By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance highlights some of the top movers and shakers in Ireland.
Codacast
What is it?
Codacast specialises in the creation of branded, trackable QR codes. A branded code differentiates one company from another by including the company logo at the centre of the image and adding brand-related colours instead of the ‘traditional’ black and white squares. The tracking technology behind the codes provides clients with precise performance data, facilitating return on investment analysis for each code created.
Who’s behind it?
Codacast was founded by Mark White in September 2014. The concept behind Codacast originated when he spotted two QR codes on separate posters beside each other. The codes looked almost identical. Over the course of a few months researching the technology behind QR codes the same question kept cropping up: how to differentiate one code from another?
How is it funded?
The company has been entirely self-funded from the outset. The current focus of operations is to consolidate the client-base in 2015 with a view to attracting private investment later in the year.
Future plans?
Codacast recently added a feature to the product which allows clients to include a Facebook prompt with their codes. This results in the person being prompted to share the code on their Facebook timeline before being redirected to the web address embedded in the code. Codacast plans to add other social networks to the system in the coming months.
Dobiquity
What is it?
Dobiquity is a digital platform that helps hospitality enterprises to increase efficiency and reduce costs by replacing inefficient manual processes with user-friendly web and mobile apps. Dobiquity is the first in the market to offer a ‘suite’ of productivity apps that allow hospitality operators to digitise important tasks; everything from managing product and service quality to measuring employee engagement levels. Since its recent launch, the company has already attracted high-profile subscribers such as PREM Group, as well as many independent hotels.
Who’s behind it?
Dobiquity was founded by Enda Larkin, an experienced hotel manager, consultant and business author with over 30 years’ experience.
How is it funded?
To date, over €150,000 has been invested in bringing the offering to market, which was primarily self-financed. A start-up grant from the Dùn Laoghaire Rathdown Local Enterprise Office also helped establish the venture. Having now proven the validity of the concept, and established a revenue record, Dobiquity is actively seeking an investment partner to support an ambitious growth strategy.
Future plans?
Initial focus will be on the Irish and UK markets, but with its cloud-based delivery model, Dobiquity is potentially a global business. There is already interest from hospitality operators in the US, across Europe and beyond. The team at Dobiquity is expected to grow to 10 people by 2018.
GoConqr
What is it?
GoConqr is on a mission to challenge traditional learning models by developing an innovative learning platform that meets the demands of the digital age. Already over 1.1 million members have signed up worldwide.
Rather than just consume content passively, GoConqr members can create, discover and share content online for a deeper learning experience.
It is empowering teachers to introduce new learning models such as the flipped classroom and blended learning.
Who’s behind it?
GoConqr was founded in 2012 by Dualta Moore who has had entrepreneurial success in the education sector through SAMI and Software4Students.
Moore spotted an opportunity to develop a solution that would suit students’ learning requirements and that would also be easily accessible through the cloud.
How is it funded?
The company has been funded to date by bootstrapping and has also received some funding support from Invest NI in setting up the development team in Belfast.
Future plans?
The next step for Moore and the GoConqr team is to hit 2 million users before the end of the year.
The company employs 25 people between two offices in Dublin and Belfast, and GoConqr hopes to recruit additional team members to grow the business further.
Q-Validus
What is it?
Q-Validus is an international certification provider that helps educational institutions and professional bodies go digital.
Q-Validus works with clients to develop, test and deliver the best in digital assessment and certification programmes across a wide range of markets and professions.
Who’s behind it?
Garry Cleere is managing director of Q-Validus and Dudley Dolan is chairman of Q-Validus.
How is it funded?
Q-Validus recently secured €370,000 in funding, over two years, as part of a €3.1m AquaSmart project being funded through the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme.
The focus of the AquaSmart project is to enhance the innovation capacity within the aquaculture sector by helping companies to transform data into knowledge, and by sharing this to improve efficiency and increase profitability in a sustainable way.
Future plans?
According to Cleere, Q-Validus’s involvement in the AquaSmart project will see an improvement in the efficiency and profitability of fish farm businesses across Europe, while reducing their environmental impact, increasing production and generating new and sustainable jobs.
The development of a fish farm analytics standard led by Q-Validus will help companies to better estimate daily biomass, optimise feeding rates and management practices.
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