Give your start-up a head-start with accelerators and incubators
Dublin is acknowledged as being home to some of the best accelerator and incubator programmes in Europe. These enable entrepreneurs to meet with like-minded people and provide the structure, skills, investment and support they need to prove, launch and scale-up their businesses.
Accelerator programmes give developing companies access to industry-specific mentors, potential investors and other supports that will help them to build their start-up. One of Dublin’s most well-known accelerators is NDRC, based in the Liberties area of the city. NDRC invests in technology-based start-ups, provides finance as well as intensive mentoring to help businesses grow and prepare for next stage investment.
Incubators are typically geared to supporting start-ups, providing shared office facilities, networking opportunities, mentoring and sometimes access to seed capital. The Guinness Enterprise Centre, also based in the Liberties area of the city, was named No 1 Business Incubator in the World (Collaborating with Universities) at the World Incubation Summit in Toronto in February 2018. It is well-established, managed by Dublin Business Innovation Centre and attracts both Irish-owned and international startups.
Dublin’s leading accelerators and incubators include:
- University & College Incubation Centres
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- Nova UCD – University College Dublin
- Invent Centre DCU – Dublin City University
- Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus – Trinity College Dublin
- Launchbox – Trinity College Dublin
- Learning & Innovation Centre (LINC) – Blanchardstown Institute of Technology
- TU Dublin Incubation Centre – Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7
- The Media Cube – Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire
- Synergy Centre – Institute of Technology Tallaght
- NCI Business Incubation Centre – National College of Ireland
- Origin8 – NCAD