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WATCH Early-Stage Startups from the Midwest offered new investment opportunities through the New Frontiers Programme

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Early-Stage Startups from the Midwest Offered New Investment Opportunities. From left to right: Front row: Brendan Shinnors, Brian Garvey, Eimear Lynch, Hugh McNally, Greta Adomaviciute, Dr Rachel Power, Gillian Shannon, Mykola Babiy, Sarah Hayes, Sherin Sebastian, Sam Sorensen. Back row: Mathew Kelly, Eoin Keller. Picture: Alan Place

The next generation of early-stage startups emerging from the Midwest will take to the stage this March for the New Frontiers Startup Awards 2026

The next generation of early-stage startups emerging from the Midwest will take to the stage this March through the New Frontiers Programme
The event offers the perfect opportunity to connect with Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office (LEO), Innovate Limerick, BICs, Limerick Chamber, Investors, Business Leaders, R&D Experts, Mentors and fellow Entrepreneurs from across the regional and national ecosystem. Picture: Alan Place

The next generation of high-potential startups emerging from the Midwest will take to the stage this March as Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), in collaboration with UL Nexus, hosts the New Frontiers Startup Awards 2026, part of the national programme funded by Enterprise Ireland.

Taking place at ENGINE, Limerick on Tuesday, March 31, the event will bring together investors, business leaders, founders and enterprise agencies to engage directly with a cohort of early-stage companies progressing through one of Ireland’s most established entrepreneurship programmes.

This year’s New Frontiers cohort reflects a diverse mix of ventures across digital, sustainability, health, consumer and industrial sectors. What connects them is a clear focus on execution. Each founder has identified and validated a real market need and is now working to translate that into a viable product, whether through technical development, prototyping, or early customer engagement.


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Some ventures are already gaining traction, securing initial customers and generating early revenue, while others are tackling more technically complex challenges as they progress toward commercialisation. Together, they offer a realistic and compelling snapshot of early-stage innovation – not just ideas, but businesses in the process of being built.

“This year’s cohort brings together a mix of ventures already gaining early traction alongside others solving more complex technical challenges. For investors and business leaders, it’s an opportunity to engage early with a diverse set of opportunities before they reach wider visibility,” said Dr Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise at TUS.

The event will feature live founder pitches competing for TUS Start-up of the Year, Best Innovation Award and One to Watch Award, offering attendees direct insight into the thinking, ambition and progress behind each venture.

Alongside the pitches, the event provides a focused opportunity to connect with investors, enterprise agencies, corporate partners and experienced entrepreneurs, creating space for meaningful conversations around collaboration, funding and growth.

The keynote address will be delivered by John Cleary, Founder and CEO of Eventmaster. A graduate of the original LEAP programme, the predecessor to New Frontiers, he has scaled Eventmaster into one of Ireland’s leading event technology platforms. He is also the founder and former Event Director of the Great Limerick Run, which he developed into Ireland’s largest mass-participation event outside Dublin. On the day, he will share insights from building and growing a business from early-stage concept through to investment-backed scale.

New Frontiers is supported by a strong network of regional partners, including Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, Axis BIC, Propelor BIC and Limerick Chamber Skillnet, alongside business leaders and entrepreneurs who contribute directly to the development of early-stage founders. It is delivered at the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre at TUS, with support from UL Nexus, and draws on wider research and innovation capability from TUS and UL, as well as national and international networks. Together, this support plays a key role in helping founders progress from validated ideas toward commercialisation and growth.

The 2026 awards also mark 20 years of entrepreneurial development in the Midwest, from the original LEAP programme in 2006 to today’s New Frontiers initiative, reflecting a sustained commitment to supporting founders and building innovation-led enterprise in the region.

The organisers also acknowledge the support of sponsors including Enterprise Ireland; the Local Enterprise Offices in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary; Holmes; Bridgewater; Resolve; Limerick Chamber Skillnet; Limerick Innovate; and TUS.

The TUS Business Start-up Awards 2026 will take place at ENGINE, Upper Cecil Street, Limerick, on Tuesday, March 31 from 12:15pm to 2:45pm, with lunch and networking included.

TUS Business Start-up Awards 2026 – New Frontiers takes place at ENGINE, Upper Cecil Street, Limerick on Tuesday, 31st March from 12:15 – 14:45 (lunch and networking included).

Register

Those interested in attending can register online. This event offers a direct view of the next generation of Irish start-ups at the point where ideas become investable businesses

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