A letter from Tom McCarthy
Patch Founder and Chairperson

In 2025, Patch runs our seventh summer accelerator. You may remember our first programme in 2019, which was very much an experiment – we put 12 extraordinary young people in the same room and asked them to build something cool. We had a lot to learn, but we were absolutely confident that gathering Ireland’s most talented youth and supporting them as best we could would lead to something extraordinary.

Where are we now? As of today, we have over 200 alumni. Some are waiting on Leaving Cert results and others have hit escape velocity. Patchers have won 95 awards at the Young Scientist Exhibition, including seven overall winners, three Patchers have been selected for MIT’s Research & Science Institute, and Patchers have launched 34 startups, raising more than $26M in funding.

None of this is possible in isolation. Patch relies on so much goodwill and support in every area of our work. To all of the Patch mentors, speakers, funders and partners reading this: Thank you. We sincerely appreciate every iota of time and energy you give to help us, and to help Patchers. A special thank you to our funders and major partners: Stripe, Dogpatch Labs, OpenAI, NDRC, Abbey Capital, Brian Kingham, Craig Falls, Mark Cummins and Rob Granieri.

I believe that encouragement, along with community, is the most important thing Patch offers. We don’t tell Patchers what to do, but we do try and show them that the sky is the limit. This happens through a thousand different interactions; a mentor challenges a team to think differently, teammates egg each other on to attempt something they wouldn’t have done alone, or an older – or younger! – Patcher sets an inspiring example. Anybody with exceptional gifts is always at risk of settling for the status quo. The only remedy for this is a community that constantly encourages you to take your ideas and ambitions seriously. Patch’s mission, and great challenge, is to provide this to every talented young person, and give them a real chance to realise their potential.

Tom McCarthy,
Founder and Chairperson

Want to find out more? Read the full impact report here

The post Patch: Seven Years of Young Builder Innovation – Impact Report 2025 appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

From life as a train driver operating out of Heuston Station, to pitching new innovative solutions for sustainable transport to senior leadership, Eoin Kearns stepped out of the day-to-day role when he was selected to join Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail’s innovation programme Future Track, in partnership with Dogpatch Labs. Stepping out of the carriage (and the comfort zone), and stepping into an entrepreneurial environment, Eoin shared his experience, “The mentorship and advice from champions has been invaluable.” His fellow 21 colleagues innovating in Future Track echoed this sentiment, noting that being immersed in Dogpatch Labs “feels like you’re in the epicentre of something special. Like there’s magic happening around you.”

Heading up this inaugural innovation programme is Liam Kenny, with almost two decades of experience in Iarnród Éireann. Reflecting on Future Track’s success, Kenny tells us, “This partnership has been transformative for Iarnród Éireann. By investing in our people and placing teams in a fresh environment, we unlock potential, inspire creativity, and foster collaboration. Diverse teams bring unique perspectives, driving impactful change and strengthening rail as the backbone of sustainable transport in Ireland.”

12 intensive weeks. 22 Future Track innovators. 5 projects pitched to senior leadership. And exciting plans on the horizon. So, how did we get here?

It’s March 2024 and Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail is gearing up to launch its Sustainability in Motion strategy as part of its long-term efforts to become net zero by 2050.

On another side of the tracks, opposite Connolly Station’s thoroughfare in Dublin 1, sits Dogpatch Labs – Ireland’s largest startup and innovation hub. Founder and CEO of Dogpatch Labs Patrick Walsh has just welcomed OpenAI’s CSO Jason Kwon to the Digital Docklands as part of OpenAI’s launch into Ireland, OpenAI’s arrival sets Dublin abuzz and draws a rare level of excitement from the local tech scene.

Days later, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail and Dogpatch’s tracks merge, announcing an innovation partnership to transform Ireland’s transport landscape. Enter ‘Future Track’ – the national rail’s inaugural innovation programme, immersing teams in an entrepreneurial environment in Dogpatch Labs using a startup approach to transform rail transport in Ireland.

As part of this announcement, Irish Rail’s chief exec Jim Meade commented to national media, outlining the organisation’s vision and how this new partnership with Dogpatch Labs can make it a reality. “We have big ambitions for rail to become the backbone of a sustainable transport system for Ireland, for both passengers and freight. To achieve these we want to further build our innovation capacity.”

So, we got right down to business. From deep dive strategy sessions to explore how Irish Rail Iarnród Éireann can redefine what’s possible in sustainable transport, to site visits including a trip to the National Train Control Centre, to senior leadership discussions on projects ranging from sustainability, to customer experience to freight. Innovation teams on both sides of the track jumped right in.

