Atlas Smart Technologies named Best New Start at InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Award

Seedcorn is the only competition of its kind on the island of Ireland aimed at improving the investor readiness of innovative new start and early stage businesses.

As well as a prize fund of €300,000 for the winners, participants in the competition benefit from business planning workshops, networking opportunities and access to angel investors and mentorship support throughout the competition.

Founded in 2021 by students of Queen’s University Belfast, Atlas Smart Technologies has developed an adjustable smart dumbbell, the SmartBell, providing 26 different weight levels, and Stronger Mobile, a workout app that has already been downloaded 38,000 times since its launch earlier this year.

Jack Fullerton, chief technology officer at Atlas Smart Technologies, said: “Being named Best New Start is a huge honour after what has already been an incredible journey for us, and the prize fund will go towards our product development and marketing.

"The InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition has been a perfect opportunity for us to refine our business plans and practise our pitch in front of experienced investors. We are delighted to have picked up the €50,000 prize, and the guidance and feedback we received throughout the competition will prove invaluable as we take SmartBell to market.”

Galway-based ByoWave were named overall winner’s in this year’s competition, collecting the top prize of €100,000. ByoWave makes modular, accessible, and customisable video game controllers for people with disabilities. The company has developed a new solution allowing users to design their own controllers based on their own physical needs, and have unrestricted access to the world of video-gaming.

Capella Workspace Solutions, a Dublin-based company specialising in technology to facilitate hybrid office and home based working, picked up the Sustainability / Low Carbon Award.

Also successful was cancer detection start-up EpiCapture Limited, winning a €10,000 Special Award for best venture stemming from a university spin-out or support programme. Based in NovaUCD on the University College Dublin campus, EpiCapture has developed a cutting-edge diagnostic test for prostate cancer.

Margaret Hearty, chief executive officer at InterTradeIreland, explained: “Seedcorn is all about promoting and nurturing the growth of innovative start-ups from across the island of Ireland, and it has been exciting to see fresh new talent from a range of sectors. As well as rewarding the winners with a substantial cash prize, Seedcorn provides all entrants with specialist support and guidance to achieve their growth plans.

“ByoWave, Atlas Smart Technologies, Capella Workspace Solutions and EpiCapture each demonstrate the talent, fresh thinking and ‘can do’ attitude that epitomises the very best of what companies across this island have to offer. In the current challenging economic climate and with a global recession looming, it is innovative businesses like these who can embrace change and shape the future of our economies. InterTradeIreland is proud to support these companies at this early stage of their development. We will continue to focus on supporting SMEs to start their innovation and export journey and help them navigate a pathway to growth.

“On behalf of InterTradeIreland I want to congratulate the winners on their success and wish them all the very best as they take their businesses to the next level.”