INVENT
INVENT is an annual competition that celebrates our most exciting innovators and entrepreneurs, giving them an international platform and support to make the greatest impact.
What is INVENT?
INVENT is an annual competition organised by Catalyst with headline partner Bank of Ireland, that celebrates our most exciting innovators and entrepreneurs, giving them an international platform and support to make the greatest impact.
Applications are now closed. Please check back to register your interest.
Who should apply?
Apply for the programme if:
- You have an innovative solution to a problem.
- You’re a student completing a course project that you know is the next big thing.
- You have been working on cutting edge research and now want to commercialise.
- You have a side project and are ready to take the next step.
Now is the time to put your innovation in the spotlight!
Why apply?
By applying for INVENT, you will:
- Market validate your idea
- Unlock a quality network of like-minded peers and mentors
- Fuel your growth
- Get support with your pitch
- Gain high profile exposure and recognition
- Be in with a chance of winning a share of the £55,000 prize fund
Join us at the INVENT Awards 2025
Early bird tickets now available
An evening to celebrate the people and ideas shaping the future. The INVENT Awards bring together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and innovation champions for an evening of bold thinking and big ambition. It’s a chance to hear from tomorrow’s innovators, build new connections, and take a front-row seat to the ideas driving change across our region and beyond.
Your INVENT Awards 2025 ticket includes:
- Finalist Showcase and Drinks Reception
- The INVENT Awards including category and overall winner announcements
- Meet the Student Invent 25 cohort
- A 3 course meal featuring local NI produce accompanied with wine
Winning INVENT was a huge deal for Dia Beta Labs in terms of validation and exposure. As a therapeutic development company without the ability to demonstrate with prototypes or divulge commercially sensitive information it can sometimes be difficult to generate buzz around what we are doing. However, INVENT gave us something tangible to show off our success and provided us a platform to increase the profile and visibility of the company which has helped in our engagement with investors and potential customers since the win. Indeed, "Oh, you guys won INVENT!" has become a common icebreaker for many of the people we speak with!
Ryan Lafferty, Dia Beta Labs: Overall INVENT 2024 Winner
Headline Partner
2025 Sponsors
Innovation Founders / Impact Award Winners
Steering Team
Meet your INVENT Programme Manager
Claire Kelly
Programme Manager – Co-Founders & INVENT
Claire Kelly
Programme Manager – Co-Founders & INVENT
Claire is the Co-Founders Programme manager and leads the recruitment and delivery of the programme.
Prior to joining Catalyst, Claire worked with Make-A-Wish Ireland as the National Volunteer Coordinator. The volunteers played a pivotal role in helping to grant wishes for the wish children. Claire was also responsible for Make-A-Wish Ireland’s national fundraising campaign – Wish Week, which ran across the Republic of Ireland and helped to raise vital funds for the charity.
Claire has a passion for working with non-profits and over the past 18 years has worked with other charities such as Mellon Educate, Mater Foundation, and Oxfam.
Claire is experienced in event and programme management and volunteer/stakeholder engagement.