After a summer of recruiting and selecting entrepreneurs from all departments inside Iarnród Éireann to join Future Track, 22 successful intrapreneurs geared up for the 3-month programme kicking off in earnest in September. These IE colleagues would spend 12 intense weeks undertaking projects aligned with its Rail 2050 strategy in the areas of sustainability and customer experience.

Buy-in from senior leadership is critical to moving the needle in corporate innovation. Irish Rail’s chief demonstrated this by setting the bar high from day one. A CEO address in Future Track’s official kick-off week fuelled the teams to think outside the box, embracing the startup mindset approach when tackling the core themes of the Rail2050 strategy throughout the 3-month programme. “In order to deliver our Rail 2050 strategy, we need to innovate; we need to look at things differently. It’s all about our future and the generations to come behind us. Dogpatch Labs will allow our colleagues to bring new impactful innovations to life.”

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail’s incubator, Future Track, is where high-impact innovators turn challenges into scalable solutions. How? Throughout the three core weeks onsite in Dogpatch, teams were fully immersed in entrepreneurship, with mentoring from industry experts Dr. Cera Slevin, Huw Thomas and Brett Meyers, a founder fireside chat with Marah Curtain, and workshops on greenhouse gas accounting. Teams uncovered customers’ problems with mentor Morgan McKeagney, speaking to customers face to face to understand pain points.

Plus, regular check-ins with internal champions from within Iarnród Éireann kept teams “on track” to success; Paul O’Kelly, Heidi Hopper Duffy, Kasia Steyn, Clement Egan, Ciaran Browne.

Ahead of pitching to the Head of Transformation Michael Power, ambitious innovators were developing pilots that could reshape the rail industry’s future, engaging directly with successful startup co-founder of PepTalk, Michelle Fogarty, and more.Spurring on the innovators in the inevitable ‘trough of disillusionment’ on the startup journey, Michael encouraged teams, “Our ambition is to accelerate rail as the backbone of sustainable transport in Ireland. And every one of you is helping us get to this destination”.

Fully embracing the startup mindset, and benefitting from the deep knowledge of successful entrepreneurs and mentors within the Dogpatch Labs network, IE teams accelerated their ideas into business propositions for Iarnród Éireann– everything from sustainability and customer experience. Teams learned from industry experts on financial modelling, pitching with conviction, and impactful deck design, plus experienced entrepreneurs like drone delivery startup founder Bobby Healy, who noted how collaborating with Dogpatch Labs works, “For innovation to happen in large organisations like Irish Rail, you have to move people outside the mothership.”

Roll on to early December 2024. Teams from Irish Rail are fine-tuning their final pitch scripts and sharpening project presentations they’ve been innovating on during Future Track. The 3-month programme wrapped with final pitches to Iarnród Éireann senior leadership, including its CEO and Head of Transformation, who are fully behind this new layer of the national rail operator’s innovation strategy.

Collaborating with Iarnród Éireann through this programme at Dogpatch focuses on driving impactful innovation across the organisation – from platform to boardroom. Dogpatch Labs is proud to be part of this journey, and we see exciting developments on the horizon.

Discover more about how Irish Rail Iarnród Éireann is redefining what’s possible in sustainable transport: https://dogpatchlabs.com/corporate-innovation/irish-rail/

The post From Platform to Boardroom: Innovating with Irish Rail’s Future Track programme appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

Close your eyes, and think about how you got yourself ready this morning for the day ahead, and think “what products did I use?“. Did you brush your teeth, have a shower, or wash your face?

Now, imagine if you had no access to any of these products… How would you feel?

This holiday season, Dogpatch Labs is partnering with startup Hygiene Hub to support its mission to combat hygiene poverty through its “Spread Kindness” campaign. Founded by three impact-driven women in 2019, Hygiene Hub works with diverse communities all over Ireland, from individuals to dual-income families, who are sometimes forced to choose between basic needs—like a loaf of bread or a tube of toothpaste.

So, what exactly is hygiene poverty?

It’s the inability to afford basic hygiene products, something many of us take for granted. Its impact can be severe:

Parents may have to reuse nappies; families might share a single toothbrush; some face choices between buying shampoo or paying bills; and many cannot wash their clothes regularly. Individuals can’t go to work or an interview, children go without going to school, and some live a reclusive life due to the feeling of shame or embarrassment of not having access to basic hygiene or cleaning products. This is where Hygiene Hub comes in.

Here’s how our startup members support

When you’re doing your weekly shopping, consider picking up an extra item or two—anything from shampoo to toothpaste—and drop them in these Dogpatch Labs boxes.

If you need an item every day, then it is likely someone else needs it too.

All donated goods will be collected and bagged on the 10th of December in discreet canvas tote bags, with our friends at Hygiene Hub then bringing them to their local distribution centre.

