After several weeks of pitches, planning and workshopping, Equine Medirecord was announced as the winner of Trinity’s annual accelerator programme Launchbox, beating off stiff competition from the nine other teams.
Equine Medirecord, an app that is trying to resolve the complications in documenting medical administration for racehorses, won the prestigious competition, with companies Ticketchain and the Marsh Sisters taking the runner-up positions.
The current system, which Equine Medirecord is hoping to fix, relies purely on paper and is highly inefficient and unreliable. The team has developed software that allows users to make records virtually as the medicine is being administered and makes it available online to all the parties that require the information. The app tackles an unconventional issue that seemingly has never been addressed in the industry before.
Tonight, the fifth demo day since the start of the summer-long programme, saw the 10 companies pitch their ideas and progress to a panel of judges and an audience that filled the Synge Theatre. The programme featured a diverse range of competitors, from software companies such as Wynk, Equine Medirecord and Ticketchain to companies with physical products such as Franc and the Marsh Sisters.
Speaking at the event this evening, Provost Patrick Prendergast praised the success of Launchbox over the last several years. This “remarkable programme”, he said, “has become a fixture of the university’s annual calendar”, describing it as the “embodiment” of Trinity’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
The Marsh Sisters, already well-known amongst Trinity students for their tasty treats, are one of the teams that produce physical products. The two sisters, who from their kitchen make numerous flavours of natural, gluten and dairy-free marshmallows, have already partnered with several stockists and are on the path to working with speciality coffee shops. Their branding and packaging is one of the many distinct features and is the reason they hope to have 25 stockists by 2018.
Other notable companies include one software startup Lexi, which tackles the language barriers for incoming migrants seeking jobs in Ireland. The Lexi team is currently developing a platform that allows its users to learn industry specific vocabulary on top of the basics seen in most language programs. Ticketchain also address a large-scale issue in the ticketing industry, providing both the primary and secondary market for tickets to events. They have vast projected growth, with the announcement of a new big name partner promised next March. They have received recognition from Google, the NDRC and are currently in the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Program.
Several of this year’s teams targeted the fashion industry. One company, Tethered, hopes to provide an online platform for small local boutiques to sell their products as well as the services required to manage e-commerce such as delivery, returns and stock management. Syze recognised a problem in online retail sizing, promising to solve the issue by developing software that scans the anatomy of shoppers via the smartphone camera and uses this information to give users their ideal size for an item of clothing.
The Franc team have produced a fashion magazine that has already garnered a strong following. The magazine sells at €8 each and they are aiming to expand into international markets.
Despite a crowded market for dating apps, Wynk are hoping that their app will disrupt the market with their novel approach. Rather than simply facilitating online encounters like most apps out there, the platform allows its users to be matched based on similar activity-based interests.
Following that, another software team, SpeakUpp presented their conference and meeting interactivity app that would allow attendees of various events to contribute and communicate with speakers. Ekho also aim to solve the problem of engagement in museums and galleries where customers often leave feeling dissatisfied. They provide a solution where users receive tailored, entertaining content throughout their gallery or museum visit as well as analytics for the owners of the establishment.
