Kilkenny entrepreneurs recognised in START competition

Kilkenny entrepreneurs were recently recognised at County Hall | Kilkenny County Council

placeholder image — Kilkenny entrepreneurs were recently recognised at County Hall | Kilkenny County Council

A skincare entrepreneur, a nutrition start-up and an AI compliance platform were among the winners as Kilkenny's Local Enterprise Office announced the results of its START business competition

Niamh Butler has been named the overall winner of Kilkenny's Local Enterprise Office START competition, with Odhran O'Shea and Stephen Dwyer taking joint second place.

Butler won for YooHoo Skincare, a hormone-free skincare brand developed specifically for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

Joint runners-up were Odhran O'Shea for Second Self, a premium nutrition brand producing an all-in-one wellness pouch, and Stephen Dwyer for Cloud Mount, an AI and regulatory compliance platform.

The winners were announced following the final of the START competition at County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, where finalists pitched their businesses to a judging panel comprising Aileen McGrath of the Local Enterprise Office, Rosemary Ward, Deputy CEO and Business Consultant with Propelor BIC, and Eugene Crehan, Director of Programmes and New Frontiers at SETU.

Organised by Kilkenny County Council's Local Enterprise Office, the initiative was launched in April and attracted entrepreneurs from across the county with a range of innovative business ideas.

Participants completed a six-week Vision to Action accelerator programme, featuring a series of business workshops, before competing for an investment fund worth €5,000.