Tag: innovator

KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator 2026 opens for entries

KPMG in Ireland has opened entries for the 2026 Global Tech Innovator (GTI) competition. Now in its sixth year, KPMG is inviting ambitious Irish technology and tech‑enabled companies to compete for the chance to represent Ireland at the global final in Lisbon this November.
Commenting on the 2026 launch, Anna Scally, Global Head of Technology, Media, and Telecommunications at KPMG said:
“Dublin healthtech company Akara’s achievement in Lisbon was one of the competition’s strongest years for Ireland. Akara finished as first runner up at the 2025 global final and it showed the world that Ireland punches well above its weight in
technology. We now want to find the next Akara, an ambitious Irish tech founder ready to compete on the world stage.”
Reflecting on last year’s journey, Niamh Donnelly, co-founder and CTO of Akara, said:
“Winning the Irish competition validated years of hard work and confirmed that what we’re building at Akara genuinely matters. But representing Ireland on the global stage and finishing as first runner up out of 21 of the world’s most promising tech startups has opened doors we couldn’t have imagined. For Akara, this competition wasn’t just an award, it was a launchpad.”
Who can enter?
The competition is open to pure technology or tech enabled, tech driven, or tech led businesses which have operated for seven years or less, have generated revenue of between USD $1–15m, or have raised at least $500,000 in equity, and are registered and based in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Shortlisted entrants will pitch their innovations and present their growth ambitions to a panel of judges – including successful entrepreneurs and investors – for the chance to be crowned Ireland’s winner and to compete at the global final.
Applications must be submitted by 22nd of May 2026 and you must be available to appear in-person for the Ireland final, which will be held in Dublin on the 30th of June 2026.
Benefits for the Irish winner include:
  • National and global exposure: Showcasing your innovation to industry experts, investors, partners, and customers; boosting local profile via media and social coverage. The Irish winner advances to compete globally in Lisbon in November.
  • Networking opportunities: Connecting with fellow tech innovators, join local and global peer networks, collaborating, and gaining insights from seasoned professionals.
  • Mentorship and growth: Accessing KPMG mentors and advisors for guidance on scaling; receiving ongoing feedback from judges and peers to refining your innovation and presentation skills.
Previous Irish finalists
Ireland’s track record Irish finalists and winners to date reflect the breadth of the country’s innovation, from Niamh Donnelly of Akara (2025 Irish winner) and Emma Meehan’s Precision Sports Technology (2024 Irish winner) to Conor Sheridan’s AI powered hospitality platform Nory, Barry Lunn’s accident prevention firm Provizio, and Terry Canning’s Belfast based CattleEye, the world’s first hardware independent autonomous livestock monitoring platform.
To enter, find out more about the competition and watch all the previous Irish finalists’ pitches, visit www.kpmg.ie/GTI

Solbasium Announces Global Launch of Nova Red Light Therapy Bed

Solbasium, a leading innovator in high-performance red light therapy and recovery technology, today announced the upcoming global launch of the Nova Red Light Therapy Bed, its most advanced full-body platform to date. Scheduled for worldwide release in April, Nova will debut simultaneously across U.S. and international markets, redefining access to professional-level red light therapy.

Designed for both clinical environments and at-home use, Nova delivers clinic-grade performance at a breakthrough price point of approximately $153,000, matching or exceeding the performance of legacy full-body systems traditionally priced at $60,000 or more. By removing long-standing barriers of cost, infrastructure, and complexity, Nova expands access to high-performance red light therapy for more clinics and more people than ever before.

“Nova represents a major step forward for red light therapy,” said Bradley Carden, Founder and CEO of Solbasium. “We built Nova to meet professional clinical standards while eliminating the cost and infrastructure barriers that have limited adoption for years.”

Multiple franchise groups have already committed to pilot programs ahead of launch, validating Nova’s performance, durability, and commercial viability in high-use clinical settings.

Key Features of the Nova Bed include:

 

  • Clinic-grade performance at breakthrough pricing, delivering professional clinical standards at approximately $15,000.
  • Designed for clinics and at-home use, combining daily clinical durability with an intuitive, home-friendly system.
  • Simple installation and global compatibility, operating on a standard 110V outlet with no special wiring required.
  • Platform-based design, enabling ongoing software, protocol, and service-layer enhancements over time.

Nova is engineered as an evolving system, not a static device. Planned expansions throughout the year include Nova Insights™, advanced protocol options, wearable correlations, and enhanced support for clinics and high-use customers.

Solbasium develops high performance recovery technology trusted by NFL teams, professional athletes and wellness leaders, with growing adoption across gyms, clinics, and studios worldwide. Its red light therapy systems are designed to bring professional level performance into everyday use while supporting recovery and overall wellness.

KPMG Global Tech Innovator Competition returns for 2025

KPMG today kicked off its annual search for Ireland’s next top tech innovator. Now in its fifth year, KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator competition is open to Irish tech founders and entrepreneurs who are pure technology, tech-enabled, tech-led, or tech-driven and ready for their next stage of growth.
Are you Ireland’s next tech giant?
Ambitious Irish tech companies are invited to apply for their chance to be crowned Ireland’s winner and represent Ireland at the prestigious global final in Lisbon in November. Shortlisted entrants will pitch their innovations and present their growth ambitions to a panel of judges, including successful entrepreneurs and investors.
 
