Baltyboys House in Blessington, Co. Wicklow hosts second annual Entrepreneur Forum for aspiring young Irish innovators

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Baltyboys House in Blessington, Co. Wicklow hosts second annual Entrepreneur Forum for aspiring young Irish innovators

 

  • Baltyboys Entrepreneur Forum is part of Patch’s summer accelerator, which brings together thirty 16 – 21 year olds to build projects across computing, biology and robotics, and learn from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists.

 

  • Supported by Stripe, OpenAI and the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) the forum hosted a range of entrepreneurs including Eoin Hinchy, founder of Tines, Niamh Donnelly, founder of AKARA Robotics, Professor Luke O’Neill and more…..

 

A new generation of ambitious Irish entrepreneurs and innovators recently gathered lakeside at the historical Baltyboys House in Blessington, Co. Wicklow for the second annual ‘Baltyboys Entrepreneur Forum’ which is a part of Patch, Ireland’s flagship summer accelerator programme for young entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists.

Patch’s Summer Programme brings together 30 of Ireland’s brightest 16–21 year-old entrepreneurial minds for seven weeks of intensive mentoring, project-building and networking. Founded by Tom McCarthy who approached Patrick Walsh at Dogpatch Labs with the idea back in 2019 and supported by global tech leaders including Stripe and OpenAI along with the national accelerator programme for entrepreneurs NDRC and Dogpatch Labs, Patch is a launchpad for Ireland’s next generation of founders, builders and change-makers.

This year’s exceptional cohort of delegates includes four National and International Olympiad participants and 12 founders – one of whom has already generated over €30,000 in revenue. 12 have received BT Young Scientist Awards, 10 have won Scifest Awards, while three have Irish and UK patents for five different projects. Five have also progressed scientific research with universities and accelerators.

Also among them are two athletes who hold four national basketball titles, two more who proudly represent their counties in Gaelic football, and an aspiring astronaut who completed training in Huntsville, Alabama!

The Baltyboys Entrepreneurs Forum was added to the Patch schedule two years ago to offer talented Irish youth unparalleled access to insights and inspiration from top-tier innovators. A mix of fireside chats, one-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities reflect the uniquely personal and high-impact format that defines Patch.

This year’s Baltyboys Entrepreneur Forum, hosted by entrepreneur and Baltyboys House owner Brian Kingham, featured an incredible lineup of founders and industry experts including (in alphabetical order):

  • Eoin Hinchy, Founder of cybersecurity automation unicorn Tines, a no-code automation platform for security teams that raised over $270 million in funding and is valued at over $1.125bn
  • Niamh Donnelly, CTO of Akara Robotics, a pioneering autonomous hospital robot manufacturer. Niamh is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree and an EU Women Innovators Prize winner
  • Professor Luke O’Neill, globally renowned immunologist, author and science communicator
  • Special guests also included David Shackleton, serial entrepreneur and Founder of ding.com and OpenBack – two large tech companies that were both acquired, Mark Cummins, founder of Pointy – a retail tech startup acquired by Google, and a repeat founder with multiple exits and long-time supporter of Patch

Brian Kingham, entrepreneur, Baltyboys House owner and longtime supporter of Patch, said: “Ireland’s entrepreneurial spirit is deeply rooted in its culture and history. The structure of landholding over centuries fostered a culture of independence, adaptability, and enterprise. Today, that legacy is reflected in a new generation of innovators – ambitious, globally minded, and determined to shape the future. The Baltyboys Entrepreneur Forum is designed to nurture that spirit, connecting Ireland’s most promising young founders with those who have already walked the path.”

Patrick Walsh, CEO and Founder of Dogpatch Labs, added: “”What makes Patch special is the calibre of young people we attract and the depth of mentorship they get from the ecosystem. Seeing these brilliant minds connect with founders like Eoin and Niamh, and learning directly from their journeys, is exactly why we created this programme. Ireland’s next generation of entrepreneurs are already building the future – we’re just giving them the tools and connections to accelerate that journey.

For more information about Patch, please visit www.joinpatch.org

 

You can also keep up to date with Patch on their socials or sign up to attend their Showcase Day on August 14th:

 

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