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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. 

Register your interest for INVENT 2024. Applications for INVENT will open in Spring 2024.

INVENT Categories

This year, finalists' innovations will fit into one of the following five categories:

  • Greentech – Products, solutions and tech that enable a sustainable future.
  • Health and Wellbeing – Improving the quality of life through pushing the boundaries in life sciences, med tech and health promotion.
  • Product – A physical product designed and fabricated to offer the consumer or business a novel innovative solution.
  • Business Software – Computer software products or solutions used to satisfy the needs of an organisation rather than individual users.
  • Consumer Software – Consumer software is a class of commercial software that is sold directly to end-users as opposed to businesses.

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 £50,000 prize fund

Find out more about why you should apply for INVENT 23.

INVENT Terms and Conditions.

Check out the INVENT 2023 winners and finalists

Competing in the INVENT competition helped me to grow myself and my business. It introduced me to the Catalyst community and the supportive people who helped refine my pitching, giving me financial planning skills and business mentorship. Winning INVENT has put Vikela out there and given me so many contacts that can help grow the business in the future at a speed that wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t applied.

Peter Gilleece, Vikela Armour - INVENT 2022 Overall Winner

Winning INVENT was amazing because it really got our company name out there. It made people interested in StimOxygen and it’s given us a chance to communicate our science in a way that everybody can understand. Anybody who’s thinking about entering INVENT this year I would tell them to go for it because I had an amazing experience. The help, mentoring, and support you receive throughout the competition is second to none. It also gives you a great challenge to condense your story into three minutes to communicate it in the most effective way you can.

Sian Farrell, StimOxyGen - INVENT 2021 Overall Winner

Headline Partner

2023 Partners

Innovation Founders / Impact Award Winners

Martina Tierney Impact Award 2022
Brendan Monaghan Innovation Founder 2021
Bloc Blinds ~ SureCert ~ Axial 3D ~ Dr Tara Moore Innovators Awardees 2020
Denis Murphy Innovation Founder 2019
John Rainey MBE Innovation Founder 2018
James Leckey Innovation Founder 2017
Martin Naughton KBE Innovation Founder 2016
Brian Conlon Innovation Founder 2015
Dr William Wright CBE Innovation Founder 2014
Dr Peter FitzGerald CBE Innovation Founder 2013
Tom Eakin Innovation Founder 2012
Dr Hugh Cormican Innovation Founder 2011
Prof John Anderson Innovation Founder 2010

Steering Team

Meg Magill Catalyst
Clare Passmore Chair
Colin Crangle Bank of Ireland
David Brownlee HSCNI
Bregeen Campbell Deloitte
Jason Wiggins Queen's University Belfast
Neil Buchanan ECIT
Lewis Loane Torann
Julie Gray ViperClip
Bridgeen Callan Klas PDT Technology
Michael Shaw RPS
Kat Maguire Queen's University Belfast
Emma Donnelly Ulster University
Kathryn Laverty Carson McDowell
Treena Clarke Harbinson Mulholland
Jonathan Wallace Ulster University
Tina O'Donnell Seagate

Meet your INVENT Programme Manager

Meg Magill

Meg Magill

Programme Manager - INVENT

Meg Magill is the INVENT Programme Manager and works with the Entrepreneurship and Growth ... read more
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Meg Magill

Meg Magill

Programme Manager - INVENT

LinkedIn

Meg Magill is the INVENT Programme Manager and works with the Entrepreneurship and Growth team at Catalyst.

Before joining Catalyst in June 2022, she worked extensively in Northern Ireland’s arts sector, managing theatre productions for the likes of the Lyric Theatre, The MAC and NI Opera, as well as working in costume on films and tv shows such as Game of Thrones and Ordinary Love. In 2020, Meg earned an Msc in International Events Management at Ulster University.

Meg is passionate about organising events and programmes that have a transformative effect on participants. Through INVENT, she is able to combine her two favourite things – supporting people and showcasing the incredible talent that we have in Northern Ireland.

Beyond INVENT, Meg is a keen Gaelic Footballer, and plays for the recently formed team East Belfast. She is also currently learning Italian – ciao tutti!

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