'We are incredibly honoured': Armagh firm crowned Tech Entrepreneur of the Year at UK 'Grammys of Entrepreneurship' in London
Joining the likes of previous well-known winners such as James Watt of Brewdog and Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, needi adds its name to an impressive list of brands recognised for outstanding achievement and innovation
Armagh-based sustainable corporate gifting platform needi has been awarded the Technology Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for Northern Ireland at the prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Co-founders Louise Doyle and Steph Scholes received the award on Monday at a glittering awards ceremony hosted at London’s Grosvenor House, celebrating alongside other successful entrepreneurs across the UK.
Joining the likes of previous well-known winners such as James Watt of Brewdog and Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, needi adds its name to an impressive list of brands recognised for outstanding achievement and innovation.
The Technology Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by de novo solutions, celebrates entrepreneurs who harness the power of cutting-edge tech to push boundaries, disrupt industries, solve problems and continuously shape the way we all interact with technology.
needi was founded by Louise and Steph in 2021, with a determination to change the way gifting was done. Combining the power of psychology and AI to create personalised, meaningful gift experiences while supporting local, independent businesses, they’ve worked with over 150 loyal clients, including Microsoft, Spotify, and DPD.
needi helps organisations reward and recognise their people in authentic, sustainable ways, and aims to generate £5million in sales for small businesses by 2026.
Louise Doyle, CEO and co-founder of needi, said: “Steph and I are incredibly honoured to win this award. It recognises everything our wonderful team works so hard for - harnessing technology to help people feel more genuinely connected and appreciated.
“needi’s platform now helps global leaders, from Microsoft to DPD, build stronger relationships with their staff and clients through meaningful gifting and high-quality, sustainable branded merchandise and uniforms.
“And knowing that every gift supports small and independent businesses… well, that’s exactly what tech should be doing in the world.”
Francesca James, founder of the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, added: “Our winners embody the very best of British enterprise, ambitious, resilient and relentlessly innovative.
"The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, often described as the ‘Grammys of entrepreneurship’, exists to champion founders who create jobs, scale ideas and strengthen communities.”
needi were recently awarded €100,000 alongside their merchant Grá Chocolates at the inaugural Stelios Philanthropic Foundation North South Business Cooperation Awards 2025, marking another huge milestone in their success.