Image: NDRC
We visited Dublin’s NDRC to find out about the supports, benefits and networking opportunities available to start-ups in its accelerator programmes.
We recently paid a visit to the NDRC, where venture investment leaders Alan Costello and Angela Duffy joined commercial director Gary Leyden to discuss the opportunities and benefits that the centre can offer tech start-ups.
Based in Dublin’s Digital Exchange, NDRC invests in and supports promising early stage start-ups with ambitious leaders that are aiming to address global opportunities. The next NDRC accelerator programme will take place in early 2020, with applications open here until 19 January 2020.
‘We aim to build the key foundations of a business that can scale’
– GARY LEYDEN
When asked what the NDRC can offer a start-up, Costello explained: “The social and networking part of it is crucial. Every week we have guest speakers coming in, often we have investors from the local and international investment community coming in to talk about the investment process.”
Duffy, meanwhile, discussed the types of founders who can benefit most from NDRC’s accelerator programme. “There’s two groups that might benefit more, that’s people who don’t have much experience in building a business,” she said.
“Then the second group of people are those who have built a business – they may even be a serial entrepreneur – but they’re doing something slightly different, something that’s digital. They may not have had experience in the software or hardware industry, or with this type of business before.”
These entrepreneurs can benefit greatly from the guidance offered by NDRC, she added, noting that there have been plenty of highly experienced people who have come to NDRC in the past and have gained something from the programme.
Finally, Leyden spoke about the track record of success that has been seen by the companies NDRC has previously invested in.
“They have travelled the path that all of our new start-ups are going to be going through, and we’re actively leveraging all of those start-ups to the benefit of our new start-ups coming in,” he said.
“The most important thing you’ve got to figure out is whether you’ve got a business worth scaling in the first place. That’s what our programmes are focused on. We aim to build the key foundations of a business that can scale.
“When you’re ready to scale, you have a network of people who can support you – from next stage investors, from talent to join you, to companies that can help support you.”
