Vanguard Beer Collective selected as wildcard for AIB Start-up Academy

The AIB Start-up Academy kicks off later this month, and one wildcard company will join the finalists.

Vanguard Beer Collective won the wildcard spot after a vote by JOE.ie and Her.ie readers last month.

Vanguard's founder, James Winans, said he was "surprised and excited" to have another chance to get into the Academy. He thinks he won the vote because "we sell beer, which is a topic that interests people".

“I’d like to come out at the end with a leaner, better-run business,” he said.

The first Start-up Academy module will cover networking skills and business planning. The 11 finalists are eager to get started.

Shane Lynn of KillerBiller, an app for finding the best mobile phone plan, said: “I hope to spend my time learning from people with experience in the field of growing start-ups into successful businesses, expanding our network of contacts around Ireland and meeting a host of new, exciting companies along the way.”

Seamus Tighe of Everest Granola Cups, Fabien Peyaud of Herdwatch, GymChef’s Conor Murphy and Karl McCarthy of event booking app Usher said they look forward to learning from the experts.

“To promote our product Everest Granola Cops to win the ultimate start-up package…will be an Everest of a challenge” added Tighe.

Philip Martin of Blanco Nino hopes to refine his corn tortilla business and focus on marketing and public relations at the Academy.

Elizabeth Fingleton of Obeo food waste boxes “can’t wait to meet all the other start-ups”. And Gail Condon of Writing for Tiny, a personalised children’s book publisher, said the support system of other companies will be invaluable.

Bernie Kinsella of WorldBOX.ie said making it into the Academy was validation that her business is on the right track and likes being able to tell customers about it.

Dave McGeady of healthy snacks company Wyldsson said: “One of the biggest things we need to understand is how to approach the UK market”, especially from a PR perspective.

The 11 AIB Start-up Academy finalists will be profiled in The Irish Times over the coming weeks.