.png)
Founder Stories
Craig Lancaster Founder, PilotPath
Craig is the founder of Europe’s first and largest flight training coordination concept. Pilotpath's mission is to take a different approach to flight training, close the gap on the exclusivity within the industry and, overall, solve the global pilot shortage by looking outside the funnel of who can become a commercial airline pilot
Craig was previously Head of Department in Europe's favourite airline, Ryanair, responsible for regional people management, complex operations strategy and management, safety oversight, technological advancement, ancillary revenue management, financial controls and customer experience delivery across Ryanair bases in Europe and North Africa.
Julie Garland Founder, AvTrain
Julie Garland is a former Airline Training Captain and Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. She is also a Barrister at Law, a former Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator. Before founding Avtrain, Julie was previously the Director of Compliance for Norwegian Air International. She is an Irish Aviation Authority Authorised Examiner for all Drones up to 75kgs for the grant of Pilot Competence Certificates. She is the founding Chair of the Unmanned Aircraft Association of Ireland and spearheaded bringing the UAAI and Ireland into the newly formed JEDA – the Joint European Drone Associations to give drone operators a voice in Europe.
Julie's technical background, combined with her operational experience as a Captain of both manned large commercial aircraft and drones, and her vast understanding of aviation regulations, gives an unsurpassed depth of domain knowledge. She has been training pilots for over 25 years.
The mission at Avtrain is to encourage prolific drone operations and keep the skies safe through the highest standards of Training and Certification. Avtrain is Europe's leading drone Pilot and Operator training and certification body, setting the standards for others to follow. We use a mix of innovative new online technologies to deliver our training courses and provide consultancy services.
Colm McGarvey Founder, Selio Medical
Selio Medical is developing a safe, effective and user-friendly device to reduce pneumothorax during transthoracic needle biopsy. Selio Medical adopts a unique approach by providing pneumothorax protection before the biopsy even takes place. The Selio Sealant System provides pneumothorax protection for the in-patient, thereby allowing the patient to safely return home on the same day as their procedure. This significantly improves the patient’s quality of care while preventing further treatment and costs.
Co-Founders Colm McGarvey & Dr Garrett Ryan identified this large unmet clinical need during the BioInnovate Fellowship Programme at the National University of Galway (NUIG) & at University College Cork (UCC). The project then spun into Trinity College Dublin, where it was de-risked with support from Enterprise Ireland.
Selio Medical spun out of Trinity College Dublin into the Guinness Enterprise Centre, significantly expanding the team with the support of international corporate investor, EIT Health and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Deirdre Lyons Founder, Acuru (Formerly Examfly)
Acuru Founder, Deirdre Lyons, has studied, worked in and lectured in tax for over 10 years. During this time, she saw many students struggle and fail exams, even diligent and hardworking ones.
This experience convinced her that there could be a better way to learn complex topics and acquire challenging skills. The solution would involve a combination of creativity, proven learning techniques and technology. Thus, the idea for Examfly was born.
Three years on, Examfly has grown rapidly and counts Big 4 firms, and major educational bodies among its satisfied customers. The company was named ‘Best New Start Company’ in the Dublin Seedcorn Final in 2020.
Aonghus Shortt Founder, FoodMarble
In 2014, Aonghus Shortt developed a prototype breath test device for his wife, who was struggling with her digestion. It proved effective, enabling her to identify which foods suited her digestive system. And so the journey began…
Today, FoodMarble helps people measure the digestive process to overcome chronic digestive conditions. FoodMarble has created the world's first personal digestive breath tester, and now they are building a platform to guide care for complex chronic GI conditions from the home.