A Northern Ireland start-up which matches up electric vehicle (EV) owners with privately-owned chargers has walked away with £25,000 at this year’s INVENT Awards.
GoPlugable, which describes itself as the “Airbnb for EV home chargers”, was one of 10 finalists in the annual competition run by science park Catalysy which each gave a one-minute elevator pitch at an awards ceremony at Belfast’s International Convention Centre.
As well as the top prize, it was also a winner in the Greentech category for its community-powered charger sharing ecosystem which also allows homeowners with chargers to earn by sharing access.
It was co-founded by Maebh Reynolds, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Queen’s University Belfast, who was frustrated at the pace in which EV is being adopted in Northern Ireland. Since its development in October 2022, GoPlugable said it has made significant progress in brand and product development.
“Congratulations to all the start-ups and entrepreneurs who made it to the INVENT 2023 final,” Meg Magill, INVENT Programme Manager, said. “The high calibre of entrants across all categories is incredibly encouraging and bodes well for the future of Northern Ireland business.
“Here at Catalyst, we are focused on fostering inclusive innovation and so we are delighted with the notable increase in female finalists this year as well as an increase in disability inclusive ideas.”
Judged as the best pitch and winner of the £1,000 on the night was Feminatech, five friends who are developing an app which helps women and track and deal with symptoms of menopause. The Inclusive Innovation Award was presented to WearMatter this year, which creates adaptive and functional clothing while the overall Student Invent winner was Levelway, a travel and directions application that provides level access routes for people using wheelchairs.
“Enterprise and innovation are important pillars in accelerating economic growth and the INVENT programme is an inspiring showcase of local entrepreneurial talent and what can be achieved when we invest in entrepreneurs and provide the conditions and support they need to reach higher and succeed faster,” George Higginson from Bank of Ireland said. “That approach to fostering entrepreneurship is at the heart of our partnership with Catalyst, working with local talent to deliver innovative solutions to real world issues.”
