Ann Marie McSorley, CEO of Veri, with Colin Goulding of Google. Image: MKC Communications
Google is urging companies to apply early for the Adopt a Startup programme as there are only 30 places available.
Scaling Irish start-ups are being invited to apply for Google’s Adopt a Startup programme, which opened for applications today (20 February). Places are limited to just 30 and applications close on 2 March.
2018 applications are open for Adopt A Startup
The 2018 Adopt A Startup programme will have more of an emphasis on strategy and business planning, as well as scaling businesses to stay ahead. Key areas will include optimising customer acquisition, international scaling and boosting exports using tools such as the Google Market Finder and cloud optimisation.
Participants will benefit from hands-on mentoring from Google employees in its global business, marketing, cloud and engineering teams over a 12-week period. The programme has been created with the help of feedback from previous alumni and what Google is seeing in its work with Irish SMEs.
Jobbio, CoderDojo, NewsWhip and Beats Medical are just some of the companies that have passed through the programme. Digital quality assurance and compliance software company Veri has also taken part, winning last year’s autumn programme.
Major prizes to be won
At the end of the 12 weeks, eight selected companies will make a pitch to a panel of industry experts and senior executives for the chance of winning €10,000 of AdWords credit and eligibility for the Google Cloud Platform for Startups programme, which comes with €100,000 worth of Google Cloud credit.
The seven runners-up will also be eligible for the programme and the chance to receive €20,000 in Google Cloud credit, while one lucky company will win three months of free hot-desking in Dogpatch Labs.
Paddy Flynn, a director at Google, said: “Enterprise Ireland recently reported that in the past year, they supported 181 start-ups through their HPSU [high-potential start-ups] and CSF [Competitive Start Fund] programmes, which was fantastic to see and reflects the vibrancy and potential of Ireland’s start-up community to deliver jobs and economic growth.
“We’re gradually reaching to a point in Ireland where entrepreneurship is seen as a career goal in its own right, and it’s great to see entrepreneurs having the confidence to make this definitive career choice, buoyed by the success of others.
“TechIreland recently undertook research of over 120 Adopt a Startup alumni, finding that 60pc of these start-ups had raised significant funding. These companies are not only based in Dublin but across the regions, with 40pc coming from outside Dublin. In addition, 30pc of them are female-led.”
This is indicative of the positive growth of the start-up community, which is something that Google is very happy to strongly support on an ongoing basis. Flynn added: “We’re delighted to be supporting the community through the Adopt a Startup programme, and our aim is to provide mentors with expertise across the digital ecosystem to help start-ups scale and stay ahead, not alone in Ireland but globally.”
Updated, 3.45pm, 20 February 2018: This article was updated to clarify prize figures, which were mistakenly listed in dollars rather than euro.
