Cait Caden

This weekend, 24 emerging businesses will spend 24 hours with seasoned entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneur Experience. Today, Cáit Caden profiles the 24 emerging businesses who will participate at this year’s event.

The planning system in the UK and Ireland is complex and uncertain, which makes it hard to justify small renovation projects. Four Dublin school friends have built a product to help navigate the system.

Lobby groups have campaigned for a universal basic income for years. Now, it looks like a pilot programme will be announced in this year’s Budget. Arts workers are the obvious choice to trial it over the next three years, but some elements of the anticipated pilot still need to be ironed out.

Charities had been under strain even before the pandemic due to a push towards a cashless society. However, Change Donations has created a technology that lets you donate your digital spare change to a range of charities.

Aimée-Louise Carton did not plan to be a tech entrepreneur but, after reaching crisis point with her mental health and realising the tools she needed for her long-term recovery weren’t available, she decided to create a solution.

Air sanitisation company Sanity System’s Dublin base has reported a 200% increase in sales in Ireland as the economy continues to re-open and handles the group's soaring international business. The 11-year-old company believes that the emphasis on sanitisation is here to stay even post-Covid-19.

Wendy McCormack Stunt's digital business card company Go DigiCard is used by 300 companies in 20 countries. She talks about signing a new large partner in the US, her plans to rebrand, and her vision of creating a Golden Pages of digital business cards.

After retiring from an unpaid career in elite rugby, Yvonne Comer decided to transfer the skills she learned on the pitch to a career in business. More recently, Comer merged these two passions and co-founded RugbySmarts.

Family business Romayo’s has survived three generations, a rebrand, and Covid-19. These events have not hindered the restaurant chain’s growth as it prepares to open eateries in three more locations. Nor is it afraid of the new competition in the takeaway space.

Patrick Duffy’s journey says much about the perils - and the opportunities - for marine tech in Ireland. He believes he and his team have the product to really make a difference in tackling marine pollution. But the company is struggling to finance its ambition.