More than 50 women-led ventures across the island of Ireland have been supported through WeBuild, an all-island programme helping founders turn ideas into technology-enabled businesses.
The programme has helped participants develop products, secure funding, validate market opportunities and build business and investor networks, demonstrating the growing pipeline of women founders building innovative businesses across the island.
For Co Down entrepreneur Rachel McMullin, founder of FreQNC, a technology platform that helps identify workload pressures and delivery risks, the programme played a key role in accelerating the development of her business.
“The impact has been transformational. During the programme, we secured successful funding support after previous unsuccessful applications, developed a high-fidelity MVP, began investor conversations and validated through engineering leader interviews that teams consistently lack reliable systems to detect overload before delivery risk materialises.”
Kildare entrepreneur Karen Kelly, founder of HeartPath, a digital health platform that helps people spot early risks of heart, kidney and metabolic conditions, said WeBuild helped her turn an idea into a viable technology business.
“WeBuild has been one of the most impactful professional experiences I have had. As a clinician and founder, I entered the programme with a clear understanding of the problem I wanted to solve but limited experience navigating the technology startup ecosystem. WeBuild provided the knowledge, tools, mentorship and confidence to begin turning that vision into reality. The practical support was invaluable.
“The programme challenged me to think bigger, communicate my vision more clearly and believe that I belonged in the room. Through WeBuild, I found mentors, collaborators, trusted advisors and lifelong friends.”
Máirín Murray, founder of TechFoundHer which delivers WeBuild said the programme is demonstrating the scale of ambition that already exists among women founders across the island.
She added: “More than 50 women-led tech startups have already come through WeBuild and that tells us something important. The ambition, talent and potential are already there.
“The challenge now is making sure women have access to the infrastructure, technical support, community and networks that help them turn that ambition into technology businesses.
“You don’t need to be a coder to be a tech founder. You need a strong problem to solve, a clear vision and the ambition to build. The tools available now mean founders can move from idea to product faster than ever before, even if they haven’t come from a traditional technical background.”
The WeBuild programme is led by InterTradeIreland in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland, and is part of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, through the Shared Island Fund funded by the Government of Ireland.
Barbara Orr, Director of Enterprise Development at InterTradeIreland, said: “Women entrepreneurs are making an increasingly important contribution to innovation and business growth across the island.
“WeBuild is helping ambitious founders develop the skills, confidence, networks and capabilities needed to build and scale technology-enabled businesses.
“The founders who have completed the programme have demonstrated real ambition and resilience, using the support available to turn promising ideas into businesses with genuine potential to grow and scale.”
Applications for the next cohort of WeBuild, which will commence in January 2027, are now open via the InterTradeIreland website. The closing date is 12 noon on Friday, October 30, 2026. An online information session about the programme will also take place on Thursday October 1.
WeBuild is designed for women founders who want to build, test and grow technology-enabled businesses. Through practical learning, mentoring and access to expert advice, the programme helps participants turn ideas into viable products and scalable businesses.
Later this week TechFoundHer will also host showcase events in Dublin and Belfast, giving prospective applicants an opportunity to hear directly from women founders who are building technology businesses and learn more about the support available through WeBuild.
As part of the Dublin programme, keynote speaker Kelly Vero, whose career includes work on Tomb Raider and Halo 3, will share insights on how founders can use AI and emerging technologies to build and scale products, reflecting the practical, technology-focused approach at the heart of WeBuild.
For more information or to apply for WeBuild go to intertradeireland.com/entrepreneurship/womens-entrepreneurship/webuild
For more information contact Tina Calder, Entrepreneurs Unleashed, 07305 354209, [email protected]
