Catagen and Wattics have been named the Best High Growth company and the Best Emerging company at the InterTradeIreland 10th annual all-island Seedcorn Business competition.
There’s a strong green technology theme running through the selection of this year’s winners if you think about it.
Belfast-based Catagen has built up a significant manufacturing and export business making catalytic converters for the automotive industry. Catalytic converters are essential to the regulation of CO2 emissions from vehicles.
Meanwhile, Dublin-based Wattics, a spin-out from University College Dublin, has engineered an innovative software solution that connects with off-the-shelf smart meters and helps businesses realise cost savings.
Announced at the grand final event at the Titanic Belfast building last night, Catagen, as Best High Growth company on the island has won a cash prize of €100,000, while Wattics will take home €50,000 as the Best Emerging company. A prize of €10,000 has also been awarded to Alanya Ltd. from Cork, for the best venture stemming from a university spin-outs or platform programmes.
Seedcorn is the largest business competition on the island of Ireland and is viewed by those in the industry as a strong indicator of companies to watch in future. In total, 1,645 companies have been through the Seedcorn process with a total of €2.49m in prize money being won.