Partnering with startup member Shuppa to support time-poor founders

Sean Meagher, CEO and founder of e-commerce outfit Shuppa, first came through Dogpatch’s doors in 2023 as part of the NDRC Accelerator cohort and has since become a full-time member. Shuppa is betting on Irish shoppers’ appetite for groceries in 15 minutes. Convenient, cashless, and quick: it is the perfect solution for Dogpatch members strapped for time who may not have time to buy goods to support the Hygiene Hub drive. Now that’s what we call a partnership.

Check out Shuppa for yourself

Meet the powerhouses behind Hygiene Hub

Founded in 2019 by Ciára Dalton, Rosie McDonagh, and Sorcha Killian, Hygiene Hub began as a local community initiative and has since grown into a national charity, now with eight local hubs across Ireland. To date, they’ve donated over 65,000 kg of essential items to nearly 100 organisations across the country. We’re proud to support this initiative as part of our wider ESG strategy.

Learn more about Hygiene Hub

The post Dogpatch Labs Tech Community Tackles Hygiene Poverty appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

Want to get the down-low on what the Dogpatch Startup Community has been up to? This is your go-to weekly checkpoint. In this week’s blog: the Irish-Egyptian founder behind compliance startup Protostars which just raised €300K, Inspeq AI latest partnership with world-leading IT firm HCLTech, Gaingels VC unveils Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Founders, and the picture-perfect partnership: Olus Education x Canva. Keep reading…

Meet Irish-Egyptian founder behind compliance startup Protostars

Driven by an innate need to make a positive social impact, founder Kim McKayed set up compliance startup Protostars with co-founder Mohamed Fayez in 2023, and is scaling it in Dogpatch Labs, after returning from a startup sabbatical in France. What’s different about Protostars? It cleverly uses LLMs to co-exist not compete with cybersecurity tools. His tech has garnered huge interest from the European startup scene, securing a place in Paris’s Station F accelerator and winning the EY startup academy in Frankfurt. With interest in Protostars building and a recent raise of €300k through Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU fund, McKayed now eyes up €2M raise in 2025 for its AI-powered cyber resilience platform.

Fun fact: Protostars is now a registered supplier for new Irish government-funded Cyber Grants Schemes (managed by EI on behalf of Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment), which covers 80% of cybersecurity consultancy costs for SMEs trading internationally.

The Business Post has the full Protostars interview

Inspeq AI announces partnership with world-leading IT firm HCLTech 

Exciting news for Founders Talent Accelerator portfolio company Inspeq AI, and Dogpatch Labs startup member, which announced a strategic partnership with one of largest IT consulting firms in the world – HCLTech – to accelerate Gen AI development.

Raising $1.1M in early 2024 (led by Sure Valley Ventures) to deploy LLMs safely, Inspeq built an advanced RAI Ops platform to help enterprises govern and safeguard Gen AI applications.

Co-founders Apoorva Kumar and Ramanujam MV also competed as Ireland’s representative in the Startup World Cup 2024 semi-finals in Silicon Valley, going head-to-head with the world’s top startups for $1M investment prize.

Learn more about Founders Talent Accelerator

Gaingels VC Unveils Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Founders

US investor Gaingels, which houses its Irish base in Dogpatch, and its founder David Beatty is a regular supporter of our DEI initiatives, is a leading venture investment syndicate in support of diversity, inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies in the venture capital space. Each year, it curates a list of 100 exceptional and inspiring LGBTQIA+ founders from across the world who are shaping the future of business. The 2024 list is now live.

To launch the third edition of this highly renowned list, and to mark National Coming Out Day, the team launched the Top 100 at Nasdaq HQ, with a special view of the bell-ringing and a billboard feature.

Want to connect with Gaingels VC? Let Dogpatch help you

A Picture-Perfect Partnership: Olus Education x Canva

Newest edtech member to Dogpatch’s startup community, Olus Education recently announced its partnering up with the $26 billion design startup Canva to transform classrooms. As the only Irish training partner for Canva and one of just three partners across Ireland and the UK, Olus is a tech trusted by teachers and is obsessed with how to help schools succeed with digital learning.

Join Olus Education as a fellow Dogpatch startup

The post The DL on DPL Community | Week 43 appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

We’ve all got our part to play in Ireland’s transition to net zero, and at Dogpatch Labs we are working with our partner ESB to facilitate this through open innovation – starting with entrepreneurs inside the organisation – via the X_Potential incubator programme, as part of a five-year sustainability innovation partnership announced in 2021.

ESB’s Chief Exec Paddy Hayes joined us in Dogpatch this October, to share insights with each team and deliver an inspiring address to the 24 intrapreneurs. Hayes stressed the importance of blending diverse skill sets to drive innovation and urged participants to challenge themselves, think differently and share ideas openly saying,

 “Instead of saying it can’t be done, ask instead what it would take to get it done.”

