Limerick start-up Mavarick wins €100,000 at Seedcorn competition

10 Nov 2023

From left: Margaret Hearty and Dr Paul Byrnes. Image: Johnny Bambury

Mavarick is a platform that generates real-time information to help manufacturers make better decisions and become more sustainable.

Mavarick, a Limerick-based software start-up that has developed a platform to help manufacturers become more sustainable, has been declared overall winner of the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition.

Announced today (10 November), the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition, which tests a start-up’s investor readiness, awarded the winner a €100,000 cash prize. Mavarick also won separate €20,000 prize for the best start-up operating in the low-carbon sector.

Founded by Dr Paul Byrnes and Koen Jasper, Mavarick has developed a platform that generates real-time information to help manufacturers make better decisions. The aim is to help them achieve additional capacity, reduce machine downtime and increase profitability.

“The competition has been an invaluable experience and we have learned a lot about the investment process that will really help us in the next stages of our business plans,” said Byrnes, who is also the company’s chief executive.

“Mavarick is a company founded by second-generation manufacturers, and we look forward to continuing to help manufacturers balance sustainability and productivity.’’

Seedcorn is an annual competition open to start-ups and early-stage businesses from across the island with an overall cash prize fund of €300,000. The idea of the competition is to help these businesses become investor-ready by improving pitches and getting expert feedback on their business plans.

The InterTradeIreland competition also gives start-ups access to venture capitalists, business angels, industry experts and other entrepreneurs for networking opportunities.

Galenband, a previous Start-up of the Week, won the Best New Start or Best Early Stage category, bagging €50,000. Based in Ballina, Co Mayo, Galenband is a wearables tech start-up that aims to replace invasive and expensive surgically implanted heart monitors.

“Galenband will make a tangible impact on healthcare by contributing to reductions in stroke and this win will open doors for us as we raise our seed round to support key product and regulatory milestones on our journey to market,” said co-founder and CEO Oisín McGrath.

One previous participant in Seedcorn is Galway’s NUA Surgical, which received €100,000 after being named the overall winner in 2020.

The company, recently featured in SiliconRepublic.com’s list of start-ups to watch out for this year, has developed surgical solutions to make C-sections – one of the world’s most common surgeries – safer and easier.

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Vish Gain was a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com