Who we are

We are IGNITE, an award-winning business incubation programme run by University College Cork (UCC). We support recent graduates from any discipline and any higher education institution in developing their innovative business ideas into scalable and sustainable start-ups. Supported by the Cork City Council, the Local Enterprise Offices and Bank of Ireland, we proudly stand out as one of Ireland’s leading programmes for graduate entrepreneurs.

IGNITE is a pillar of the New Ventures programme in UCC’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Led by Programme Director Eamon Curtin, IGNITE brings together:

• funding and network strengths of long-term partners.
• extensive and diverse panel of over 100 experienced businesspeople who serve as workshop facilitators, guest speakers, mentors, and members of adjudication, review, and interview panels.
• academic and administrative staff who nurture and encourage student entrepreneurs and innovators.
• IGNITE Advisory Board, composed of successful business leaders, which provides strategic direction and governance.

What we did

Following Ireland’s post-2008 economic downturn that led to record emigration levels, we identified a critical need to provide opportunities for graduates to develop entrepreneurial skills, and support the next generation of businesses owners, while contributing to high-value employment creation.

We shaped the IGNITE programme based on research, evidence, and best practices gathered through visits to renowned entrepreneurship hubs such as KU Leuven, Harvard iLab, MIT Trust Centre for Entrepreneurship, Babson College, Imperial College, Kings College, University College London, and Kitchener/Waterloo region.

The IGNITE Advisory Board developed IGNITE’s mission, goals, and deliverables:

• Our mission is to be an internationally recognized University-based incubation programme that encourages, promotes, and nurtures entrepreneurship in recent graduates, to deliver entrepreneurs driving scalable, successful businesses in response to future global and national market needs.
• Our goals are to build sustainable, investible businesses that create high value employment and develop innovative products and services, and to nurture entrepreneurial thinking and develop the next generation of business owners.
• Our deliverables and KPIs are aligned with national priorities to create new businesses, jobs, and drive economic/social impact – number of founders and start-ups supported, new businesses created, new jobs created start-ups that progress to Local Enterprise Offices and EI, and value of investment raised.

Since launching in 2011, we have been committed to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across all sectors, with a particular focus on early-stage founders navigating the challenges of starting their first business. We offer a range of tailored supports for graduate entrepreneurs at different stages of their start-up journey, including:

• access to expert mentoring,
• business development workshops,
• one-to-one guidance,
• peer learning opportunities, and;
• networking with investors and industry leaders.

To provide these supports, we work with a core panel of experts who facilitate the business development workshops and provide business advice on a professional basis and engage an extended network of entrepreneurs and industry executives who volunteer their time to deliver entrepreneurial talks, seminars, and mentorship.

Our founder-centric approach supports entrepreneurs personal, network and business development through education and training, mentoring, access to external networks, office space and funding.

Figure 1: Founder Centric Model

 

Our range of structured programmes, flexible modules, and other points of engagement are designed to ensure that whether a student is curious about entrepreneurship, at the initial idea stage or already developing a product or service, we offer a support to meet their specific needs. For example, in addition to our START UP INCUBATION PROGRAMME, IGNITE provides INSPIRING ENTREPRENEUR Talks, START-UP ADVICE Clinics and Student MEET-UPs to undergraduate and postgraduate students to explore entrepreneurship and innovation, enhancing their student experience, augmenting their curricular learning and preparing them for careers as innovative business leaders. Other extra-curricular activities to identify and develop new start-up ideas include part-time START-UP LAB Workshops and IDEAS FOR IMPACT Hackathons.

Figure 2: IGNITE’s Timeline

Since our launch in 2011, IGNITE has evolved through a succession of three-year action plans, each with a specific strategic focus to refine and expand the initiative in response to external factors and founder needs:

• 2011/12 – we piloted the concept
• 2012/15 – we consolidated IGNITE to develop graduate entrepreneurs and create start-ups
• 2015/18 – we grew IGNITE to double output of graduate entrepreneurs and start-up companies
• 2018/21 – we expanded IGNITE to include undergraduate and postgraduate students
• 2021/24 – we enhanced programme effectiveness by aligning supports with specific founder needs
• 2025/28 – we’re building a campus-based regional innovation hub

This phased approach has also allowed us to respond to both internal growth needs and external factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainty. Through regular surveys of participants, alumni, and other stakeholders we have identified emerging trends, including a growing interest among graduates in creating social and environmental impact, and a greater diversity of applicants in terms of age profile, nationality, gender, and personal motivation. In response, workshops, seminars, mentors, and guest speakers relevant to social and environmental impact have been introduced and programme promotion has been adapted to encourage and support participation from a more diverse audience.