The CEO of the country’s national energy supplier also noted how collaboration across the innovation ecosystem is key to successful innovation.

“This is not about getting a perfect working model, it’s about taking the skills you learn in this incubator programme and the connections you make here in Dogpatch, and bringing them back into the business. The way you think about innovation is going to be broadened because of this programme.

So, challenge yourself to do things you’ve never done before, and put yourself out there. It’s about not being afraid to have ideas and share your ideas.”

Throughout this three-month programme, we’re connecting ESB’s teams with industry experts to develop pilot plans, linking in with successful entrepreneurs to share their ‘been there, done that’ startup experience like that of Peptalk’s founder Michelle Fogarty. We’re putting teams in front of potential customers and subject matter experts to further refine their propositions, and also providing financial modelling mentoring with the likes of Johnny Harte, along with mentoring on greenhouse gas accounting from Occupli.

More to come on these projects. Watch this space.

Learn more about our partner’s innovation journey here: https://esb.ie/who-we-are/innovation

The post The Road to Net Zero; Collaborating with ESB through Open Innovation appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

And just like that, the first of Q4’s big four European tech events is over. Anyone else want to rewind and do SaaStock 2024 again?! Hundreds of new connections, the first-ever SaaStock Startup Day at Dogpatch Labs, investor intros galore, dozens of mentoring sessions for women tech founders, and even two of our members reaching semi-finals of SaaStock’s Global Pitch Competition. What a whirlwind! And we’d do it all again. Keep reading…

Founders Descend into Dogpatch for Startup Day on Steroids

With big hitters in the tech world coming through Dogpatch’s doors recently, like Stripe’s John Collison and Open AI’s Head of Strategy Jason Kwon, it’s not a surprise that founders from all over Europe descended into the startup hub’s vaults for SaaStock’s Startup Day. The highly anticipated, sold-out gig, a pre-cursor to the two-day tech summit to unfold, covered everything from live pitches to compete for that €500K Global Pitch Competition prize, and SaaS founder fireside with PandaDoc and Zephr, moderated by former founder of Change Donations and now NDRC Director at Dogpatch Labs, Lizzy Hayashida.

SaaS specialists and techies alike built pivotal CTO and product team connections, attendees experienced roundtables full of international entrepreneurs on the hunt for the latest SaaS trends and got a taste for what the Dogpatch life is like. And the best was yet to come!

Boots on the Ground: Podcast, Pitches, Product Demos

Dogpatch team, and its startup members, turned out in force to the RDS’ tech takeover, eager to connect, share, and learn. Malaika Judd was up first. NDRC Accelerator MD and founder of Sendy which raised over $45M. She interviews Flywire CFO, Cosmin Pitigoi in SaaStock Podcast Studio, talking all things finance and how the role is changing in startups. A mover and shaker in the tech ecosystem, and Dogpatch’s Head of Platform, Menno Axt is in conversation with Remote’s CEO, and leaves with one lasting message to founder: Don’t give up.

From 200 global entries to being selected as two of the top 25 startups to pitch in SaaStock’s Global Pitch Competition semi-finals, two startup members Dosen and DevA11y make the cut to compete against the top. LA-based Dosen houses its European HQ in Dogpatch, with a recent visit from its CEO as part of SaaStock pitches. DevA11y, a startup making digital accessibility for all, is a recently selected FCAT Fellow by Dogpatch Labs’ innovation partner Fidelity Investments, and more recently scaling in the NDRC H2 24 Accelerator. 

Wrapping the SaaStock Accelerate Stage was none other than Revium’s CEO and co-founder Patrick Rhatigan, another NDRC H2 24 cohort startup. Paddy shares his tips on how to turbo-charge your pipeline with discovery calls, one of the most undervalued tools in sales.

Scaling women tech founders with Fierce x SaaStock collab

At Dogpatch Labs, we work with a lot of women tech founders, and through many startup programmes, roundtables, founder workshops, and pillar events throughout the year, we understand some of the challenges these entrepreneurs face. Here’s where Fierce comes in.

A tech-focused initiative set up to connect fierce women entrepreneurs with globally successful founders, learn through impact-driven sessions, and scale their startups. A network of highly ambitious women founders in tech getting things done. No BS. From a small cluster of change-driven women in 2023 coming together to figure out what we can do to make real change happen, Fierce has grown to a network of over 500, with top investors, mentors, and partners jumping on board to accelerate women founders’ journey.

As SaaStock’s official women’s partner this week, we connected women tech founders with 10 investment firms, facilitated curated VC mentoring for these startups based on the stage, industry, and funding they’re looking for, welcomed Frontline VC’s Partner Zoe Chambers for a candid fireside and opened up the floor for an AMA. (Chatham House Rules-style applied, of course, to provide a space for these women to be vulnerable, ask the hard truths, and share personal experiences of how to “play the game”. If only the walls had ears… So takeaways from the session can be shared, for those not lucky enough to get a seat at this investor session.

