November Pitch Event
AwakenAngels syndicate members are invited to join us online for our November pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative start ups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Keep a look out over the coming Months as we announce the 3 women led start ups taking to the stage this November.
Invitation only
Don’t Leave Money on the Table: SEIS, EIS & R&D Tax Relief for Founders
Don’t Leave Money on the Table: SEIS, EIS & R&D Tax Relief for Founders
From raising investment to funding innovation, there are a range of tax reliefs and incentives available to help founders put more cash back into their businesses.
Join our experts for a practical, founder-friendly discussion exploring SEIS, EIS and R&D tax relief, and how these opportunities can support your business as it grows.
Whether you're looking to attract investment, understand the reliefs available to your business or make better use of existing incentives, this session will offer valuable insights into the options available and how to make them work harder for your business.
Moderator
Clare McGee
Co-Founder and CEO, AwakenAngels and AwakenHub
Speakers
Philip Hare, Partner, Philip Hare & Associates LLP
Ross Davidson, Associate Director, Amplifi
Gareth McDonald, Co-Founder and CEO, FarmDrive
This session is open to all members and non members
Inside the Investor Mind: A Conversation with Gillian McColgan
Inside the Investor Mind: A Conversation with Gillian McColgan
Join us for an AwakenAngels community fireside chat with Gillian McColgan.
Gillian McColgan is an experienced angel investor, board advisor, and strategic leader with a strong track record in supporting high-growth businesses and scaling founders.
With deep expertise across governance, investment, and business growth, Gillian brings a practical and insightful perspective to early-stage investing.
As part of the AwakenAngels community, she is passionate about increasing access to angel investing and supporting more women to step into investment roles. Her work reflects a belief that diverse investors lead to better decisions and better outcomes.
At this event, Gillian will share her insights on evaluating opportunities, supporting founders through growth, and the role of investors in shaping a more inclusive innovation ecosystem.
October Pitch Event
AwakenAngels syndicate members are invited to join us online for our October pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative start ups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Keep a look out over the coming Months as we announce the 3 women led start ups taking to the stage this October.
Invitation only
Inside the Investor Mind: A Conversation with Volker Hirsch
Inside the Investor Mind: A Conversation with Volker Hirsch
Join us for an AwakenAngels community fireside chat with Volker Hirsch, one of Europe’s most experienced early-stage investors and a leading voice in venture and innovation.
In this session, Volker will share insights from his journey as an angel investor, venture partner and operator, offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on how investors evaluate opportunities, what differentiates standout founders, and how early-stage companies can position themselves for growth and funding.
This will be a highly interactive session, giving our investor community the opportunity to ask questions, deepen their understanding of angel investing decision-making, and learn directly from one of the most active participants in the European startup ecosystem.
September Pitch Event
AwakenAngels syndicate members are invited to join us online for our September pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative start ups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Keep a look out over the coming weeks as we announce the 3 women led start ups taking to the stage this September.
Invitation only
Goals Beyond The Pitch with Northeast Ohio Mayors Delegation.
Goals Beyond The Pitch with Northeast Ohio Mayors Delegation
Get ready for an afternoon of great conversation, good food and plenty of opportunities to connect at Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, as we welcome the Northeast Ohio Mayors Delegation to Derry for Goals Beyond The Pitch.
We’ll get things underway with lunch at 12pm, followed by a welcome from US Consul General to NI, Chris Rendo. We’ll then move into two engaging panels, bringing together honest conversations and insights on what it really takes to do business across the Atlantic.
First up is The Route to North America, where we’ll explore the big question: is the US the right market for your business?
Moira Loughran, Head of Exports at Invest Northern Ireland, will be joined by Tim Dillon of OS Doors, Jim Nash of Wild Atlantic Distillery, and William McColgan of McColgan Foods for an honest conversation about what it really takes to enter the North American market, the challenges businesses can expect along the way, and how economic development partners can help make the journey a little easier. Clare McGee, CEO of AwakenHub/AwakenAngels, will guide the conversation.