IGNITE has also evolved to increase effectiveness and flexibility. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to our START UP INCUBATION PROGRAMME, participants can now join the programme every quarter rather than waiting for an annual intake and the programme is more flexible in duration (6-15 months) depending on the entrepreneur’s skills development needs and requirements to establish the business. Recurring workshops allow participants to take only those relevant to their business development stage, and the programme format has adapted to key in-person learning activities over two successive days to maximize attendance and valuable peer-peer connections with balancing growing their business. A significant indicator of the improvement in IGNITE’s effectiveness in recent years is our world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +79, improved from 58 in 2021 (NPS scale -100 to +100).

Impact Achieved

Since our establishment, we have supported over 232 graduates in developing entrepreneurial skills, becoming Ireland’s next generation of business owners, innovators, and leaders. These founders are actively involved in 100 established businesses that supported 366 jobs in 2024. Beyond the core START UP INCUBATION PRGRAMME, we have reached thousands of graduates and students through extra-curricular workshops, hackathons, and competitions, helping them to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skills that enhance their career opportunities.

Over the past 13 years, a total of €4 million has been invested into IGNITE. This investment has generated an estimated €81 million in salaries and €29 million in Exchequer contributions. Start-ups developed and supported by IGNITE have raised approximately €40 million in equity investment and have played a key role in growing Cork’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over 80 start-ups progressed to become clients of EI or LEOs, indicating their potential to scale-up, and contributing directly to SouthWest Regional Enterprise Plan and EI strategies of HPSUs and job creation.

Figure 3: IGNITE’s Impact

 

We continue to play a central role in positioning Cork as a national innovation hub. Our initiative also demonstrates how connecting academic research with commercial enterprise creates tangible value. Our alumni have successfully raised investment, entered global markets, and gained national and international recognition – including the Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2022) and the European Young Innovator of the Year (2016).

Some examples of start-ups supported by IGNITE:

• TrustAp: payment technologies for online marketplaces. Founder: Conor Lyden.
• LegitFit: business management application for gym sector. Founders: Ryan O’Neill, Ian O’Sullivan, and Gearoid Collins.
• OncoAssist: cancer prognosis tool. Founders: Eoin O’Carroll and Kevin Bambury.
• Recruitroo: international recruitment and relocation management platform. Founders: Shane Kiernan and Stephen MacCarthy.
• Ecanvasser: canvassing campaign management platform. Founder: Brendan Finucane.
• AnaBio Technologies: encapsulation technologies for food and pharma industries. Founder: Dr Sinead Bleiel.
• Inaza: technology for insurance industry. Founder: Niall Crowley.
• Neurobell: portable neonatal EEG monitoring devices. Founders: Dr Mark O’Sullivan and Dr Alison O’Shea.
• WellSchoolsNetwork: research-based schools development workshops to promote student well-being and academic achievement. Founder: Dr Dave Cashman.

Many of the companies supported have contributed to societal and environmental impacts, such as Neurobell’s portable device to monitor infant brain health, EziVein’s device to simplify blood-draws and VoltaRobotics repurposing of batteries.

 

What we learned

The development of IGNITE over many years has allowed us to identify the following strengths that have been key to successful outcomes:

• The programme design and development is informed by international best practice through collaboration and engagement with universities UK, Europe and North America,
• Programme participants benefit from access to a supportive ecosystem:
  • Diverse panels of experienced businesspeople who serve as workshop facilitators, guest speakers, mentors, and members of adjudication, review, and interview panels
  • Academic and administrative staff who nurture and encourage student entrepreneurs and innovators
  • IGNITE Advisory Board, composed of successful business leaders, which provides strategic direction and governance
  • A growing body of IGNITE alumni that provide peer to peer support
  • And extensive networks of funding partners
• The ‘learn by doing’ experience of start-up founders in IGNITE’s supportive but challenging environment, along with ready access to a range of expertise and knowledge, has prepared entrepreneur founders to lead their start-ups post IGNITE.
• A culture of continuous review, reflection and improvement has allowed the programme to evolve in response to external economic and social changes.