– Do your homework to find your VC match.
– There are different investors for different stages of your startup journey.
– Manage and plan for risk. You’re building a long-term business, not a short-term gain. 

Whether pre-seed, seed or series A, our Mentor Madness lineup of VCs was here to help. Check out our investor line-up: Balderton Capital, MiddleGame Ventures, Puzzle Ventures, Act VC, Delta Partners, Cherry Ventures, NorthZone, HBAN, Molten VC, and Dawn Capital.

If you’re a women tech founder looking to scale, now’s the time to join the Fierce network.

Connecting top startups with international investors

Switching from the luxurious ambiance in RDS’ Presidents’ Suite for Fierce x SaaStock investor sessions, to the iconic venue famous for its opulent interiors – Café en Seine – Dogpatch Labs had investor networking on the brain. This time for an exclusive invite-only after-party. To wind down after a SaaS-filled Day One, we connected some of the hottest startups to watch with international investors at the SaaStock’s Investor After-Party.

It’s always great to team up with Cherry Ventures, which is one of Europe’s leading Pre-Seed & Seed funds, and Puzzle Ventures, a pan-European micro fund, welcoming founders, VCs, and ecosystem builders in the Irish tech ecosystem.

Content is key, of course, but know that building connections across the tech ecosystem, both at home and abroad, is where the needle can be moved for a startup hungry for growth. And we make this happen. If you’re an investor looking to invest in top startups, or a globally ambitious tech founder looking to make that connect, join our network.

Didn’t make it to SaaStock this year? Missed the chance to connect with the Dogpatch Team? Want to be part of our growing tech community? We’ve got you covered. Share your details and we’ll get you connected.

The post Dogpatch Labs Takeover at SaaStock 2024 appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

Another important milestone was reached this September in Dogpatch Labs’ drive to continuously enrich the Irish tech ecosystem; connecting global innovation ecosystems with the third successful edition of the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa. And this time attracting international VIPs to the fray. Having heard through pan-African media circles of the impact of the seven dynamic South African startups, who were selected from over 350 competitive applications, both the Irish and South African governments made it their mission to get involved in 2024’s programme in Dublin’s Dogpatch Labs.

An idea germinating in 2021 to create a pathway for emerging tech markets to find a European market launchpad, like that in South Africa, officially kicked off in 2022. The joint initiative is a flagship startup competition that seeks to unearth high-impact South African startups that have developed innovative solutions. With Dogpatch and counterparts Johannesburg’s Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct acting as delivery partners, it’s a collaboration between the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, the South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).

The international Showcase event marked the end of an intensive immersion week in Dublin, which drew tech leaders, including Paul Smith (former CEO of UK Accelerator Ignite), Pete Townsend (MD at Techstars Web3) Kwanele Nomoyi (Strategy at Google), and top investors with an exclusive session with Elkstone’s VP Barry Brennan. Political heavyweights entered the ring, including South Africa’s Deputy President (DP), Paul Mashatile, Ireland’s Minister for State of International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming, and South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Andrew Whitfield. Comments made to RTÉ here.

Addressing the Showcase, DP Mashatile remarked on the alignment of these high-impact startups’ solutions and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More specifically, SDG 17 focuses on enhancing the means of implementation and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development technology.  Impressed by the calibre of talent on display, DP Mashatile highlighted the importance of the initiative: “Ireland has welcomed some of our best and brightest as they develop and strengthen the links between our two tech systems. The unique insights gained in Dublin this week will continue to place South Africa as a player on the world’s tech stage.”

As the startups took the stage, the air buzzed with innovation. From cutting-edge FinTech and blockchain solutions to impact-driven ideas tackling sustainability and health challenges, the finalists put forward bold visions for the future of South African tech. 

The showcase was not just a pitch—it was a window into the future. 

Eloquently put by Head of Sustainability and Innovation Programmes at Dogpatch Labs, Ashley Shak who has come full circle from days in Pretoria with the United Nations Global Compact, reminds us that it’s these founders, the passionate ambitious and globally-minded entrepreneurs, who illustrate how startup diplomacy is the way forward to continue building bridges and breaking barriers. DP Paul Mashatile evoked for us in his address that Ireland was one of South Africa’s strongest supporters in the fight against apartheid. “This bond, built on solidarity and collaboration, grows even stronger through initiatives like this.”

