Hothouse is a year-long programme that provides knowledge-intensive start-ups with the expertise, networks and tools they need to develop highly successful businesses capable of competing in global markets.
Helping launch over 300 companies during the past ten years, the PDC has a wealth of experience in delivering practical programmes for dynamic Irish businesses.
If you have an idea with commercial potential and the skills and experience to exploit that idea, the Hothouse programme offers the support you need to progress, including:
- a base in the entrepreneurial environment of a dedicated incubator
- workshops to improve your capabilities in key business areas
- access to a network of experts and entrepreneurs
- help in raising investment
Hothouse Incubator
Base yourself in the entrepreneurial environment of Docklands Innovation Park, surrounded by fellow entrepreneurs and business experts who understand the start-up process. Access to broadband communications, professional reception services, meeting rooms and a range of office facilities.
Workshops
A series of 12 practical weekend workshops led by experienced business people helps you to address the critical issues within your own business, including:
- preparing a business plan which can attract investment
- exploiting your market
- building your team
- enhancing your negotiating capability
Counselling
Hothouse provides access to an invaluable level of expertise:
- On-site coaching from the Hothouse team
- Strategic business counselling from a panel of experienced business people
- Buddy counselling with a successful entrepreneur from our network.
- Industry specific support
Investment Forum
The Hothouse Investment Forum brings together venture capitalists and other potential financiers to hear you present your pitch for investment. The Hothouse team will coach you in selling your business opportunity and preparing your investment proposal.
Funding
As a participant on the programme, you may qualify for a CORD grant from Enterprise Ireland which could provide you with up to 50% of your current salary.
Testimonials
"This is simply a superb programme. It provides the time, space and resources necessary to start a business. Particular strengths include the peer group motivation, access to serviced premises and support via the PDC for funding search.”
Conor Halpin, LeCayla
“Hothouse was easily the biggest single benefit to my business since starting out just over a year ago. Everybody starting a business in this country should be made attend this programme.”
Seán Fennell, Phoenix Safety
"Hothouse was excellent for networking and sharing experiences with fellow participants and the content of the workshops forced us to consider areas of competence outside our comfort zones which was a very beneficial experience."
Aidan Connolly, Idiro
"I have been consistently impressed by the calibre of participants that the Hothouse programme attracts. They tend to have that rare combination of a marketable concept coupled with experienced promoters who can really make it happen.”
Denise Doran, Marketing On Demand, Facilitator
For more information
Download the Hothouse brochure (.pdf, 188K)
See also, growth outline
Hothouse 9
Gerry Clancy
www.mpcireland.com
Music Production Company Ireland (MPCI) will develop services and products for artists, live/studio environments and commercial customers. Initially services will be delivered internationally across the web and the product line will be developed here in Ireland and sold on the web.
Peter Clerkin
www.myholiday.ie
The myHome.ie of the travel industry, myHoliday.ie, a new and different website offering a single place to search for and book thousands of holidays and other travel services including flights, hotels, ski deals, car hire and holiday insurance.
Frank Fowley
www.pedantix.com
Pedantix provides web-based CRM solutions for the printing, financial and telecoms sectors and develops customisation and voice portal modules for CRM and Billing applications.
Martin Ganter
www.cleartonetechnologies.com
ClearTone Technologies develops and markets digital technology solutions aimed at strengthening and growing the global audiology industry and improving the process involved in industrial hearing screening under new EU directives.
Sacha Jackson – Advoco Technologies
Advoco Technologies will develop and distribute a range of proven technology solutions and future-proof services by providing innovative applications based on wireless data collection & delivery, through the medium of GPRS and 3G.
Damien Lee
www.coachingdata.com
Coaching Data has worked with Bolton Wanderers FC to develop the CDSS (Coaching Decision Support System) to analyse the activities of each of its players and staff and now plans to market this to other clubs in the English Premiership.
Daryl Moorhouse
www.tinpot.net
Tinpot is a creative audio production services company specialising in all areas of audio production including copywriting, radio commercial and programming production. The company is a pioneer of a new form of in-house audio promotion and has worked with many major drinks brands and leading entertainment venues.
Vincent Monaghan Bizworks
Bizworks have developed a model which distils down the common parts of all projects carried out and which is the basis of a standard Bizworks development platform has to date been used across a number of business sectors including heavy plant hire, coach Hire, market gardening
Jonathan Mulligan
www.openplain.com
OpenPlain has been formed to develop, market and sell ‘Journal’, a computer activity monitoring solution that helps employers increase workplace productivity.
