Founder Labs – Accelerating Innovation Programme

A new £5 million programme to support entrepreneurs and high-growth start-ups in Northern Ireland.

Invest Northern Ireland has launched its new accelerator programme Founder Labs. It's a programme of support to help early-stage, technology-based, start-up businesses and entrepreneurs become global businesses of the future.

Founder Labs focuses on technology-based Start-Up innovation-driven enterprises (IDEs). The programme supports the most ambitious and high-potential founders across Northern Ireland.

Founder Labs will be delivered by Ormeau Baths in Belfast, in partnership with Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, The AMP in Derry and Queens University Belfast. The Founder Labs programme is funded by Invest Northern Ireland and New Deal Entrepreneurship Funding.

What support is available?

Each start-up on the programme will benefit from six months of intensive one-to-one mentoring, workshops and events with industry experts and access to shared workspace. The programme also includes international study visits to explore global opportunities and the chance to pitch to local and international investors.

Who can apply?

Founder Labs is ideal for technology-based start-ups with ambitious and transformative ideas that can achieve the following by year three of trading:

• Revenue or funding of more than £1 million.
• 60 per cent of sales from outside Northern Ireland.
• External investment.

How to apply

Find out more about Founder Labs and how you can apply.

First published 21 March 2024