Founders Graduate From New Frontiers At South East Technological University – Carlow Campus

The latest cohort to graduate from the New Frontiers Phase 2 programme at South East Technological University – Carlow Campus was celebrated at a showcase event last week that included the opportunity to pitch for two different awards.

The showcase event marks the end of the six-month, full-time Phase 2, during which founders receive a number of supports that include mentoring and a tax-free allowance of €15,000 while they build a solid foundation for their business.

Nine founders pitched their ventures to members of the southeast startup ecosystem as well as the expert judging panel, which included Aidan Shine of Propeller BIC, Gillian Baker of Enterprise Ireland, and Alan Nolan of Netwatch. The awardees were:

• Best Pitch – Overall Winner: Gail Daniels of Bó Bar Soap, who secured a €1,000 cash prize sponsored by Netwatch and €1,000 worth of mentoring and business supports from Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office. Bó Bar soaps are handmade on the family-run Kilkenny dairy farm using fresh cow’s milk from grass-fed cows and formulated with 100% natural ingredients.
• Most Innovative Business Idea: Jack Honnen of MediTreats, who received a €1,000 prize sponsored by Unum. SETU graduate Jack first developed his concept through a New Product Innovation module while completing his Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Digital Marketing and Analytics and is creating a solution to simplify the administration of liquid medication to dogs.

Concluding the event, Programme Manager Gemma Purcell noted that “It was a tough decision for the judging panel. I am extremely proud of the progress this group has made over the past six months. New Frontiers offers second-to-none support for founders in growing their connections, confidence and capital.”

Guest speakers Kevin Barrett and Rob Brown, co-founders of Genotrial and New Frontiers alumni, shared insights into their entrepreneurial journey since completing the programme, including winning last year’s Most Innovative Business Award and being awarded PSSF funding from Enterprise Ireland.

Ciara Corcoran, National New Frontiers Programme Manager at Enterprise Ireland, also addressed attendees and announced the participants who were successful in securing Phase 3 funding.

New Frontiers 2024 cohort in Carlow

The 2025 cohort is developing ventures across a range of sectors, including product innovation, digital services and wellness:

Briony Somers of Ori (healthcare)

Ori gives people the tools to navigate the healthcare system better than a doctor.

Cait Makey Maher of Yellow Deer Designs (retail)

Yellow Deer Designs is an Irish-owned illustration and stationery business specialising in hand-illustrated greeting cards and bespoke illustration for retailers and organisations. Alongside its core trading activity, the business is developing an assistive illustration workflow to increase creative capacity, improve efficiency, and support scalable growth while maintaining the integrity of hand-drawn design.

Gail Daniels of Bó Bar Soap (skincare)

Natural handmade soap made using cow’s milk.

Nora Norris of Sauna Wear (fashion/apparel)

Sustainable sauna wear built for contrast therapy, designed to withstand extreme heat and cold so practitioners stop wasting money on conventional gear that fails.

David McKeon of Via (B2C Saas)

Via is an ADHD-focused productivity ecosystem that plans for you, making staying organised effortless and adaptive through intelligent automation, empowering you to get more done with less stress.

Harry Dunne of DocuWill (consumer SaaS)

DocuWill enables anyone to prepare comprehensive end-of-life and incapacity plans independently from home. From Wills and Advance Healthcare Directives to digital assets and wishes, all critical information is securely organised and ready for when it’s needed.

Jack Honnen of MediTreats (pet care)

MediTreats is developing an innovative edible delivery system designed to make oral liquid medication easier to administer to dogs. MediTreats aims to improve compliance, dosing accuracy, and animal welfare, with an initial focus on the Irish veterinary and pet care market.

Mark Dunne of deline8 (enterprise software/regtech)

deline8 is an AI-powered SaaS platform providing objective, data-driven technology due diligence (TDD) for the M&A industry. It solves the multi-billion-dollar problem of unquantified technical risk by replacing slow, subjective assessments with quantifiable ground truth.

Darren Maher of ReCreo (healthcare/technology)

ReCreo is an AI-powered therapy platform that helps therapists plan, deliver, and track structured therapy in a secure, clinically grounded system.

Best of luck to these founders as they take the next steps with their businesses!

Calling startup founders near Carlow

The New Frontiers programme in Carlow is based in the Xcelerate Centre. The three SETU Xcelerate Centres are home to numerous initiatives and programmes to accelerate and nurture enterprise development in the South East region. The New Frontiers Programme Manager in Carlow is Gemma Purcell. Find out more about Gemma and our Carlow location or see our upcoming application deadlines.

[featured image (l-r): Gillian Baker, Brian Ogilvie, Eugene Crehan, Cait Mackey Maher, Briony Somers, Nora Norris, Harry Dunne, Lorraine Brennan, Jack Honnen, Gail Daniels, David McKeon, Mark Dunne, Gemma Purcell, and Ciara Concannon]