WATCH Software company BERGO win top prize at TUS 2025 Startup Awards

TUS Business Startup Awards 2025 took place in Limerick at Engine on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025. Pictured are Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise TUS with winners Jon Harrison, Statrdraft; David O’Keeffe, Seegap, Stephen O’Sullivan, I Left You a Note; Cathal D’Arcy, Bergo and Prof. Vincent Cunnane, President, TUS, Dr Liam Brown, VP Research Development & Innovation TUS, Ciara Concannon, New Frontiers National Programme Manager, Enterprise Ireland. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

BERGO, a startup founded in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, has been awarded Overall Startup of the Year at the 2025 TUS Midwest Startup Awards held on April 1 at ENGINE, in the heart of Limerick City

BERGO, a startup founded in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, that is transforming how energy assessments are carried out in Ireland, has been awarded Overall Startup of the Year at the 2025 TUS Midwest Startup Awards held April 1st at ENGINE, in the heart of Limerick City.

The Startup Awards marked the culmination of the New Frontiers Programme, Ireland’s national entrepreneurship initiative, delivered in the midwest region by Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) at the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, in collaboration with the University of Limerick’s Nexus Innovation Centre.

This year’s overall winner, BERGO, was founded by Cathal D’Arcy, who is building a software platform to digitise and modernise Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments.

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The platform equips assessors with digital tools to automate calculations, improve accuracy and streamline compliance – addressing a critical step in how homes and buildings are evaluated for energy performance.

Energy assessments are required for home sales, rentals, public grants and, increasingly, for national energy reporting and, for some, discounted mortgage rates.

Yet despite their central role, much of the assessment process remains manual, fragmented, and inconsistent.

BERGO’s platform brings speed, structure and standardisation to the industry – laying the groundwork for more efficient housing policy, better energy data, and faster decision-making.
With Ireland in the midst of a national housing crisis, and under increasing pressure to meet climate targets, solutions like BERGO illustrate the vital role local innovation plays in tackling big, systemic problems.

By empowering assessors with better tools, BERGO is helping to unlock capacity in one of the most constrained and overlooked parts of the housing and energy system.
The event also recognised three other standout founders whose ventures emerged from the 2024/25 New Frontiers cohort.

Best Innovation: David O’Keeffe, (Nenagh Co Tipperary), founder of SeeGap, which enables product-based consumer insight through smart packaging engagement.

Best Innovation (Joint Winner): Stephen O’Sullivan, (Ballina Co Tipperary), founder of I Left You A Note, a guest experience platform helping hotels resolve issues during a guest’s stay.
One to Watch: Jon Harrison, (Dooradoyle, Limerick) founder of StatrDraft, a fantasy football platform blending real-time data with strategic gameplay mechanics.

Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS, highlighted the broader importance of the startups celebrated, “Today’s event showcases the strength of entrepreneurial ambition in our region, and the value of supporting that ambition through New Frontiers.

“Led by TUS and developed in collaboration with a wider network of regional and national partners, the programme reflects what’s possible when we work together to create meaningful opportunities for founders. We’re proud to be part of that effort.

“It’s particularly encouraging to see innovation emerging in areas of national importance, such as housing and energy — areas where fresh thinking and practical tools can help support broader societal goals.”

This year’s awards event also marked the graduation of 13 founders from Phase 2 of the New Frontiers Programme in the Midwest region.

Each founder presented innovations spanning sectors from climate tech to digital health and consumer insights- demonstrating the breadth and depth of talent emerging from the region.
TUS leads the delivery of New Frontiers across the Midwest and Midlands, supporting ambitious founders with mentorship, funding, and commercialisation pathways designed to turn high-potential ideas into scalable, impactful businesses.

Ciara Concannon, Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers National Programme Manager said, “New Frontiers is Enterprise Ireland’s national entrepreneurship programme and is a key element of Enterprise Ireland’s remit to support the acceleration of innovative start-ups and our strategy to support more balanced regional economic development.

“Many of the entrepreneurs we support through New Frontiers have gone on to start and grow valuable businesses that have created employment and have made a significant contribution to regional and national prosperity.

“I warmly congratulate the entrepreneurs that have completed this year’s programme at TUS and wish them every success in achieving their ambitions to grow the success stories of the future.”

Mary Casey, New Frontiers Programme Manager at TUS, added, “New Frontiers is a demanding programme – but that’s exactly why it delivers. Over six months, participants aren’t just testing ideas – they’re building startups.

“They’re developing business models, piloting with customers, validating their markets, and in many cases, preparing for or actively raising investment. The programme gives them the structure, accountability, and network to move faster and further than they could on their own.
“It also lays the groundwork for follow-on supports with Enterprise Ireland like the Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) and HPSU. What this cohort has achieved is a clear example of that progress in action.”

The TUS New Frontiers programme – funded by Enterprise Ireland, is the National Entrepreneur Development Programme with a support package worth €30,000 for each participant. Its primary purpose is to accelerate the development of sustainable new businesses with strong employment, growth, and international potential while contributing to job creation and economic activity The New Frontiers programme was awarded €4.3m in funding in 2021 from Enterprise Ireland to be run by TUS.

To learn more, visit www.hartnettcentre.ie

Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick