Entrepreneurial Spark marks first birthday

A local business accelerator has provided a substantial boost to Northern Ireland's entrepreneurial environment in its first year of operation.
Niall Carlin pictured with Lynsey Cunningham of Ulster BankNiall Carlin pictured with Lynsey Cunningham of Ulster Bank
Niall Carlin pictured with Lynsey Cunningham of Ulster Bank

So much so, that companies at the Entrepreneurial Spark hub - powered by Ulster Bank – took in over £550,000 in investment during December 2016 alone.

Part of the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures, the hub in Belfast has given support to almost 160 early stage and scale-up businesses in its first year, having supported two intakes of entrepreneurs to date.

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Entrepreneurs, ranging from those just starting out to those scaling up their business, have based themselves at the hub in fields as diverse as technology, food and drink, and product design.

Marking the first anniversary entrepreneurs were provided with awards for their achievements, with £24,000 available in prizes.

The £24,000 in prizes were distributed to entrepreneurs in categories rewarding their business acumen, professional development and collaboration with others taking part in the programme.

The main award of the evening, Entrepreneur of the Moment, was awarded to Niall Carlin, founder of DoubleJump, along with a cash prize of £7,000 to help take his business to the next level.

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Doublejump Studios is a start-up content creation company based in Belfast that produces short videos to promote businesses and engage audiences.

“I joined Entrepreneurial Spark in February of last year and the business has just taken off since,” Niall said.

“It has grown from just myself to a team of four and we are still growing. Entrepreneurial Spark has been fantastic for me; I’ve had mentoring from some of the best people in the industry, I’ve also been coached to have a better mind-set that embraces risk and is able to take business decisions.”

Ulster Bank entrepreneur development manager Lynsey Cunningham stressed the need for broad support.

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“We produce world-class innovators and ideas in fields such as pharmaceuticals, financial technology, and manufacturing.

“As such, our entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses deserve a business culture that rewards and celebrates their success, and we are determined to play our part in creating that.”