Ray O’Neill – Ripple Ltd.
Ripple Ltd. Develops and markets decision support software for eBay’s Power Sellers.
Darren O’Donohoe
www.webtalk.ie
Webtalk is a technology oriented IP Telephony service provider focusing on low cost, high availability delivery of VOIP solutions.
Vikas Sahni
www.softedge-systems.com
Softedge Systems have designed a software package capable of meeting the needs of students, writer, authors and others who need to create multimedia e-documents incorporating multiple representations of data all within a single document using only one software package.
Sinéad Walsh - OUTCAM
OUTCAM is an on site assessment tool that enables location assessors do integrated on site assessments using a handheld device with photo and measurement capacity that can be networked back to base.
Hothouse 8
Richard Conway
www.hibertech.com
Hibertech with its key designs will promote itself as a source of the next generation integrated security systems for domestic and commercial customers, and will manage the acquisition, installation and maintenance of such systems.
Ciarán Crean
www.micksgarage.com
www.MicksGarage.com is an eCommerce business that sells car parts and accessories direct to the Irish consumer through its website www.micksgarage.com
Noel Good
www.it-cora.com
IT-Cora develop, produce and update ‘FreightSaver’ a supply chain management solution, distributed by NITL and the Irish Exporters Association, designed to reduce costs and match buyers and sellers of freight, transport and logistics services. www.it-cora.com.
Jacques Lefebvre
www.datakraft.net
DataKraft Studio is DIY database application software that enables anybody to create tailor made applications within an hour with absolutely no coding.
Neil McBride
www.bmi4kidz.com
The bmi4kidz software collects and stores an individual child's measurements, uses these to calculate a Body Mass Index value and then easily, quickly and accurately plots this data onto standard growth charts thus allowing schools/parents/healthcare professionals to track growth for children from birth to 20 years of age.
Absar Mirza
www.hindsa.com
Extreme Manager is a web-based product management tool which will facilitate the complete management of product development, from requirements collections in XP, to design, implementation, testing, release, customer trials and acceptance. The product improves visibility and intra and inter-team communications.
Nuala Moran
www.new-avenue.com
With the help of The Performance-Toolset, CEO's, directors and managers can plan, manage and track enterprise, departmental and employee performance plans to achieve corporate goals.
Kevin Neary
Orca Technologies is an R&D company for a suite of Artificial Intelligence products enabling the automatic reading and interpretation of data stored in documents. The core product ORCA is used by the HR industry to automate the matching of CVs and Jobspecs during the recruitment process. The technology is based around Web Semantics, Natural Language Processing and Predictive Behaviour Modelling.
Mark O'Brien
www.energy365.ie
Energy365 specialises in the provision of renewable energy solutions to commercial and residential users, providing a "one stop shop" for customers interested in implementing solar thermal, heat pump & solar photovoltaic systems.
Wayne O'Connell
Solas Technologies operates in the field of High Performance Fibre Lasers for the Industrial and Scientific/Technical markets. Applications for their products exist in the Bio-Instrument, Medical, Semiconductor, Display, Print and Industrial Cutting sectors
Marian O'Shea
www.daconi.ie
Daconi Ireland develops innovative location based wireless applications for the healthcare sector
Dermot O'Sullivan
www.iflow-tech.com
iflow is a secure Internet Service that enables companies to send and receive fax, e-mail and SMS text messages for the purposes of desktop messaging, direct marketing and the exchange of accounts documents.
Olivier Prouveur
www.mobiblitz.com
MobiBlitz develops, deploys and operates carrier independent mobile content delivery services for the transport and retail sectors.
Bharat Sharma
MewIQ helps clients to create and wirelessly distribute key information (e.g. products, services, contact information and personal information) which is accessible to all in a mobile storable format providing interactivity via voice and data.
Hothouse 7
Nicholas Breakwell
www.revfacto.com
Revfacto has developed a suite of online revision and review products developed specifically for undergraduates, designed to complement traditional learning methods.
Tony Brennan
www.opinionmeter.ie
Viewpoint are developing the hardware and associated software for an unattended customer feedback device.
Declan Cantwell
OneEU Solutions plans to offer a Pan-European payroll processing solution.
John Cashell
www.glantreo.com
Glantreo is a university spin-out company commercialising a patented mesoporous materials technology.
