Sustainable clothing and a safer IUD among start-ups helped by UCC 

UCC flagship incubation programme Ignite recently secured a €1m Higher Education Authority (HEA) Award for exemplary performance and impact

Start-ups supported by University College Cork’s IGNITE programme presented their business ventures at its Autumn Showcase 2025 on Tuesday evening. IGNITE recently secured a €1 million Higher Education Authority (HEA) Award. Pictured are start-ups Isabelle Curran, Eliana Da Silva Monteiro, Sam O’Neill, Sarah O’Neill, David Hall, Katelyn Healy, Nadine Seward, Peter Fagan, Sam O’Neill, Zuhri Ajibola and Will Gunnarsson. Picture. John Allen

Technology to improve rowing athletes' performances, zero-waste clothing design, and a safer and more comfortable Intrauterine Device (IUD) were among the start-ups highlighted at this year’s University College Cork’s Ignite Autumn Showcase.

The third-level graduates supported by the university’s flagship incubation programme began working on their ideas this year and are hoping to develop them into a company with the assistance of IGNITE.