Entrepreneurs hoping they have the ‘Spark of Genius’ to pick up award

TWO Wicklow entrepreneurs have been short-listed on a prestigious list of 12 Irish start-ups who are in with a chance of winning the highly coveted ESB Spark of Genius Awards.

Shane Byrne’s company ‘ Responder Technologies’ is located in Broomhall Business Park, Rathnew, and supports independent living through technology and will be hoping to be selected as one of the three finalists who will head to Lisbon to compete for the ESB Spark of Genius Award. The company was established in May of this year.

Also on the shortlist is Mark Bennett’s company ‘BikeLook’, whose mission is to use bluetooth sensors on bikes and racks to help combat Dublin’s €10 million bike theft problem.

The short-listed entrepreneurs will pitch to a panel of judges live on 2FM’s The Eoghan McDermott Show.

The panel of live judges include: John McKiernan, Head of External Collaboration at ESB; Joan Mulvihill, Irish Internet Association CEO; Emmet Ryan, Technology Editor, Sunday Business Post; Jenny O’Doherty, Head of Startups, Web Summit and Mikey Cannon, co-founder, Bizimply, who went on to win the 2015 Spark of Genius Award at last year’s Web Summit.

The ESB Spark of Genius Award provides a platform for high potential technology start-ups who have been in operation for less than three years and have received under €1m in funding.