Tadhg Cashman
www.vidatum.com
Vidatum is creating a service level management software product (OnTrack) for organisations that wish to track service level agreements (SLAs) for application support and management.
Terry Connors
www.adipartners.com
ADI provides software and internet-based profiling for recruitment, selection and performance development in the corporate sector and for career and personal development in the education & careers sector.
Tom Hayes
www.lightbox.ie
Lightbox is developing a web-based administration system for event organisers and PR companies.
Brian Kennedy
www.discover-mobile.com
Discover Mobile will build, host and manage value-added WAP portals, for clients wishing to market their brands across all mobile channels.
Conor O'Dywer
Catania provides software services to the healthcare industry.
Michael O'Herlihy
www.websteps.ie
Mopanisoft has developed a software application which enables individuals without any prerequisite website knowledge to develop and manage a website using a set of simple online tools.
Brian O'Shaughnessy
www.merrionit.com
Merrion IT has developed a Student Administration System (SRStm) for third level institutes and colleges which offers unparalleled configurability, ease of use and scalability
Derek Quinn
www.newaddress.ie
Newaddress.ie enables change of address to be notified via Internee and Call Centre for house movers and their providers of goods and services.
Ian Toomey
www.jobscan.ie
Bariant Systems has developed JobScan, a real-time shop floor job management & cost application aimed at the manufacturing and service SME market.
Terry Wymer
www.kranos.com
Kranos develops software using a unique combination of security and messaging technologies to deliver next-generation business solutions to the banking and insurance sectors.
Hothouse 6
Declan Arthur
www.visible.ie
Visible Software Solutions, specialists in complaint management and operational risk, have developed a web based complaints management system aimed at the financial services market.
Ciarán Bernard
Capsian, publisher of “Live and Learn”, a magazine distributed free-of-charge to primary schools, aims to become the medium of choice for their customers seeking to communicate their message to parents and teachers of primary school children in Ireland.
Aidan Connolly
www.smallworld.ie
Small World develops data mining tools for the mobile telecommunications industry.
Nicola Cox
www.golfware.ie
Golfware is involved in the business of developing, selling and supporting software applications for use in golf clubs.
Ivan Coulter
Sigmoid BioTechnologies is developing a proprietary oral controlled release drug delivery technology, Liquid and Emulsion Drug Delivery, LEDDS™.
Barry Cullen
The product is a small program written in Java which is automatically downloaded to mobile phones and which enables advertising companies or operators to get colour picture adverts and animations to customers’ phones at appropriate times.
Philip de Chazal
www.biancamed.com
BiancaMed’s business is concerned with the analysis of electrical signals obtained non-invasively from the human body and deriving clinically significant diagnosis. The company is concentrating primarily on market needs in the fields of sleep medicine and cardiology.
Sean Fennell
www.phoenixsafety.ie
Phoenix Safety provides Health & Safety expertise through its innovative use of e-Learning in conjunction with classroom based training and consultancy.
Conor Halpin
www.lecayla.com
LeCalya provides a billing engine to software vendors that allows solutions installed at the user’s site to be provided on a Pay-As-You-Go basis. It delivers all of the benefits of utility pricing together with the security, functionality and availability of a standard software installation.
Seán Kirwan
www.homeviewsecurity.com
HomeView offers the first internet-based CCTV solution designed especially for the holiday home property market.
Frank O'Beirne
The promoter proposes to provide a suite of software to streamline the despatch of citizen communications and to reduce the associated cost for local government authorities.
Declan O'Brien
The company proposes to create a suite of automated publishing software technologies that will make publishing for print and web a simultaneous task that does not require expert knowledge.
John O'Gorman
www.3dcadsoft.com
3dcadsoft provides bespoke CAD estimation and real-time interactive 3d visualization software solutions.
Denis Roche
Healing Vista provides solutions to the psychological problems associated with long-term hospital stays and isolation, through the use of a combination of new technology and carefully selected content.
Hothouse 5
Ross Brennan
www.mquery.com
MQuery are developing a software application to enable voice over wireless connections.
Aidan Byrne
www.blackstairs.ie
Blackstairs develops and markets software for use in managing telephone costs.
Niall Conheady
www.topaz.ie
Topaz Software have developed inventory management software for business continuity companies servicing third party clients.
Chris Cowan
Channel Solutions aims to provide non-European small and medium sized IT vendors with a channel to the European market.
Arthur Doohan
The Roster Company will provide web-based time sheet services to the temporary, contract and out-sourcing sectors of the global employment market.
