ThinkTech Winners

First ThinkTech project winners announced

Life
Pictured: Marianne Checkley, iScoil; Sean Moynihan, Alone; Alice Mansergh, Google Marketing Solutions, UK & Ireland; Deirdre Mortell, Social Innovations Fund Ireland; Aoife Corcoran from Space Engagers; and Aoibheann O' Brien, Food Cloud Hubs; with Minister for Housing Simon Coveney

8 December 2016

Social enterprises for independent living, education and homelessness have been selected to take part in the first ThinkTech accelerator.

ThinkTech enables non-profit social innovations to grow their ideas by offering supports similar to those provided by venture capital companies to commercial enterprises.

Awards of €170,000 and €50,000 in non-financial support went to independent living project The Alone Platform and food distribution platform Foodclub Hubs.

Personalised learning platform iScoil received €160,000 and €50,000 in supports.

An early stage support award of €100,000 went to community mapping project Space Engagers.

ThinkTech project awardees will now take part in a world class accelerator programme devised by Social Innovation Fund Ireland, and supported by Google.org and the Dept of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government.

“Creating ThinkTech as the first ever Tech for Good project in Ireland has been an exciting journey,” said Social Innovation Fund Ireland CEO Deirdre Mortell. “Sixty-nine projects applied and these top four projects demonstrate both excellence and innovation in using technology to solve Ireland’s critical social issues. Homelessness, early school leaving, reducing food waste and food poverty, and aging well at home are all critical issues of our time.”

Fionnuala Meehan, VP and head of Google Ireland, said: “ThinkTech is a great example of what we believe at Google.org, that teams with bold ideas can create lasting impact on issues we all care about. We are delighted to partner with Social Innovation Fund Ireland and the Government to create ThinkTech, and to offer the winners a package of Google supports as well as critical funds to enable their projects to fly.”

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