Northern Ireland innovators in Invent 2023 final and include a cycling safety device that uses AI to detect cars and a menopause support app

From an inclusive, purpose-driven fashion solution, to a menopause support app and emotional wellbeing solutions for children, the range of innovative ideas is immense.

Run by Belfsat’s science and technology hub Catalyst, in partnership with Bank of Ireland, the competition recognizes innovative businesses with smart and creative concepts which have high commercial potential.

INVENT has been in the running for over a decade. It is an important breakthrough vehicle for exciting businesses which has enabled past finalists to gain media exposure, win customers, attract investment and make connections with partners and mentors.

This year's INVENT has five categories – Greentech, Health and Wellbeing, Product, Business Software and Consumer Software.

The 10 finalists are:

Greentech:

Wake and Make – Energy: Designing and making modular battery energy storage solutions that are designed and built as a bespoke solution, offering more flexibility and better affordability for hybrid energy systems.

GoPlugable: GoPlugable is on a mission to create the world’s largest Electric Vehicle charging network by connecting home chargers to a peer-to-peer network where EV owners can share access to their home chargers with other users using our community driven app.

Health and Wellbeing:

AXONNR: Technology combines the latest developments of AI and Robotics to advance prosthetics and deliver new functionality for upper-limb amputees.

Little Sunflower: Little Sunflower is an early intervention emotional wellbeing solution to the growing mental health crisis in children. Using animated, interactive, digital resources and plush toys, it gently leads children on uplifting emotional journeys towards resilience and self-esteem.

Product:

CycleAid is a cycling safety device that uses AI to detect cars behind the cyclist. A sensor attaches to the bike and sends a signal to a haptic feedback harness worn on the cyclist's shoulders, which vibrates to indicate danger without visual distraction.

WearMatter, a purpose-driven adaptive clothing brand that is committed to empowering individuals through inclusive, accessible, universally designed fashion.

Business Software:

SEQO: A platform for managing continuity in the TV and Film Industry.

Track: Track ensures a secure and organised digital environment for your business, streamlining and automating your existing platform, from Google Workspaces to Microsoft 365 and more.

Consumer Software:

Feminatech: M-power is a menopause support app that can be paired with trackers like Apple Watch or Fitbit, to record heart rate, temperature and sleep. On the app the user can track other symptoms and lifestyle changes. The algorithm will use the data to find patterns, make predictions and suggest changes.

Learning Me: Our pupil wellbeing web-app, Understanding Me, merges best practices in health, pedagogy and educational technology to help the child self-regulate. We’re integrating three complimentary pathways to support early intervention, pastoral support and family relationships.

The wide range of finalists are attempting to solve some of the most pressing issues facing the world including climate change and mental illness. To help bring their ideas to life they are using AI, apps, online platforms, robotics and digital resources.

INVENT’s overall prize fund totals £50,000, with each category winner taking home £5,000, and the overall winner walking away with an additional £20,000. Additional prizes of £1,000 for best student entry and the best pitch will also be up for grabs on the night.

Programme alumni include CropSafe, which recently raised $3m in seed funding, and Overwatch Research, which was acquired by US tech company Benchling last year.

Meg Magill, INVENT programme manager at Catalyst, said: “Catalyst’s vision is to create opportunity for all from world-leading innovation and INVENT provides a brilliant opportunity to recognize some of those who will hopefully be leading the way when it comes to innovation in the very near future.

“Every year we are blown away by the caliber of the entrepreneurs and companies that come through the competition and this year we are really encouraged by the variety and diversity of the teams and their business ideas.”

Niall Devlin, head of business banking NI at Bank of Ireland, added: “We have been hugely impressed by the incredibly high standard of innovation and entrepreneurship evident across the entries for this year’s INVENT awards, which made it a real challenge for the judging panel to select our 10 finalists.

“It’s inspiring to see the ambition, creativity and vision within our early-stage start-up and entrepreneur community, who remain relentless in their pursuit of new and innovative ways to address real problems and create new opportunities. On behalf of Bank of Ireland, I want to pass our congratulations to the finalists.”

The INVENT awards ceremony will be hosted at the ICC Waterfront in Belfast on Thursday, September 21. To book tickets go to invent23.co/awards.