Innovation lights the way for start-ups

Start-ups are at the forefront of business innovation in Ireland and many new companies here are using technology to come up with unique solutions to universal problems, writes Ruth Doris.

Start-ups are at the forefront of business innovation in Ireland and many new companies here are using technology to come up with unique solutions to universal problems, writes Ruth Doris.

This year I’ve spoken to many great entrepreneurs and start-ups. The first of these is Firemole, a simple safety tech gadget which can potentially save lives. The device, which attaches to a phone charger, or electrical appliance sounds an alarm when the charger overheats.

Electrician Sean Ó Tuama came up with the idea for Firemole after a near-fire in his home. Considering the recent coverage of phone chargers going on fire, it’s surprising that this is the first device of its kind. He is currently working on a smart version of the device, where alerts are sent to the user’s phone, and an app which can turn off power to an area of a house remotely.

Many a start-up has come into being as a result of its founder’s frustration with a common problem. Aisling Byrne’s platform connects those who want to swap their spare room for another room in a different location.

The costume designer came up with the idea on an early morning drive from Galway to a film set in Dublin after struggling to find an affordable short-term rental in the capital. Ms Byrne compared her business Switching Rooms to “Airbnb with no rent”. Having launched this summer, the site aims to fill the estimated 20,000-bed supply gap in student accommodation in Ireland.

Pointy co-founder Mark Cummins recognises the barriers to a retailer getting online. And prohibitive costs for web design are just the start of it. Pointy aims to get rid of those barriers for shopkeepers. For a once-off fee of €299, retailers can purchase a device which connects to the shop’s barcode scanner. This creates a webpage for the store on the Pointy platform and products are automatically listed.

Imagine your favourite band appearing in miniature 3D augmented reality and performing in your living room, or on top of your coffee cup. With ground-breaking music platform Firstage, this can be a reality. Founder Keith Lawler describes Firstage as a “brand new type of venue” where bands can play to an unlimited audience.

Firstage brought their concept to life at Other Voices, the television series recorded at a church in Dingle. It live-streamed performances by artists to virtual paper pop-up churches which were distributed in pubs around the town.

FarmHedge is another start-up where the founder used his domain expertise to disrupt an offline industry.

The platform aims to make the “highly-localised” farming sector more efficient. He also hopes to help the 140,000 family farms in Ireland to achieve income stability.

The app includes a feature which creates weather alerts around activities based on forecasts and historical data for the farm’s location.

Suppliers can identify a number of farmers located in a certain area and make an offer, rather than trying to sell to each farmer individually.