South Africa is the highest coal producer on the African continent, which has several negative environmental and social impacts. Prudence Simelane’s startup SAMANJALO is a Green Tech solution that addresses carbon emissions of fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions by extending the circularity of coal waste. As a finalist and participant in the Immersion Week at Dogpatch, Simelane shared her experience with us,

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to be in Ireland to showcase our home-grown South African innovation, and to gain feedback from both an Irish and global perspective. We now have plans to create a presence for our company in Ireland and the relationships we have developed over the week will go a long way in helping us to take these important steps.”

Austin Gormley, Ambassador of Ireland to South Africa, has praised the initiative, stating: “We are pleased to once again welcome the finalists of this year’s Irish Tech Challenge to Ireland as part of this dynamic program. This initiative not only provides a platform for South African startups to engage with Ireland’s thriving tech ecosystem but also create valuable opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and access to international markets.”

Dogpatch Labs’ entrepreneur-in-residence, Hesus Inoma, ended with an optimistic outlook: “We are honoured to have hosted an incredible cohort of startups in Ireland this week. We are proud of the programme as it truly speaks to the strengths of Ireland and South Africa and all that the ecosystems have to offer to the thriving tech sector. We look forward to following the ripple effects that this initiative will ignite in the next few years and decades for both nations.”

For more information on The Irish Tech Challenge and this year’s participants, read on:

The post Irish Tech Challenge at Dogpatch Strengthens Ties Between South African and Irish Startup Ecosystem appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

Seven South African tech entrepreneurs find their opportunity to test the European market at Dublin’s Dogpatch Labs. For a third year in a row, the Irish Tech Challenge hosts a South African showcase boasting a range of digital platforms from Climate Tech to FinTech.

“Our mission at Dogpatch is to create an innovation ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs. The South African entrepreneurs joining us for an immersion week are developing solutions to address critical sustainability challenges. Our own Irish entrepreneurs can learn how we can incorporate this mindset into our own tech ecosystem, while supporting the South Africans in rolling out their technologies to the rest of the world,” said Ashley Shak, Head of Sustainability and Innovation Programmes at Dogpatch Labs. 

The South African entrepreneurs have been invited to Dogpatch Labs in Dublin’s Digital Docklands to pitch to a select group of potential investors this month. This year’s showcase tears down the ‘boys club’ image of tech startups with good gender parity in the cohort — three of the seven founders are women. What is also unique about the group is that each solution they bring to the table directly addresses at least two Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), echoing last year’s theme of social-tech entrepreneurship which is a common thread that runs through the South African tech ecosystem.

Michelle Geere, Lead Founder of Adbot breaks down the barrier of entry to online advertising for small to medium sized businesses. Her startup Adbot, makes online advertising easy, effective and accessible to small and medium businesses. 

“We are laser focused on channels that are optimal for conversion. We are positioning ourselves as a focused solution for global SMEs with AI-driven online ads, freeing them to focus on their business’ growth” says Geere.

Charnte Marthinus, Lead Founder of SmartView Technology has goes to market with a SaaS Solution that helps customers to simplify their utility management so they can take advantage of actionable insights that can help the reduce the cost of water and electricity. 

“We are revolutionizing facility management with AI-driven predictive maintenance, customizable dashboards, and integrated sustainability, our system transforms data into actionable insights” says Marthinus.

Priaash Ramadeen, Lead Founder of The Awareness Company, a data and AI company that has launched HYDRA, a software product that helps enterprise business to use data insight to increase their sustainability efforts but not at the expense of operational and financial efficiency.

“We focus on commercial properties, infrastructure sites and corporate enterprises, We help them adopt a holistic approach to the golden triangle of sustainability – finance, operations and impact. Sustainability and profit today are no longer mutually exclusive. With HYDRA, organizations can achieve both, balancing operational efficiency with sustainable impact and climate action.”

Jabulani Nyembe, Lead Founder of Athena, has found a way for patients to split their medical bills into monthly instalments, so they can get the medical care they need when they need it. Patients experience cashflow issues due to the rising cost of living crisis and the lack of affordable and comprehensive healthcare coverage. On the other hand, doctors have a limited patient base because of the affordability of their services and they lose out on cashflow due to long payment cycles and an unclear payment structure from medical schemes. 

“Athena allows patients to split their medical bills into monthly instalments, so they can get the medical care they need when they need it. We also help doctors provide affordable payment options to patients, broadening their client base and reducing the risk of collections. In summary, we are a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), for healthcare.”

Kgololo Lekoma, Lead Founder of credipple has found an HRTech solution that to connects companies across the world to trusted talent with in-demand skills to unlock more business capabilities, particularly in the context of remote work. 

“We help businesses to source and vet talent using remote workplace simulations so potential hires can signal themselves as the best candidate, saving talent acquisition time and money on sourcing, screening and vetting. We also use rewards to incentivize candidates to prioritize top performance and continued improvement.” says Lekoma.

