TCD Department of Sociology and ADAPT spinout wins award for best venture stemming from a university spinout or support programme.
TiLT, a spinout from the Department of Sociology, and the ADAPT Centre, Trinity College Dublin, has won the award for the best venture stemming from a university spinout or supporter programme and a €10k prize, at the final of the 2023 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition. TiLT has developed innovative digital roleplay training that improves and measures diversity and inclusion (D&I) performance within organisations. It hopes to expand globally in the next 12 months.
TiLT corrects unconscious bias through game based role-play training. Replacing ineffective box-ticking type learning or expensive one-size-fits-all classroom-type training. TILT offers a learn by doing approach based on leading edge social science research.
TiLT was co-founded by Professor Anne Holohan based in the Department of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin, and by Conor McNally, based in the SFI ADAPT Centre as a spinout from TCD. Speaking about the win Professor Holohan said: “We are very proud to win this Special Award from InterTradeIreland. The competition has helped us realize the next steps, as we continue to produce content and secure new customers.”
Seedcorn is the largest business competition of its kind on the island of Ireland with an overall cash prize fund of €300,000. Designed to help start-ups and early-stage businesses get investor ready, the competition provides participating companies with the opportunity to improve their investment pitches, get expert feedback on their business plans and gain exposure to venture capitalists, business angels and some of the island’s leading industry experts and entrepreneurs.
Congratulating the winners, Margaret Hearty, Chief Executive at InterTradeIreland, said: “The diverse range of companies participating in this year’s InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition has been a testament to the vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem on the island of Ireland. Year-on-year, the competition attracts start-up and early-stage companies that are at the cutting-edge of their industry and this year has been no exception.”
This year’s Seedcorn final was contested by eight regional finalists from across the island of Ireland. As part of the process, the finalists presented their investment pitch to a panel of judges including Richard Kennedy (InterTradeIreland), Denise Sudhu (Kernal Capital / IVCA), Gianni Matera (Growing Capital), Caroline Gaynor (Lightstone VC) and Alan Costello (Resolve Partners).