Next, we’ll move into Making the Move: Resources, Relationships & Support, looking at that all-important stage when a business has identified an opportunity in North America but isn’t quite ready to take the leap.
Ed Johnston, Partner at Clark Hill, will be joined by Cormac Diamond of Bloc Blinds, Vicki Finlay of Menopal, Claire Nixon of Adepta Partners, and William McColgan of McColgan Foods. Together, they’ll share their experiences, practical advice and insights on navigating this stage, with Mark Owens moderating the conversation.
Once the official programme comes to a close at 2:30pm, we’ll keep the conversations going with some time for proper networking.
It’s a great opportunity to meet key stakeholders and US contacts, continue conversations from the panels and make new connections that could lead to future partnerships. Whether you’re actively considering the North American market or simply curious about what’s involved, come along, grab a bite and get involved in the conversation.
Meet Your Fellow AwakenAngels Investors
Meet Your Fellow AwakenAngels Investors
Friday Lunchtime Coffee & Chat
Join us for a relaxed Friday lunchtime coffee and conversation with fellow members of the AwakenAngels community.
This informal online call is an opportunity to connect with other investors, share perspectives, and build relationships within the community.
There is no formal agenda just great conversation, and the chance to get to know your fellow investors.
We look forward to seeing you there.
This session is exclusively for AwakenAngels investors
AwakenAngels Information Session
Curious for Angel Investing?
Join Denise for an informative lunchtime session on Angel Investing.
Gain a clear understanding of the fundamentals, explore the opportunities within the ecosystem, and learn how you can actively participate in early stage investing.
Are you raising in Q4?
Are you raising in Q4?
Women founders based on the island of Ireland, join our AwakenAngels Information Session.
If you are planning to raise investment over the coming months, now is the time to understand what investors are looking for and how AwakenAngels supports founders on their fundraising journey.
Join us for a 30-minute online information session to learn more about AwakenAngels, our investment process, and how founders engage with our investor community.
During the session, we'll cover:
How AwakenAngels works
Our investment criteria
The founder application and due diligence process
What investors look for in an investment opportunity
Upcoming pitching opportunities
Live Q&A
Whether you're actively raising or planning ahead, this session is a great opportunity to understand how to prepare for investment and decide if AwakenAngels is the right fit for your business.
AwakenAngels May Event
AwakenAngels syndicate members are invited to join us online for our May pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative start ups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Keep a look out over the coming weeks as we announce the 3 women led start ups taking to the stage this May.
Invitation only
AwakenAngels April Event
AwakenAngels syndicate members are invited to join us in Cork for our April pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Melanie Cronin - Co Founder
RocketBox is an AI-powered kitchen management system designed specifically for high-volume delivery restaurants - helping them increase throughput and revenue by intelligently syncing multi-channel orders (Deliveroo, UberEats, Just Eat) with real-time driver flow. We help restaurants get every order out HOT and ON TIME!
Bridgeen Callan - Founder
KLAS-Therapeutics Ltd. is a biotechnology company developing an innovative, minimally invasive treatment for non-resectable malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, based on our proprietary patented compound.
Sarah Cosgrove - Founder
Restore Blue is a global platform enabling offshore energy developers to deliver nature-inclusive projects and biodiversity positive outcomes through AI-powered, data-driven insights
Invitation only - members check your inbox now.
AwakenAngels March Event
Join us for our March pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels February Event
Join us for our January pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels January Event
Join us for our January pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels November Event
Join us for our November pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels October Event
Join us for our October pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels September Event
Join us for our September pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels June Event
Join us for our June pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels May Pitch Event
Join us for our May pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels March Pitch Event
Join us for our March pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels February Pitch Event
Join us for our February pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels January Pitch Event
Join us for our January pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
AwakenAngels November Pitch Event
Join us for our November pitch event, where we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Fireside chat Andrea Sinclair, UKBAA Angel Investor of the Year 2022/23
Join us for a fireside chat with Andrea Sinclair. Andrea Sinclair is an esteemed angel investor and a past recipient of UK Angel Investor of the Year as recognised by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA).
