Patrick Cronin of the University of Limerick received the Big Ideas Award for Oscil at Enterprise Ireland’s Start-Up Day 2025. Oscil is an Enterprise Ireland commercialisation-funded spin-out that developed an innovative deep-tech product combining Edge-AI and powder processing. Their proprietary, ATEX-compliant sensor and edge-AI solution address significant industry issues such as sensor-fouling, yield-loss, and process downtime in the pharma and dairy sectors.
“It’s exciting to get that validation from experts on the panel,” Cronin said. As part of the award, Cronin and his team will travel to the US to participate in UC Berkeley’s Venture Connectivity Program. Tara Dalton of University of Limerick spin-out TANGO received the Big Ideas runner-up award on the same day.
TANGO has developed an instrument that measures T-cell function, using a new method based on microfluids to automate the analysis of a person’s adaptive immune system. “We’ve only been working on this for about two years with the help of Enterprise Ireland.
Investing in start-up innovation
We’re really excited to commercialise,” Dalton said. Start-Up Day 2025 hosted the ‘Class of 2024’ High Potential Start-Up companies that Enterprise Ireland invested in during 2024. The event also featured technology-based companies with origins deeply rooted in groundbreaking research.
In 2024, 34 companies were supported through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme, with 25 companies spun out of third-level institutions. Other start-ups such as IntegrityIQ and Contenseo from Trinity College Dublin and StarMAT from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland also participated in the competition. Michael Carey, chair of Enterprise Ireland, underscored the importance of the Start-Up Day event: “The Big Ideas pitching element and awards provide a platform to showcase Enterprise Ireland’s research approaching start-up status, with significant potential for success.
The event also highlights the achievements within Ireland’s national technology transfer system and the global impact these companies can have.”
Carol Gibbons, head of entrepreneurship, regions, and local enterprise at Enterprise Ireland, elaborated on the agency’s strategy: “Our new ambitious goal is to launch 1,000 start-ups by 2029. However, we cannot achieve this alone. We are partnering with investors, third-level organizations, and multinationals to realize this vision.”
The commitment and support from Enterprise Ireland highlight the agency’s dedication to fostering innovation and growth within the Irish start-up ecosystem, aiming to solve significant global challenges.