost transform from being afraid of the unknown on Friday to assertive confident would be entrepreneurs on Sunday.

Will there be another event?

Given the hugely positive reaction to our inaugural event, plans and talks have already turned to planning a series of events in 2015.

Anything else you want to add / or that I should have asked?

Without the incredible support of our sponsors, volunteers and mentors the weekend would not have been the amazing experience it turned into. From myself and all of the organisers we would just like to express our immense thanks for all of their help.

We also have to mention our amazing facilitator Suzy Bureau who flew all the way from Ohio, USA to be with us for the weekend, her energy and commitment to the cause made our jobs so much easier and her uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable and at ease was the reason pitching on Friday went so well while carrying this positivity through all the way to Sunday’s presentations.

https://twitter.com/suzybureau

Finally a special thanks to KehlanKirwan who tirelessly filmed the entire event for us from Friday evening all the way through to Sunday night.

https://twitter.com/kehlank