Innovation Centre company wins recognition for 'Rainsavers' product

Two leading Irish entrepreneurs Niall Harbison of Simply Zesty and Seamus McCann of ASTEC Global last evening (Monday 16 September) addressed the annual GMIT Spirit of Entrepreneurship seminar in the GMIT Mayo campus as part of Mayo Ideas Week.

Both entrepreneurs shared their start-up experiences and the many trials and tribulations along the road to success. Niall Harbison started out his career as a chef working for some of the world’s most elite and celebrated restaurants and now heads up a social media and online marketing agency with co-founder Lauren Fisher; Seamus McCann is co-founder and Director of ASTEC Global Consultancy, a small private firm which now specializes in ICT, International Business Strategy and Finance in over 100 countries across many sectors.

A special feature of the evening was the ‘The PitchComp’, a Dragon's Den style competition where three new entrepreneurs: Sorcha O’ Grady (TruckScience), Denis Sheehy (Rainsavers) and Olive O’Connor (Minimate) – all based in GMIT’s Innovation Centre, pitched their business idea to a panel of four judges and the audience in St Mary’s Hall. The winner of this year’s competition is Denis Sheehy for his innovative product Rainsavers (www.rainsavers.ie )

Denis Sheehy’s business is called Cloudbrook Water Company, based in Tuamgraney, East Clare, and the GMIT (Galway) Innovation Centre, is an innovative design and manufacturing company that develops worldwide patented products which can take the rainwater from any roof and return it to your building as premium quality drinking water. “Now homes and business using our worldwide patented technology can tap into their own independent and renewable source of premium drinking water from naturally recurring Rainwater,” explains Denis Sheehy.

“I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to pitch my business in front of an audience. All businesses that took part are deserving winners as it takes a lot of hard work and determination to start and develop a new business and idea. It’s with the invaluable assistance offered to entrepreneurs by people such as Tony O Kelly, GMIT Innovation Centre, and programmes such as New frontiers and GMIT that help develop the potential of new businesses and the creation of employment in Ireland far into the future.”

The ‘Spirit of Entrepreneurship’ event in GMIT was formally opened by Jim Fennell, Head of the GMIT Mayo campus where client companies in GMIT’s Innovation in Business Centres (Mayo and Galway) displayed their products and services.

Mr Fennell’s opening address was followed by the launch of an exciting and unique product for the retail sector called VBC Hologuide, launched by Visual Brand Communications, a client company in GMIT’s Innovation Centre on the Mayo campus.

The four judges of this year’s PitchComp were Gerry Mackey, Director of BMW Region, Barry Egan, Director, Enterprise Ireland (West Region), Gerry Barry, founder of Fintrax and Laura Hill, Business consultant, Connaught Telegraph columnist and owner of the Castlebar O’Brien’s franchise.

WestBIC sponsored the competition with a €1,500 prize award, along with €1,000 in cash and €500 euro worth of mentoring. The overall sponsor of the Spirit event is McHale Engineering.

Helena Deane, Acting Manager of the GMIT Innovation in Business Centre, says “We are delighted that the event attracted so many people as it also offered a range of information and advice on all supports and funding available to people in business and those starting out, as well as key information on the GMIT Innovation in Business Centre entrepreneurial supports.”