Oat in the City

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.

Oat in the City Oat drinks are made from Irish grown oats, locally sourced. The natural milked oat drink is fresh, extra creamy and gluten and dairy-free, as well as delivering real taste, on account of retaining all the oats’ natural fibre and goodness. The oat milk range retains the oats’ natural beta glucans, fibre and protein, and is low in natural sugars, with no added sugar. Most commercial oat drinks are made by stripping away the parts that have the fibre and protein, so you’re mostly getting oat sugar. The range includes an Original Oat Milk and a Barista variety for coffee making.

Key supports received during start-up process & the role WestBIC played

We started with our Local Enterprise Office. The first step was the food academy and we also participated in the New Frontiers phase 2 and 3 programme with AIT (now TUS). From this we formed a relationship with Mary Ryan from WestBIC They were key in getting us investor ready. This proved very helpful when pitching for the Enterprise Ireland Competitive Start Fund (now Pre-Seed Start Fund) and talking to private investors.

Words of advice & Key Issues for new start-ups

Being a startup is exciting but can also be a lonely place with highs and lows. Having a support like WestBIC to guide you through is very important. Remember your startup will never be 100% ready, so set some targets or milestones so that a launch date is in site.

Future Plans

The Oat in the City brand was launched in June of 2021. We are now in over 80 stores. Product development is a huge part of our business and we are constantly evolving. Our future plans involve increasing our sales to make the business more viable. Exports will be key to this as well as building a strong team to grow the business.