The TUS Business Start-up Awards 2026, celebrating the 13 founders that have completed the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers phase 2 programme with TUS Limerick’s Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre took place at ENGINE, Limerick on March 31st, 2026. Pictured are Mary Casey, New Frontiers Programme Manager, Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, TUS Midwest (back row far left), Ciara Concannon, New Frontiers National Programme Manager, Enterprise Ireland, (5th from back left), Vincent Cunnane, President, TUS (6th from back left), Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise TUS (back centre in burgundy), Dr Liam Brown, VP Research Development & Innovation TUS, (5th from back right), Nadia Hwigi, New Frontiers Programme Officer, Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, TUS Midwest (back row far right), Hugh McNally of Carpal, TUS One to Watch Award 2026 winner (front row 3rd from left),  Dr Rachel Power of Calm & Free, Startup of the Year 2026 winner (centre front), Sarah Hayes of Fastwave, winner of TUS Business Innovation Award 2026 (3rd from right front) with other participants from the 2026 TUS New Frontiers Programme. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

A cohort of high-potential, innovation-led startups emerging from the Midwest was highlighted at the 2026 TUS New Frontiers Awards

A cohort of high-potential, innovation-led startups emerging from the Midwest has highlighted the strength and diversity of Ireland’s entrepreneurial pipeline, with ventures spanning health, sustainability, software and consumer innovation showcased at this year’s Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Startup Awards.

Calm & Free, the paediatrician-led skincare and wellness venture co-founded by Dr Rachel Power (Limerick), was named Start-up of the Year, recognising the development of a business addressing a clear gap in the baby and child health market.

The company brings together clinical expertise and natural formulation to develop targeted skincare solutions for babies and young children. Founded on Dr Power’s experience as a consultant paediatrician, the business draws on direct clinical insight into common skin conditions in infants and young children, alongside extensive engagement with parents. This reflects clear demand for trusted, medically informed solutions, further strengthened by the expertise of the wider founding team. The company is now moving toward market entry in Ireland, with plans to scale into the UK and European markets.

Two further awards recognised emerging ventures within the cohort. The Best Innovation award was presented to Sarah Hayes (Tipperary), co-founder of Fastwave, a platform focused on competitive swimming that automates and standardises competition entry, replacing fragmented manual processes with a single, data-driven system that simplifies how swim competitions are organised and delivered. The One to Watch award went to Hugh McNally (Clare), co-founder of CarPal, a demand-led automotive platform designed for dealers, giving them direct access to verified, high-intent buyer demand, reducing wasted enquiries and improving conversion and stock turnover.

The awards, hosted at The Engine in the heart of Limerick City, marked the culmination of the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers programme at TUS, part of a national entrepreneur development programme that supports founders to translate ideas into scalable, innovation-led businesses with real regional and international impact.

The event also featured a keynote address from John Cleary, founder and CEO of Eventmaster and founder of the Great Limerick Run, who shared insights from building and scaling a Limerick-headquartered technology company serving organisations and sporting bodies in Ireland and across Europe, from early-stage beginnings to international markets. Cleary is a graduate of the 2011/2012 LEAP programme at the Hartnett Centre, the predecessor to New Frontiers.

The startups pitched to an audience of more than 100 people from across the business ecosystem, including investors, business leaders and representatives from support agencies and higher education institutions.

The programme is delivered through the TUS Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, in collaboration with UL Nexus and supported by the Local Enterprise Offices in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, alongside AxisBIC, Propelor BIC and Limerick Chamber Skillnet as part of a coordinated regional ecosystem that connects founders with research, industry and enterprise supports to accelerate innovation and growth.

The awards event was supported by sponsors including Holmes, Bridgewater Management, Resolve Partners, the Local Enterprise Offices in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, Limerick Chamber Skillnet and Innovate Limerick.

While the overall winner stood out, the broader cohort reflects the range and ambition of startups emerging from across the Midwest and beyond.

Among the participants were ventures advancing emergency response through coordination and decision-support tools for search and rescue operations, developing bio-based materials aligned with European sustainability priorities, and driving innovation in oral health and microbiome science. Others are building clinically informed consumer health and performance brands, alongside creative and data-driven platforms that are reshaping how organisations engage with and understand their audiences through insight-led approaches.

Together, the cohort represents a cross-section of sectors critical to Ireland’s future economy, from life sciences and sustainability to software, AI and consumer products, and reflects a strong emphasis on execution, with founders actively engaging customers, refining products and building routes to market, positioning these ventures to deliver both regional impact and international growth.

The programme, funded by Enterprise Ireland, is delivered at TUS in the Midwest, with a parallel programme also delivered by TUS in the Midlands, forming part of a wider national effort to strengthen Ireland’s pipeline of high-potential, innovation-led startups.

Speaking at the event, Ciara Concannon, National Programme Manager for New Frontiers at Enterprise Ireland, said: “New Frontiers plays a vital role in developing Ireland’s pipeline of early‑stage entrepreneurs. Across the country, it gives founders the skills, guidance and confidence to advance their ideas, and the Limerick cohort reflects that mission – bringing fresh innovation to the Mid‑West and beyond. The programme at TUS Mid‑West thrives within a deeply collaborative regional ecosystem that helps founders test ideas and build real momentum. Today we celebrate entrepreneurs who are shaping the region’s future and deserve great credit for their achievements.”

Professor Vincent Cunnane, president of TUS, said, “What we are seeing here is a cohort of innovative founders who have moved beyond early ideas and are now building businesses with real potential to scale. Programmes like New Frontiers are critical in strengthening Ireland’s pipeline of innovation-led, export-focused companies. At TUS, we are proud to support that journey as part of a very strong, collaborative ecosystem. The ambition now is to translate that progress into growth, into customers, and ultimately into companies that can compete internationally.”

The awards mark a key milestone as participants move beyond early validation into the next phase of business development, with a number progressing to Phase 3 of the programme offering more tailored support.

For the wider region, the event signals the depth of entrepreneurial activity now taking shape, not as early-stage ideas, but as businesses building toward scale and competing in international markets.

Applications for the next New Frontiers programme at TUS are now open.