Google science winners to grow idea into thriving enterprise

Two of the country’s brightest young scientists are taking the first steps in transforming their cutting-edge scientific research into a fully-fledged business having landed the top prize at the Google Global Science Fair with the idea last year.

Germinaid is the brainchild of 17-year-old Kinsale students Ciara Judge and Emer Hickey who — along with the third member of the Google-winning team, Sophie Healy-Thow — shot to prominence last September when their research beat off competition from 5,000 entries to land the prestigious prize in California.

Now the young scientists are turning their attention to making a success of Germinaid — the company that has grown out of their award-winning seed germination research.