Prep4Seed Accelerator Returns as 12 High-Growth Start-ups Begin Investor-Readiness Programme in…

WestBIC is an Enterprise Ireland partner providing hands-on startup support, funding readiness and investment preparation for early-stage founders in the west of Ireland.

Prep4Seed Accelerator Returns as 12 High-Growth Start-ups Begin Investor-Readiness Programme in Galway

12 high-growth start-ups selected for the latest Prep4Seed cohort
Prep4Seed is a 12-week intensive investor-readiness programme delivered by the Irish BICs — AxisBIC, Furthr, Propelor and WestBIC — in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland
Programme culminates in May with an Investor Pitch Day hosted by Enterprise Ireland

Tuesday, 24 March 2026, Galway:

The Prep4Seed investor-readiness programme returned as 12 ambitious start-ups gathered in Galway for the opening masterclass on The Foundations of Investor Readiness, delivered by WestBIC and Furthr. Prep4Seed is a proven 12-week accelerator delivered by Ireland’s four Business Innovation Centres (BICs) in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, designed to bring high-growth start-up clients through the investor-readiness process quickly and effectively.

Group picture of the Prep4Seed particicpants, BIC team members and Enterprise Ireland

Bridging the Gap to Seed Investment

Despite Ireland’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, many early-stage founders struggle to bridge the gap between a validated idea and a fundable business. Prep4Seed addresses this challenge head-on, providing structured support across pitch development, financial fluency, and investor engagement, the three areas most commonly cited as barriers to securing seed investment.

The programme combines five masterclasses run by the Irish BICs with six one-to-one sessions offering bespoke, client-led support from experienced BIC consultants. The one-to-one sessions ensure that content from the masterclasses is applied in a relevant way to each company. Participants also take part in intensive investor-pitch preparation sessions and trial pitches in the lead-up to the Investor Pitch Day, hosted by Enterprise Ireland in May.

Thirteen companies were selected by Enterprise Ireland from a variety of industry sectors including food, fintech and financial services, lifesciences and healthtech, climate tech, enterprise solutions, and digital technologies.

Conor O’Donovan, Head of Start-ups at Enterprise Ireland, said: “The Prep4Seed programme, in collaboration with the four BICs, has shown to be an effective building platform to nurture the entrepreneurs and founders of the future. The 12 start-ups represented in the latest programme will be provided with hands-on experience through prep and pitching sessions over the coming weeks, equipping them with the tools required to be investment ready. Enterprise Ireland looks forward and stands ready to work with these businesses on their start-up journey now and into the future.”

Opening today’s masterclass, Mary Ryan, Deputy CEO of WestBIC, said: “Each year, Prep4Seed demonstrates the value of structured, hands-on investor-readiness support for ambitious founders. Securing seed funding is as much about confidence as it is about capability, and Prep4Seed gives founders both. Over twelve weeks, they’ll sharpen their pitch, stress-test their numbers, and build an investor-ready foundation with deep, one-to-one support from experienced BIC consultants who know what investors are looking for. We’re delighted to welcome 12 new companies into the programme and look forward to seeing them grow.”

Emer Shovlin (Restore Innovation), Evelyn Smith (Entreprise Ireland), John Traynor (MicroInspect), Mary Ryan (WestBIC), Colleen Baxter (WestBIC).

Participating Companies

ASCENSION DIGITAL SERVICES
BEVERAGES OF TOBERLION LIMITED
Biovit Technologies
CAPISSO PVT LIMITED
CHUZEDAY LIMITED
CYBERVIGILPRO LIMITED
EWEROCK LIMITED t/a Banor
FLEXIBLE POWER SOLUTIONS LIMITED
RESTORE INNOVATION LIMITED
UNTURN LIMITED
Veloton Limited
WEIGHLESS WONDERS LIMITED

Prep4Seed forms part of the Enterprise Ireland — Irish BICs’ broader founder support pathway, which includes programmes such as PSSF webinars and Pre-Seed+, offering continuity of support from ideation through to scale.

About the Irish BICs

The Irish BICs are a national network of Business Innovation Centres supporting entrepreneurs and innovative companies across Ireland. Working in close partnership with Enterprise Ireland, the Irish BICs provide a continuum of support to help founders build investor-ready, scalable businesses.

Enterprise Ireland Press & Media Relations: Nicola Corboy | press@enterprise-ireland.com