Ahren Posthumus, Lead Founder of Momint recognises that there is a funding gap for renewable energy projects worldwide, not because of a lack of funding, but because those with capital are struggling to find the projects. Those who do find the projects do so at a high cost and with long onboarding timelines. Blockchain powered Green Tech / Fintech hybrid Momint is an Asset Marketplace for global fractional funding and trade of renewable energy assets. 

“We are accelerating clean energy globally, fractionally and securely. We use blockchain technology to help capital find profitable, renewable energy projects 100 times faster and cheaper. This enables us to fractionalize, finance and automate the process to ensure clean and affordable energy, whilst creating income opportunities as well.” says Posthumus.

While not strictly a digital platform, the third female founder in the cohort, Prudence Simelane, has a Green Tech solution that addresses carbon emissions of fossil fuels. South Africa is the highest producer of coal on the African continent, which has several negative environmental and social impacts. Simelane’s startup SAMANJALO is reducing carbon emissions by extending the circularity of coal waste. They use geopolymer technology to turn fly ash into different environmentally green products that can be used in different industries. 

“We are currently using the geopolymer technology to create bricks that have 3x higher strength than existing ordinary products. With this technology, possibilities are endless on the kind of green products that we can create from this fly ash. We that currently plagues our society. says Simelane.

The post SA tech finds a European market launchpad at Dogpatch Labs appeared first on Dogpatch Labs.

When you hear “sustainability”, you probably picture solar panels, composting, and that reusable coffee cup you always forget (guilty). But at Dogpatch Labs, we take a different approach — one that’s less about guilt and more about meaningful change. Yes, we care about the planet, but sustainability is about more than just going green. It’s about building a world, and a society, that future generations can truly thrive in. And to achieve big goals like the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we need to take a holistic view of what it really takes to create a better future.

I often become so exhausted by the doom and gloom surrounding the climate crisis conversation. It’s a huge issue, no doubt, but I think so many people are caught up in the negativity that they fail to realise that climate is only one piece of the giant sustainability puzzle. That negativity has led to so much climate anxiety that every day I see more and more people clinging to things like emissions tracking as their only source of feeling in control. But, sustainability isn’t just about the numbers. It’s also about the people. If we keep reducing sustainability to a checklist, we’ll miss the bigger picture.

Building Partnerships for Change

My favourite Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) has always been SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Working in the private-public partnership space for years, I’ve always believed this is where my life’s work can deliver the most impact. As the Head of Sustainability and Innovation Programmes at Dogpatch Labs, I help drive partnerships between the private and public sectors to innovate and solve pressing sustainability issues. When the SDGs were first created in 2014, the estimated funding gap to achieve these global goals was $2.5tn (USD). Today, that gap has almost doubled to over $4tn (USD). This massive funding gap is where ecosystem connectors like Dogpatch come in.

We bridge the gap between those with funds (VCs, corporates) and those who need them (startups, founders). However, to make the biggest impact possible, we all must broaden our understanding of what sustainability encompasses. The SDGs don’t just stop at SDG 13: Climate Action – there are 16 other ones addressing areas of equal importance like gender equality, anti-corruption, access to education… the list goes on. These issues all end up intersecting when you take a holistic view of sustainability. 

Founders worthy of sustainability funding aren’t just creating carbon accounting platforms or biodiversity trackers. They’re also solving human-centred challenges — like eliminating period poverty, connecting Direct Provision mothers to unwanted baby clothes, or using AI to make the internet more accessible. By facilitating these partnerships and connecting the right people, we’re driving sustainability in ways that go beyond the usual green checklist. We’re creating a future where tech innovation tackles both environmental and human challenges — because real, lasting sustainability is about people as much as it is about the planet. 

So, What is Dogpatch Doing?

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Dogpatch Labs, even when it’s not immediately obvious. Our mission is to develop and accelerate an ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs as society’s agents of change. We get that sustainability isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a human one, first.

Take our latest innovation partnership with Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail. We’re working with the team to run its internal incubator Future Track, which has the dual purpose of upskilling its workforce and advancing its Rail2050 sustainability strategy. On the surface, its Rail2050 strategy is about becoming the backbone of sustainable transportation in Ireland. What does that mean? Your typical green moves like reducing car use, electrifying trains, and using renewable energy. But dig deeper, and there’s more. Beyond cutting emissions, these sustainability projects also have the potential for larger societal impacts, such as connecting people to further education, driving rural regeneration and creating better job opportunities for those who can’t afford to live in cities. This is what sustainability means to us — improving lives, not just reducing carbon.