Martin Hogan
www.awetechnology.com
AWE Technology manufactures performance management web application solution tools.
Michael Kearns
www.amerghin.com
Amerghin have developed a knowledge management software platform for use by life science researchers in biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Dave Madden
The promoter is developing an e-learning module targeted at third level institutes.
Tony McDermott
The promoter is developing a web-based service to replace the paper-based process currently used to distribute AHM50 data in the airline industry.
Colm Nohilly
Easycake are developing an application for printing photo-quality images onto edible paper using food colouring, to be placed onto a finished cake.
Brian O’Byrne
This business provides products and services for software developers that will improve the process of creating a user interface for computer applications.
Alfonso Rivas-Renedo
Phideas are developing an advanced and smart monitoring system for childrens’ security and protection.
Hothouse 4
Ciarán Bruen – West IT
www.west-it.com
West IT provides Enterprise Application Integration and Business-to-Business solutions.
Keelan Cunningham
www.redsky.ie
Red Sky is a web design, development and online marketing agency.
James Curran
This embedded software design company aims to assist companies to migrate to or start using embedded Linux.
Rossana Dickinson
www.softlabs.ie
Softlabs produces automated, intelligent enterprise software solutions.
Ray Gunning
www.eurocollege.ie
Eurocollege offers a specialist English language course aimed at international nurses, available on CD-ROM, online and through classroom training in Ireland.
Matt Johnston
www.sourceskills.com
Sourceskills provides market leading e-learning content development services that are web-enabled for direct access or intranet deployment.
Ronan Keane
Site Facilitator is an internet software application to enhance construction site communications.
Tom Moore
www.hyperfecto.com
Hypervecto aims to produce leading branded entertainment products across a range of delivery platforms, with a particular emphasis on interactive content for digital television.
Joseph Murphy
Emmerex are developing a novel immune-based anti-cancer treatment to treat terminally ill cancer patients.
Karl O’Connell
www.nexala.com
Nexala Technologies offer an information framework that provides information access and delivery to and from any device to a PC, a mobile phone or PDA.
Gerard O’Keeffe
www.eirborne.com
Eirborne have developed a GSM SMS Gateway backend promotional system.
Ronan Perceval
www.phorest.com
Phorest Networks are developing a middleware software that will reduce the development and maintenance costs of online computer games.
Justin Purcell
www.paddymagic.com
Paddymagic sells branded items via direct mail/internet, distributors and affiliates worldwide, based around the theme of paddymagic.
Mary Ryan
Product Innovator provides technology product marketing services and also plans to provide vertical-specific services for high growth sectors.
Hothouse 3
Liam Brennan
www.realjobs.ie
The proposed recruitment model involves the development of a membership-based website to facilitate a community of employers in the creation of a new recruitment platform
Nigel Carroll
The promoter develops designs and manufactures various specialised test fixtures for the engineering and manufacturing markets.
Tony Corrigan
Komino helps clients to develop online strategies based on community and knowledge propositions, through web-based software applications and a suite of consulting services.
Mark Cox
www.diliga.com
Diliga develops and sells a software test management application which helps to control the software quality process diligently.
Michael Farrelly
www.mediamarket.ie
This company provides a media monitoring service to meet individual client needs, using the latest technology in scanning, optical character recognition and broadcast streaming.
Nick Ford
www.clear-path.co.uk
ClearPath develop and market traceability solutions and provide consulting audits for distribution and manufacturing companies in the Life Sciences sector.
Denis Gleeson
The promoter is developing a range of computer controlled electronic measuring instruments offering capabilities such as data storage and data analysis.
Colm Holmes
Avoca Publishers publishes Christian images from Ireland for the US market via the Internet.
Sam Irving
Mobilit-e is developing a next generation, mobile and wireless solution platform.
Sinead Kelly
Kode Solutions provides a web-based solution to organisations to access and analyse their data from SQL2000 databases enabling then to make fast fact-based decisions.
Neil Leyden
Platform Media offers four services in the field of rich media content - content production, digital media consultancy, technology development and content distribution.
Ed Powell
www.recruitmentdirectory.ie
The promoters have developed an interactive web-based directory of recruitment services available in Ireland
Seán McGinn
The promoter is developing both hardware and software for automated test solutions of electronic products.
Gavin McGrath
Urban Trans Solutions is planning the importing and distribution of three-wheeled urban light utility vehicles in Ireland.