Commenting on the launch of this year’s competition, Anna Scally, Ireland and EMA Region Head of Technology Media & Telecoms, KPMG, said: “In times of global uncertainty and shifting trade dynamics, it is essential to proactively support Ireland’s entrepreneurs and the builders of the next wave of successful tech businesses. Targeted initiatives and investments will ensure that our tech sectors continue to innovate and grow, safeguarding its vital contribution to the Irish economy. We invite all tech innovators across Ireland to participate in this competition.
It provides them with a platform to showcase their innovations on a global stage, elevate their businesses to new heights and connect with fellow tech innovators and join a global peer-to-peer network to share ideas and build important connections in a growing community of high-achieving tech entrepreneurs.”
 
The Irish winner will advance to the Global Tech Innovator final in Lisbon in November. Additional prizes include representing Ireland on the global stage, receiving mentorship from KPMG professionals, and gaining access to exclusive networking events.
Previous Irish finalists
Last year, Emma Meehan, Founder, CEO and CTO of Precision Sports Technology took the top spot in the Irish competition and went on to represent Ireland, competing against 22 other country finalists in the global final. Reflecting on her experience, Emma Meehan, said: “The opportunity to represent Ireland on a global stage was invaluable and provided us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our cutting-edge software. My advice to companies considering entering the competition this year would be to do it and enjoy the experience.”
Other previous Irish finalists include Conor Sheridan, founder and CEO of Dublin-based Nory, an AI-powered operating system for the hospitality industry, Barry Lunn from Limerick-based Provizio, an Irish accident prevention technology firm, and Terry Canning from Belfast-based CattleEye, the world’s first hardware-independent autonomous livestock monitoring platform.
Emma added, “Being a finalist and the overall Irish winner in the 2024 KPMG GTI competition was transformative. The mentorship and guidance from KPMG experts were excellent and the networking opportunities and national and global exposure significantly boosted my business profile and connected me with key industry influencers.”
Qualifications and eligibility criteria
Registered and based in Ireland or Northern Ireland, applicants are typically technology entrepreneurs who are successfully making the transition from the startup phase to the next stage in the growth of their businesses. They have developed innovative, proven technologies, established robust business models, demonstrated traction and have the potential to scale up globally. From the initial application to the regional and global pitch presentations, the competition can be a significant learning experience. Feedback from judges and interactions with other participants can help refine your innovation and presentation skills.
To be eligible for the competition, you must:
  • Be a registered company in the country/region where the country/region final is being held.
  • Have been actively operating for 7 years or less (in the current form).
  • Have generated revenue of between US $1 million and $15 million; or have raised at least US $500,000 in equity.
  • Be either a pure technology or a tech-enabled, tech-driven or tech-led business.
  • Not be majority owned by a large corporate.
  • Applications must be submitted by 23 May 2025.
  • Available to appear in-person for the Ireland final, which will be held in Dublin on the 17th of June 2025.
The 2025 global competition will include technology innovators from 20 countries and regions, including Austria, Brazil, Colombia, East Africa, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Southern Africa, Sweden, Turkey, UK and the US.
To enter, find out more about the competition and watch all the 2024 Irish finalists’ pitches visit www.kpmg.ie/GTI

Nory wins KPMG Global Tech Innovator Ireland final

Nory, an AI-powered operating system for the hospitality industry, has won the KPMG Global Tech Innovator Ireland final. Conor Sheridan, Nory founder and CEO, will represent Ireland against 22 other country finalists in the global final in Lisbon on 15 November.

Conor competed against seven other innovative start-ups from across the island of Ireland, with solutions covering everything from diversity and inclusion and influencer marketing to child-protection and women’s health.

Anna Scally, KPMG’s Head of Technology & Media and member of the Global Tech Innovator judging panel said:

“The standard of entries to this years’ competition was excellent and each of our eight finalists challenged valiantly to be the winner. As judges, we had a really difficult job but ultimately Nory came out on top. We wish Conor the best of luck when he goes to Lisbon in November from everyone at KPMG in Ireland. It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet with investors, get mentoring from top CEOs, meet tech industry peers and be in with a chance to take home the global prize.”

From restauranteur to tech entrepreneur

Before founding Nory, Conor worked in finance before deciding to start his own restaurant, ultimately founding the popular and fast-growing independent Mad Egg restaurant group. As a restaurateur, Conor saw a gap in the market for an intelligent restaurant management system that could work with frontline teams to help them perform better.

Nory’s platform is purpose-built to help venues control their costs and perform consistently each day. Nory centralises core restaurant operations into one single control point. From sales analytics and forecasting to workforce management and inventory management. It uses proprietary AI models to analyse business data in each restaurant and recommend simple actions to help teams control costs, increase productivity and boost employee engagement. Nory works with several brands across Ireland, continental Europe and the UK including Stonegate Pubs, Jamie Oliver Group, Freshly Chopped and Dr. Juice. It has consistently delivered a 50%+ increase in net profit for its customers, proving to be transformational.

Earlier this year, Nory secured €7 million in a seed funding round co-led by Triple Point Ventures and Samaipata VC. Participating investors also included Playfair Capital, Cavalry VC and Circlerock Capital. The investment is being used to extend capabilities of Nory’s proprietary technology and accelerate its go-to-market strategy.

Conor Sheridan noted:

“We are pumped to be named Ireland’s KPMG Global Tech Innovator winner. The quality of the competition was immense, which is a testament to the level of innovation happening here at the moment. For Nory, our mission is to revolutionise how hospitality businesses are operated around the world. These businesses are currently being hit with a huge amount of operating pressures, it’s a tough trading environment. We’ve demonstrated that leveraging AI can be transformational for your bottom line, irrespective if you are operating in New York or Newcastle. I’m proud to be representing my peers in Lisbon and will try to bring it home for the Irish ecosystem!”

Conor’s winning pitch can be viewed here: Global Tech Innovator 2023: Nory pitch – YouTube