The Best Startup Firms in Northern Ireland Revealed

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The second event of the 2023 StartUp Awards celebrated the best new firms and entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland.

The best startup firms in Northern Ireland have been revealed at the Northern Ireland Start-Up Awards, which were held at the Pavilion in Belfast and saw 15 different awards given out to new businesses in categories such as Consumer Services StartUp, Rural StartUp of the Year and Social Enterprise StartUp of the Year.

The Startup of the Year for Northern Ireland was won by ubloquity.

ubloquity connects everything, from systems with people, data with insights, or companies with each other in complex supply chains. Its approach to solving problems is simple, namely to take the best technology, combine it with the best available science and IOT, and reengineer processes that are no longer fit for purpose.

Kieran Kelly, founder and CTO at ubloquity:

“We’re chuffed to bits to be crowned Northern Ireland’s best startup. It means so much to us to be recognised in this way – and to be able to celebrate in style alongside our peers.

“The standard of innovation in NI is world class, so to be named the overall winner on the night was unbelievable

“Everything we do at ubloquity is as a team, pulling together and stretching the boundaries of what’s possible. I am super proud and delighted for the whole team. We are full of ambition, and this latest award is another stepping stone for us as we continue to grow and transform global digital trade.”

The Northern Ireland awards are sponsored by a range of national sponsors including Starling Bank, Blackfinch Group, British Business Bank, BT, Creative Ideaz, Dream Factory, Tiny Rebel, Jeeves, Join Talent, Mountside Ventures, OVH Cloud, the Purposeful Project and ScoreApp.

The StartUp Awards were established in 2022 to highlight the success of start-ups across ten UK nations and regions and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy. Originally formed as the Wales StartUp Awards, the Awards Series has joined forces with the Great British Entrepreneur Awards to take the celebration of newly formed businesses nationwide.

Helen Bierton, Chief Banking Officer at Starling Bank says:

“Congratulations to all those businesses that have entered this year’s awards. It’s been amazing to see the incredible contribution entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland have made across so many different sectors of the economy. From a start-up that develops software specifically for the Equestrian market, to a sustainable fashion brand that uses dead-stock fabrics and a maths movement that’s raising standards in primary mathematics, the competition has recognised the very best in business.”

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, creator of the awards, said the events have celebrated the best new firms in the UK and recognised the amazing entrepreneurial talent across the nation. He said:

“In the second year of the Northern Ireland Startup Awards, we have seen yet again the incredible contribution of new businesses to job creation, innovation, and prosperity across the whole of this entrepreneurial nation. It’s been an honour and a pleasure to read the stories of those individuals from across Northern Ireland who have spotted the opportunity and taken the risk to launch their own venture, especially at a time when the economy is still fragile after the Covid pandemic.

These awards are testimony to the amazing achievements of all the finalists who have started a new business here in Northern Ireland. From the creative sector to professional services to social enterprise, all are making an incredible contribution to the economy. A huge congratulations to all the category winners and especially to the team at the ubloquity in becoming the Northern Ireland Start-up of the Year. This startup is quickly becoming a trailblazer in the digital sector, applying new technologies to a traditional sector of the economy. In doing so, they have built a highly skilled and motivated workforce, who are committed to its vision. The judges noted that the business had a product idea in a hot sector with a fantastic team and great early traction. Not only was there an authentic story behind the business, but there was a drive to apply knowledge of emerging technologies to this significant global problem by an excellent team.”