University College Dublin (UCD) will showcase the latest high-tech and knowledge-intensive ventures emerging from UCD research programmes during the annual NovaUCD start-up awards evening next week. Among the nine ventures and 22 individuals competing for a share in a €35,000 prize fund is AB Power.
AB Power is pioneering efficient, safe and sustainable hydrogen-based energy storage and release technology to power future environmentally friendly vehicles. The promoters of AB Power are Dr Christian Grave and Dr Andrew Phillips, UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
The NovaUCD 2012 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP) Awards Evening takes place on Tuesday, 20 November in the William Jefferson Clinton Auditorium, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4. From 4:30 pm attendees will have the opportunity to meet with and talk to the promoters during the new ventures showcase. The main awards event commences at 5:45 pm.
The aim of this key UCD new venture support programme is to assist academic and research entrepreneurs in the establishment and development of new high-tech ventures to commercialise the output of their research activities. The programme assists participants in defining, developing and transforming their innovative ideas into sound and commercially feasible new enterprises and in preparing detailed business plans.
During the main awards event each of the participants on this year’s programme will deliver a short ‘elevator pitch’. Three short-listed ventures, selected by an independent evaluation panel, will then present their business plans in more detail to an audience comprising members ofIreland’s venture capital, research, state agencies, industry and business communities.
The overall winner will be presented with the NovaUCD 2012 Start-Up Award, a cheque for €5,000 and six-months free desk space at NovaUCD. The two other finalists will receive runner-up awards, cheques for €3,000 and €2,000 respectively along with six-months free desk space at NovaUCD.