Rosanne Longmore, CEO of Coroflo, pictured with Aidan D’Arcy, head of business, Virgin Media Ireland. Image: Conor McCabe Photography
Revolutionary breastfeeding app takes home first prize at Voom event.
Digital start-up Coroflo, creator of a technology to assist in the breastfeeding process, has been named winner of the Dublin leg of the Virgin Media Business Voom tour.
Dublin-based Coroflo has developed and patented a revolutionary nipple shield and app that aids mothers in the breastfeeding process.
‘The overall talent on show here today has been truly exceptional’
– PAUL FARRELL
It monitors the milk flow from mother to baby, providing accurate details of how much breast milk an infant has consumed.
Coroflo will not only receive €6,000 in cash but the founder, CEO Rosanne Longmore, will have brunch with Virgin founder Richard Branson later this year.
Business is Vooming
Six companies pitched today as part of the Voom tour festival before a panel of judges including Toby McCartney, founder of MacRebur and overall winner of Voom 2016.
Dublin was the third leg in the Voom tour after London and Manchester. The tour also takes in the cities of Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Winchester.
Each regional stop has a prize worth €6,000 and Branson will be on hand to dispense valuable advice on launching and scaling start-ups.
The national competition will return in March 2018.
“Coroflo are very impressive and an extremely worthy winner,” said Paul Farrell, vice-president of commercial at Virgin Media.
“The overall talent on show here today has been truly exceptional. Competitions such as this couldn’t come at a better time for Irish businesses or entrepreneurs as it’s an entirely merit-based programme, which allows the most innovative, disruptive and original business concepts to rise to the top.”
Irish start-ups punching above their weight
This is the second year of Voom in Ireland.
Last year, Irish start-up FoodCloud reached the Voom finale and finished in second place, securing the company €25,000 as well as broadband and mentoring.
The Belfast leg of Voom will take place at St George’s Market on 6 and 7 June.
Virgin Media Ireland CEO Tony Hanway said that last year, Irish businesses punched above their weight.
“If you think about it, in the final 75 pitches, 15 were Irish, which is proportionately bigger than size or scale would entail. There is no question: there is a massive appetite for start-ups and entrepreneurship in Ireland.
“For Voom 2018, we are expecting a phenomenal participation from Irish entrepreneurial talent because the profile of the competition is so high and because the schedule has more space and time.
“The regional competitions will all build up to a grand ‘pitchathon’ in March 2018.
“Rather than a race against time like last year … people have more time to hone their idea and get involved.”
Hanway said that the Voom competition is symbiotic for Virgin in that it teaches the company’s workforce about entrepreneurship.
“We are an established PLC and part of the world’s largest cable company. Our challenge is to always stay innovative and agile. It is great to see our people learning from entrepreneurs who must do what they can with scant resources and little capital.
“If people could bottle some of that entrepreneurial zeal, ultimately it creates a self-sustaining ecosystem and community that will endure,” Hanway said.
