NovaUCD to showcase 15 new high-tech ventures at annual start-up awards

NovaUCD will showcase 15 new high-tech and knowledge-intensive ventures emerging from University College Dublin (UCD) research programmes during its annual start-up awards evening next week.

Among the ventures to be showcased are AntTweeter and Phision Therapeutics. AntTweeter is developing a location-based, socially-driven question and answering service which utilises the power of twitter to disseminate questions and answers to a wide community. Phision Therapeutics has identified novel small molecule anti-angiogenic compounds that can be used as drugs to inhibit the formation of unwanted blood vessels associated with ophthalmic diseases and cancer.

Each of the 15 new ventures taking part in the showcase are profiled below.

The NovaUCD 2011 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP) Awards Evening will take place on Thursday, 17 November in the William Jefferson Clinton Auditorium, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4. From 4:30 pm attendees will have the opportunity to meet with and talk to the promoters during the new ventures showcase. The main awards event itself will commence at 5:45 pm.

The aim of this key NovaUCD new venture support programme, is to assist UCD academic and research entrepreneurs in the establishment and development of new high-tech ventures to commercialise the output of their research activities. The programme assists participants in defining, developing and transforming their innovative ideas into sound and commercially feasible new enterprises and in preparing detailed business plans.

During the main awards event each of the participants on this year's programme will deliver a short 'elevator pitch'. Three short-listed ventures, selected by an independent evaluation panel, will then present their business plans in more detail to an audience comprising members of Ireland's venture capital, research, state agencies, industry and business communities.

Speaking in advance of the Awards evening Professor Peter Clinch, UCD Vice-President for Innovation said, "The participation of researchers in the establishment of new high-tech ventures, to translate innovative ideas arising from research programmes into value-added products and services, is of critical importance for the development of a sustainable smart economy in Ireland." He added, "The new high-tech ventures being showcased at this year's NovaUCD start-up awards, will in time also lead to the generation of highly-skilled employment opportunities."

A prize fund totaling €35,000 is available to the award winners. The overall winner will be presented with the NovaUCD 2011 Start-Up Award, a cheque for €5,000 and six-months free desk space at NovaUCD. The two other finalists will receive runner-up awards, cheques for €3,000 and €2,000 respectively along with six-months free desk space at NovaUCD.

In addition the overall winner will receive €6,000 worth of professional services from Deloitte, €3,000 worth of legal services from Arthur Cox, €1,000 worth of business and taxation consultancy from Delaney Financial Consultancy and NewMarket Partnership. The winner will also receive a year's free subscription to the AccountsIQ software which allows SMEs to manage their entire accounting requirements via the internet.

Arthur Cox will also be providing €2,000 and €1,000 worth of legal services respectively to the two runners-up.

Serial entrepreneur, Iain Mac Donald, CEO and co-founder, SkillPages, will be the guest entrepreneurial speaker at the Awards evening. SkillPages, a skill-based social network, is transforming the way people with skills connect to the people who need them. Over 2 million people have already joined SkillPages since the start of the year.

Source: http://www.ucd.ie/nova/mediacentre/2011pressreleases/novanewstitle,108966,en.html