UCC to honour innovative students at awards evening

University College Cork is to award one innovative business an overall top prize in the college’s recently launched Ignite graduate business enterprise programme at an invite-only awards evening to be held on college this Thursday.

The programme, housed in UCC’s Western Gateway Building, is a nine month business incubation facility open to recent graduates of any Irish third level institution, and has thusfar spawned a major Business-To-Business quoting agency, a social network that allows users to plan ahead rather than look back, as well as a fashion magazine which has already successfully published a number of print and online issues.

The incubation track has also benefited from the support of the Cork City Enterprise Board (CEB), hi-tech business hub Cork Bic, among other delivery partners.

The establishment of the programme adds UCC to the burgeoning list of third level institutions offering business incubation spaces being as universities aim to retain talent, provide outlets for entrepreneurship, and stop the brain drain.

The contestants

Who’s vying for the prize this Thursday? It’s a five way contest.

Planbeam.com
Run by the man already being dubbed by students ‘UCC’s answer to Mark Zuckerberg‘, Planbeam.com is the brainchild of self-described ‘gentle giant’ Artemy Fedoseev, who at 24 already counts a computer science degree among his achivements. The revolutionary network allows ‘Planmates’ to interact over future ideas — essentially a paradigm shift social networking.

Supply.ie
Arguably the biggest project to come out of Ignite to date, Mike McGrath’s online business venture was recently awarded a €50,000 Competitive Startup Fund. The business functions as a B-2-B (business-to-business) clearinghouse, allowing buyers and sellers to connect and make transactions.

None Magazine
An Irish based, internationally staffed, globally concerned fashion and lifestyle magazine, ‘None’ has already produced a number of online, and digital, issues.

Seahorse Atlantic
SeaHorse Atlantic is the only Irish company producing a unique species of seaweed by aquaculture producing a 100% natural high quality equine & pet supplement.

Pet Connect
PetConnect is a community for Pet Owners and Pet Services to come together to share information and promote their pets and services. The site has proved popular with a broad pool of user bases, and was widely welcomed in the Irish pet industry.

UCC's Mark Zuckerberg — University College Cork