The same mindset drives our 2050 Accelerator, Ireland’s national sustainability accelerator, which will be opening soon for applications. We worked with startups that knew sustainability wasn’t just about lowering emissions. Take EIO Diagnostics, led by founder Tamara Leigh based in Sonoma, California. She created a thermal camera which detects early infections in cows, improving animal health and reducing emissions. But the real win was that it improved workers’ lives, eliminating the need for risky and unpleasant manual checks. This is the sustainability mindset and approach we hope to inspire — tackling environmental and human issues at the same time.

Unlocking the Sustainability Innovator in Everyone

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: The work you’re doing right now is already contributing to the bigger sustainability picture. If you’re a corporate reading this and your sustainability strategy starts and stops at measuring CO2 emissions, then it’s time to think bigger and better. Get in touch with us. We want to partner with organisations that are serious about making a far-reaching and lasting impact beyond the climate crisis.

On an individual, everyday and human scale — don’t stress about that plastic straw you’re using or burger you’re eating. The idea that individual actions alone can fix the climate crisis can be a debilitating distraction against the potential for real impact. Instead, I challenge you to see yourself as a sustainability innovator in your own field. Whether you’re in healthcare, marketing, retail, and beyond; every role has the potential to create positive change and contribute to a more sustainable society. So, think of sustainability as more than a “green” thing — see it as a human thing and know that what you’re doing matters in ways you might not even realise. Now’s the time to own that and step into your role as a true sustainability champion.

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Rosheen Sharma of Sceach led the way, walking us through how her team uses satellite imagery to monitor biodiversity and flag potential infringements of the Wildlife Act. A Cork lilt graced the stage next, coming from the voice of Nathan Manley, a programmer since the age of eight. Nathan demonstrated how he and his teammates can save time and money for gym owners with Gymificient. Next up was Ellen Quigley, who hit us where it hurts: hurling. The Mechanical Engineering student (with a love for sport) introduced ForceField, a device that slots into the back of a hurling helmet to alert coaches and managers when a player has been hit hard enough that they should be taken off the pitch for a concussion assessment.

Czech entrepreneur Filip Cerny from Funeralbooking pulled on the heartstrings, sharing the emotions of stress and vulnerability felt by his family following his beloved grandfather’s passing. The motivation to create a fair and transparent platform for funeral arrangements was obvious; with which many of the audience empathised. 2023 Young Environmentalist Award winner Toby Tangney from Vexra walked us through his team’s streamlined onboarding process for financial advisors. Who hasn’t had a lengthy experience, right? A no-brainer of a project. Taking up the midway mantle of pitches was Donna Mae Quinto, who introduced Diverseforce, a hiring platform for people with disabilities. Fun fact: when not building at Patch, the Clare 16-year-old is developing a sign language learning app.

Kicking off the second half of pitches with a bang, Liam Fuller convinces us that CartShare will streamline the process of shopping online with friends, giving customers access to free shipping and discounts while introducing stores to new customers. Pitching in the 7th slot was Germany’s Adrian Cipriani who stunned the senses with a bag full of rubbish collected straight from George’s Dock waters. The collector? His team’s DebriSweeper, an autonomous boat that cleans rubbish from urban waterways. Local and city councils – watch this space!

Next up to pitch was Conor O’Neill, who built an escape room game using ChatGPT and DALL·E. But it was his love for coding and golf that inspired his team to create Pocket Caddy, an app that offers swing coaching and on-course advice for amateur golfers. The penultimate pitch came from Cavan-native Harry Leddy, who took to the stage to introduce LogWatch, a logistics tracking and loss prevention system for foresters.

10 pitches down, one more to go. And what a way to wrap up with a Wexford-born technology artist extraordinaire! Kitty Beattie and her four-legged, twelve-geared friend strutted onto the stage to walk us through her team’s journey of building a robot dog, PatchDog. Dogpatch meets Patch meets PatchDog – a paw-sitively fetching startup story.

11 pitches nailed! But Anita Blanchfield, Patch’s newest Managing Director, had an unexpected surprise up her sleeve. After the eruption of applause for the 36 young builders died down, Anita congratulated every Patcher for an incredible journey in the summer accelerator, noting the determination, out-of-the-box thinking, and positive attitude of each participant. To end on a high, Blanchfield announced the launch of Patch Grants;  a €1,000 stipend, and hands-on mentorship for young people anywhere in Ireland who want to build something cool. All ideas are welcome, but the priority will be in areas where MVP costs can be prohibitive (hardware, AI, etc.), products that address a clear market need, and ambitious projects addressing a major global challenge. 

On that positive note, the official proceedings were over. The glitterati of the Irish startup scene was invited to join the Patchers for pizzas, soft drinks, and live demos – typical startup style. Founders gathered around the robot dog, supporters lined up to bravely test the impact-detecting device and mentors took the opportunity to congratulate the teams on a job well done. And just like that… Patch Showcase 2024 was complete.

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