Patricia Tierney
Aquatech Instruments design and manufacture two ranges of equipment, which send SMS messages between supervisor and instrumentation.
Hothouse 2
Patrick Carpenter
www.nmpd.tv
NMPD explores interactive media as a new creative form, developing intelligent, story-driven multi-media, games and on-line entertainment.
Carol Delaney
Info I.T.has developed a software system aimed at the tourism market in China called EHP, English for hospitality professions
Denis English
www.arconics.com
Arconics a software company that provides enterprise information management software products and services.
Aoife Fitzpatrick
www.methodica.net
Methodicaoffers information management strategy and implementation through mulit-media and internet technologies.
Colm Galligan
www.cordbank.ie
Cordbankaims to become Ireland’s first private sector company to provide cryopreservation of umbilical cord stem cells.
John McMorrin
www.mmvsoftware.com
MMV Softwarehave developed a software product for the tracking of tasks or problems aimed at the help desk software sector.
Philip Martin
www.corasystems.com
Cora Systems offers ProjectVision, a web-based project / performance management solution designed to deliver tangible benefits to customers across the following sectors Local Authorities, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Project Management and Software/Product Development. .
Kieran O’Keefe
Investment Aircraft Servicesaims to provide specialist financial and administrative services to investors in aircraft securitization vehicles, converting aircraft on lease to airlines into financial securities.
Frank Poyntz
GentGen is developing a generic test platform which can be used to test any type of electronic equipment thus streamlining the test development process.
Paul Quigley
www.star-ts.com
Star Technologies offer globalization consultancy and services specializing in the localization arena.
Hothouse 1
Ann Donnelly
www.newlifelearning.com
New Life L:earning is an Irish e-learning company focused on child and personal development for the adult learning market. Working with leading internationally recognised specialists the company has a special emphasis on parenting, autism and learning disabilities for parents, teachers and carers.
Ed Field
www.diginomarketing.com
Digino is regarded as a one of Ireland's leading online marketing agencies. The company specialise in planning, implementing and managing Search Engine Marketing Campaigns to target specific audiences, in specific markets in order to increase the quantity and quality of visitors to their clients' web sites.
Gavin Henrick
DIVA is a software company that provides innovative solutions for use by service and content providers within the internet and mobile telecoms industry.
Peter Lynch
www.eirplaygames.com
Eirplay is a leading developer and distributor of mobile entertainment software and won the Irish Digital Media Award for 'Game Developer of the Year' in 2004. Eirplay’s 2.5G and 3G multiplayer sports games are developed using their proprietary mobile game engine and feature peer-to-peer and community based gameplay.
Dave Maddocks
www.plantation.ie
Plantation provides Irish & UK technology start-ups with market launch/ market expansion consultancy services including; product and market evaluation, market segmentation, UK & European market entry planning, appointment making with key decision-makers and interim sales management.
Morgan McKeagney
www.iqcontent.ie
iQ Content's services, which include iQ Boot Camp, iQ Consult, iQ Create and iQ Methodology, help large organisations create, manage, and distribute digital information effectively, via the internet or corporate intranets.
John McKeon
www.allergystandards.com
Through the application and development of internationally recognised asthma and allergy avoidance recommendations, ASL has devised a series of proprietary testing protocols and suitability specifications for products to meet in order to be certified as asthma friendly®. ASL has developed the asthma friendly® logo and label to represent consumer trust that a product has been subject to rigorous testing to determine suitability for people with asthma and allergies.
Gerry Mooney
www.rakersoft.com
Rakersoft develops software for network managers to monitor and track disk space usage throughout the enterprise. Trading since 2001, the company has customers in UK, Europe, US, Canada and Australia.
Geoff Moore
www.modulosecurity.com
Modulo specialises in access control and digital video recording equipment for the security industry. With an ever expanding portfolio of in-house designed products as well as an array of distributorships, Modulo is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most innovative companies in the highly-competitive Irish security sector.
Charlotte O’Kelly
www.techworks.ie
TechWorks Marine Black Box™ (TMBB), the company’s proprietary data acquisition and transmission system, is designed for use in hostile environments delivering data via real-time telemetry. Real-time data from these monitoring platforms is supplied via the web to their clients, enabling them to make more effective management decisions.
Simon Quigley
www.onholdeurope.com
On Hold Europe provide an Internet Ready Solution to customers who wish to avail of the many advantages of using on hold micro marketing to inform customers of their products and services.