AwakenAngels October Pitch Event
In-Person Pitch Event & Graduation for Training Cohorts 1 & 2
Celebrate our AwakenAcademy graduates and join us for our October pitch event featuring three new startups.
Fireside Chat with Gianni Matera, Founder of Growing Capital
Join us for an engaging fireside chat with Gianni Matera, Founder of Growing Capital. Growing Capital is a prominent early-stage investment firm dedicated to nurturing and supporting startups with origins in Ireland.
Impact Investing with Faye Walsh Drouillard, Managing Partner at WakeUp Capital
Gain insights from Faye Walsh Drouillard, Managing Partner at WakeUp Capital, on impact investing and funding early-stage technologies in Europe.
AwakenAngels September Pitch Event
Spotlighting three innovative startups led by women founders seeking pre-seed investment.
Fireside Chat with Emma Meehan, Founder of Precision Sports
Join us as Emma shares her journey and future plans after successfully closing her recent investment round.
AwakenAngels June Pitch Event
‘Investing with a gender lens to support women’s entrepreneurship’.
Join us for our June pitch event as we showcase three women founded startups looking to raise pre-seed investment.
Open to AwakenAngels syndicate members only.
What will be covered?
- Drinks and Nibbles to allow syndicate members to get to know eachother
- Introduction
- 3 startups from the AwakenHub community will do a 10min pitch followed by 10min Q&A from investors.
- Investor debriefing session
This is an in-person/live streamed event. It will be recorded and shared in a closed link to AwakenAngel Syndicate members who are unable to attend and may be interested in expressing an intent to invest.
With thanks to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their support.
www.awakenangelshq.com
AwakenAngels May Pitch Event
‘Investing with a gender lens to support women’s entrepreneurship’.
Join us for our May pitch event as we showcase three women founded startups looking to raise pre-seed investment.
Open to AwakenAngels syndicate members only.
What will be covered?
- Drinks and Nibbles to allow syndicate members to get to know eachother
- Introduction
- 3 startups from the AwakenHub community will do a 10min pitch followed by 10min Q&A from investors.
- Investor debriefing session
This is an in-person/live streamed event. It will be recorded and shared in a closed link to AwakenAngel Syndicate members who are unable to attend and may be interested in expressing an intent to invest.
With thanks to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their support.
www.awakenangelshq.com
SheVentures: The Island Edition
About this event
A powerful, yet intimate, uniting of Ireland’s women founder community
Join us for the first ever SheVentures Summit empowered by the Irish Government's Department for Foreign Affairs Shared Island Initiative. This May, we’re bringing together 250+ Irish women leaders, founders, investors and their male allies for two days of inspiration, connection and empowerment.
Discover where you belong
SheVentures: The Island Edition is set to be a transformative experience for women founders in Ireland. A carefully curated programme packed with inspiring speakers will explore the themes of leadership, resilience and tenacity - core ingredients for success as a woman founder. Leaning into the years of collective experience brought together on Lusty Beg Island, we’ll share know-how and lessons learned - there’s no gatekeeping here! - as well as practical investment insights to help women founders like you to build and grow indigenous and global businesses and communities.
Inspiration in bucketloads
The two-day experience will feature an array of compelling keynotes, intimate fireside chats, and interactive sessions designed to empower you, facilitate knowledge exchange, foster collaborations, and forge lasting friendships.
Reflect and recharge
The SheVentures summit also offers a sanctuary - a space to pause, reflect, and feel rejuvenated amidst the serene surroundings of Lusty Beg. You’ll be encouraged to explore practical ways of managing stress and building resilience, and we have lots in store to help you re-energise and emerge stronger for the journey ahead.
This magical experience will leave you feeling fearless, confident, inspired and empowered with the strength of a nation of women founder allies behind you.
Find out the latest speaker announcements and news on our website: https://sheventures.co.uk/