In association with Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green programme, delivered in partnership with Resolve Partners provides practical support to early-stage companies, start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Ireland. These businesses are creating new products and services aimed at tackling significant environmental challenges. By offering workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities, Accelerate Green equips these green innovators with skills and guidance to continue scaling with confidence and thrive.
This autumn, Bord na Móna welcomed nine new startups to join its Accelerate Green Start programme. The Start programme is dedicated to budding entrepreneurs and early-stage enterprises in the beginning of their climate solutions journey. Over four two-day sessions, participants received training in key areas such as refining their business models, customer mapping, NVP and prototyping, and funding and investment opportunities. Guest speakers are also brought in to bring value and connections to the Bord na Móna network of experts, as well as past alumni, helping participants to build a strong network of connections.
The goal is to help these companies strengthen their concepts and set themselves up for long-term success. The programme concluded with a pitch event on 27 November, where these companies presented their innovations to a distinguished panel of industry experts, investors, and sustainability leaders including Martin Corkery of EI, Alex Firestine of SOSV and Eimear Cahalin of Frontline Ventures, as well as Tom Donnellan, CEO of Bord na Móna.
The pitch was a key milestone for this year’s business cohort and provided an opportunity for the nine participants to showcase their solutions to a wider audience, including investors, industry leaders, and other innovators in the sustainability field.
Three of the organisations that took part in Start this Autumn were:
Anaula Ltd
Anaula, based in Dublin and founded by Ruairi McLoughlin, is developing algae photo-bioreactors that capture CO2 from industrial processes, such as distilleries, and use nutrient-rich wastewater to grow algae. The algae can then be used for fertilisers, aquaculture, and nutraceuticals, providing a sustainable, circular solution for carbon offsetting.
Agri Data Analytics
Co-founded by Jack Pilkington and Alan O’Donovan in the Midlands, this AgriTech startup is working on the Bovine Breathalyser, a device that measures greenhouse gas emissions from cows without harming them. It provides valuable data on livestock health and emissions, an important area in the fight against climate change.
Reasire
Reasire, founded by Patrick Calnan and based in Cork, is focused on organising and sharing information on real assets globally. The company’s work is driven by three main areas: data & analytics, market & commercial knowledge, and development experience.
Patrick Calnan of Reasire discussed the benefits of the accelerator programme: “The learnings will be invaluable for your business in the long term and also help your goal for your business in the future. The programme gave us a great sense of scale and helped us to generate a massive network which I found powerful. We had fantastic guest speakers who shared their time and gave us their insights, was really good. I definitely recommend Accelerate Green Programme to the future participants.”
Jack Pilkington of Agri-Data Analytics echoed these comments: “Accelerate Green was great, with a brilliant cohort of people, we felt very lucky to to be in a room of like-minded individuals, with the same goals. The learnings from Accelerate Green were brilliant, and we will take a lot of them back with us to improve and enhance our business plan and our day to day working. We also got advice how we’re going to make things work going forward in terms of trying to get investor ready and improve our whole strategy.”
Ruairi McLoughlin of Anaula said: “I’ve been very impressed with the hands on approach that they’ve taken here at Accelerate Green. The two day workshops that they implement are really strong and we enjoyed the nine person cohort aspect. We all worked with each other, shared stories and shared learnings, and then we would have the added benefit of other alumni joining our meetings where they shared their experiences and advice.”
Why Accelerate Green matters
The Accelerate Green Start programme has already achieved significant success. Since it began, the programme has helped numerous start-ups make strides in renewable energy, carbon reduction, and sustainable farming among other areas. These businesses are addressing challenges not only in Ireland but also on a global scale, solidifying Ireland’s position as a leader in green innovation. By supporting green entrepreneurs, Bord na Móna is contributing to the growth of Ireland’s national network of sustainable businesses, helping to foster a thriving ecosystem for sustainable enterprise.
Tom Donnellan, chief executive of Bord na Móna, echoed this idea: “Accelerate Green Start is all about equipping new green entrepreneurs with the resources they need to realise their ambitions and grow. Supporting these ventures is crucial in helping to build a strong and thriving network of green businesses who are contributing to Ireland’s progression towards a greener future.”
As Ireland continues its efforts to meet climate targets, the companies involved in Accelerate Green are contributing to the country’s green future. The programme is not just helping to build new green businesses but also shaping the technologies and ideas that will support the global green economy.
For more information about Accelerate Green visit https://accelerategreen.ie.
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