Business & Finance highlights some of the top movers and shakers in Ireland.
RunLastMan.com
RunLastMan.com enables clubs and charities to raise funds for their organisations online through running sports prediction competitions.
Initially the product was based around the popular ‘last man standing’ competitions for the English Premier League, however, since launch the company has diversified to include games on rugby, GAA, NFL and golf.
In 2014, the company grew extensively with key developments including obtaining a gambling license which led to launching in the UK market in June. The service is free for clubs and charities, with RunLastMan.com taking 10% of each entry fee as payment.
Who’s behind it?
RunLastMan.com was established in 2013 by Graham Carrick, Daniel Holden and Ronan Ryan.
How is it funded?
Initially bootstrapped by the founding team, in January 2015, the company received €120,000 in new funding from three angel investors. This investment values RunLastMan.com at €1.1m.
Future plans?
The recent investment will go towards increasing the company’s mobile presence with the launch of an IOS app later in 2015, hiring additional staff and marketing spend in the UK.
Metabolomic Diagnostics
Based in Cork, Metabolomic Diagnostics is an innovative biotech company which is developing groundbreaking pregnancy risk stratification tests, through the use of metabolomic profiling.
The company is currently developing an early pregnancy test, PrePsia, to identify a woman’s risk of developing pre-eclampsia later in her pregnancy.
Who’s behind it?
Serial entrepreneur Charles Garvey established Metabolomic Diagnostics in 2011 as part of collaborating between UCC and the Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH). Garvey previously assisted the Horizon Technology Group in growing from a small privately held company to a major European multinational.
How is it funded?
Initially privately funded, Metabolomic Diagnostics received €750,000 in venture funding through a syndicate of investors including SOSventures Ireland Fund, AIB Seed Capital Fund and Enterprise Ireland in 2014, and received an additional €750,000 in 2015.
Future plans?
The company is currently focused on validating and commercially developing its pre-eclampsia test which should be available in hospitals later this year.
AventaMed
Medical device start-up AvetaMed is focused on improving patient care and reducing costs through the development of novel custom designed medical devices.
AvetaMed’s first product is a device which allows grommets – used in the treatment of ear infections – to be placed safely and quickly in an office setting, eliminating the need for surgery. With two million children worldwide requiring grommet insertion each year, it is the number one reason why children undergo surgery.
Who’s behind it?
The company was spun-out from the MEDIC research centre in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) by biomedical engineers Olive O’Driscoll and John Vaughan.
How is it funded?
AventaMed received some initial funding from the Enterprise Ireland commercialisation programme in 2012, but received a major boost in December 2014, when it was named ‘Best Overall Early Stage’ company at the 2014 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Competition, which earned came with a cash prize of €100,000.
Future plans?
AventaMed has just started clinical trials of the grommet-placement device in the UK, with hopes that the product will be ready for market by early 2016.
MyPlace Connect
MyPlace Connect is a fast growing tech company that provides free WiFi to users in 10 different countries.
Using the MyPlace Connect platform means hotels, restaurants, pubs and other venues no longer have to give out WiFi passwords and instead ask users to make a one-off registration to the MyPlace Connect platform. For registered users it means always free WiFi and for the venues it is a marketing opportunity and a proven way to build customer loyalty.
MyPlace Connect recently launched a bespoke services for the hotel and accommodation sector and has an integrated login process with TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest travel site.
Who’s behind it?
MyPlace Connect was founded in 2011 in Dublin by CEO Peadar Gormley, who was previously a director at Captive Communications.
How is it funded?
The company is completely self-funded to date.
Future plans?
Working with Enterprise Ireland, MyPlace Connect expects further international growth in the coming months, with strong expansion in the hotel and accommodation market in Ireland, England and Europe.
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