The Weekend That Changes the Trajectory of Builders
Last weekend, PorterShed was buzzing with startup spirit as the NDRC Founder Weekend landed in Galway — the so-called City of the Tribes. The intensive hands-on two days brought together 50 ambitious builders from all corners of the isle, with a special benvenuti to our Italian attendee who was searching for la dolce vita of the entrepreneurial world on Irish shores.
The participant mix reflected the real-world diversity of today’s startup teams. Who’s in the room? Engineers, developers, designers, doctors, sales pros, students, and first-time founders. Galway natives lured in by PorterShed’s glowing reputation as the go-to for startups in the west. Others flocking from the “Big Smoke” in Dublin, Limerick, Kildare — and as mentioned above, one determined builder hopped on a flight from Italy to be part of the action. The broad range of backgrounds sparked collaboration from the get-go, equipping each team with the cross-functional power needed to turn ideas into something real.
The weekend opened with attendees pitching their concepts publicly for the very first time. A daunting task, right? We’re not looking at polished decks or finished products here; these ideas were jumping-off points — a baseline, of sorts. And what followed was raw, constructive feedback and a solid toolkit to work from. It was a valuable reset for budding founders: pressure-testing assumptions, challenging the thinking, and giving founders space to grow.
The Standout Moment
A standout moment on Saturday came during the fireside chat with Brandon Blacoe, CEO of Galway-based ByoWave. Brandon walked the room through his journey as a founder — from Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme in 2020, selected for the NDRC Pre-Accelerator (‘21 Q3), and on to raising over €3.4M through the CSF and HPSU. The tech company, co-founded with Eibhlin O’Riordan, is building modular gaming controllers that make video games accessible to people with disabilities - a mission that’s as bold as it is important.
It wasn’t just talk; many attendees pointed to the fireside as a turning point. One founder put it simply: “That fireside conversation with Brandon changed how I think about what I’m building - and who I’m building it for.”
The weekend wasn’t short on practical learning either. Dushyant Singh, Programme Manager, delivered a powerful hands-on session on Low Code / No Code tools - ideal for non-technical founders looking to build MVPs fast without getting stuck in dev roadblocks. Dushyant’s reminder that “the best pitch scripts feel like the trailer to a movie” stayed with teams as they shaped their Sunday pitch delivery and presentations.
An Exceptional Roster of Mentors
Mentorship was another core driver of progress throughout the weekend. We had an exceptional roster of mentors who guided teams with hard questions, sharp advice, and honest feedback. Shout out to Gavin Bluett, Jonathan Levie, Jenny Mullery, Shirley Halvey, Mark Strong, Yvonne Comer, Diarmaid Ó Fátharta, Deirbhile Gorman, Stephen Geary, and Christopher Barrett. Special thanks to Diarmaid, an NDRC alumn who has participated in the Pre-Accelerator in 2022 and is now giving back to our startup community as an experienced mentor!
The weekend wrapped with the final pitch heats - fast-paced, focused, and full of ambitious thinking. Congratulations to our two winning teams:
TradeMate - founded by Adelin Diac and Emmanuel Karibiye - is an AI-driven solution that helps tradespeople manage missed calls, turning lost opportunities into booked jobs. A simple fix for a costly pain point in a hands-on industry.
StudySmith - founded by Eoghan Collins (Patch 2024) and Dee McGrath - is an AI-powered study tool that instantly turns exam papers and student notes into organised, personalised study guides. Smarter prep, less stress.
Both teams impressed the judges with their clear problem-solution fit, early traction, and potential for real impact.
To everyone who showed up, stepped up, and gave it their all — we salute you. Whether you were pitching, mentoring, judging, or just absorbing it all, you made this NDRC Founder Weekend one to remember. If this weekend showed us anything, it’s that the next wave of Irish startups will be bolder, smarter, and more inclusive than ever.
Don’t want to miss the next Founder Weekend? Make sure you got on our NDRC list — Register Interest Here