Tracknstop Win €10000 “Hatch Youth Incubator” Prize at the #WebSummit

After three intense days, the Web Summit’s youngest VCs, taking part in Hatch Youth Incubator Programme, backed by AIB have selected Tracknstop, an anti-car theft app, as Ireland’s next big tech start-up company.

Representing Team Eminence, the winning Hatch team, Orla Ainsworth said, ‘We are delighted that our selected start up, Tracknstop, has won. The past three days have been a huge eye-opener in terms of the world of tech and the fast pace at which it works; it is definitely an area that we are all keen to pursue a future in.’

The Hatch Youth Incubator Programme saw 20 students from around the country, aged sixteen to eighteen, take part in a three day challenge at the Web Summit in a search to find the next big Irish tech start-up.

Each day the students received mentoring sessions from some of the Web Summit’s influential speakers such as Mike de Jesus from Twitter, Niamh Breslin, IDA and Kim Pham, Frontline Venture and workshops with computer programming youth group, Coderdojo and motivational coach, Annie Scaife from Seachange Now.

Over the three days, the students were split into teams of four as they confidently approached their researched start-ups whilst keeping the €10,000 prize fund a secret. On day three, each Hatch team’s start-up of choice, took to the Pitch Stage, in a bid to convince the teams and their mentors that they were the worthy winner.

After much consideration and four passionate performances, Tracknstop was selected as the Hatch winner of the €10,000 prize.

Brian Keating, AIB Brand Director, commented; “As the leading bank for students, it was really exciting for us to work with the Web Summit in creating the Hatch Youth Incubator Programme in order to give Irish students the opportunity to experience the Web Summit and get totally involved in an exciting start-up project.”

“These students are Ireland’s future entrepreneurs and innovators and over the three days they have done some amazing work and will take away a lot from the whole experience. We are very happy with the student selection of Tracknstop, they are most certainly a worthy winner.”