From left: Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy, ReaDI-Watch co-founders Dave and Prof Gerry Byrne and Enterprise Ireland Canada country manager Lydia Rogers. Image: Enterprise Ireland
The NovaUCD-headquartered company has identified Canada as one of its target markets, due to the high level of RD&I investment taking place there.
Irish software start-up ReaDI-Watch has announced its launch in Canada, which it sees as a key strategic market.
The NovaUCD-headquartered company has developed a strong customer base in Ireland since its founding in 2021. But the start-up has also identified the UK, US and Canada as other target markets, due to the high level of RD&I (research, development and innovation) investment.
ReaDI-Watch has developed a digital platform for companies to manage their RD&I projects. The company’s software is designed for businesses of all sizes, incorporating ISO-aligned strategic tools to help establish its RD&I plans.
The former Start-Up of the Week’s platform also includes reports for R&D tax and grant-funded projects, CPD-approved online training programmes, and business and project diagnostic assessments.
The start-up, founded by father and son Gerry and Dave Byrne, began expanding its team in 2021 to help prepare for expansion into the UK and US.
CEO Dave Byrne also temporarily relocated to Toronto last year to lay the foundations of its expansion to Canada and to identify key partners and customers. Byrne said the RD&I landscape in Canada has “significant similarities to Ireland and the UK”.
“Between the research and innovation ecosystem players, the innovation and R&D government supports, R&D tax credits and the need for Canadian-owned businesses to innovate to improve productivity, ReaDI-Watch has seen Canada as a key strategic market since we incorporated,” Byrne said. “I now look forward to hiring our first Canadian team members.”
ReaDI-Watch made the announcement in Toronto during a roundtable business event it hosted with Enterprise Ireland Canada.
Country manager and SVP for Enterprise Ireland Canada, Lydia Rogers, said the challenges addressed by ReaDI-Watch’s platform “resonates strongly with the strategy and focus of Enterprise Ireland”.
“We look forward to seeing the impact of ReaDI-Watch in the Canadian market,” Rogers said.
The company is based at NovaUCD, the centre for entrepreneurs and new ventures at University College Dublin. Other companies that have come out of this base include quantum computing start-up Equal1, drone company Manna, Output Sports and PlasmaBound.
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