A company who has created an AI patient care system that can eliminate inefficiencies in patient appointments has taken the top prize at the National Enterprise Awards. SPRYT is a virtual assistant that can liaise directly with patients on appointments via simple SMS communications to ensure appointment completion and can effectively reallocate appointments in real-time to eliminate no shows and doctor and consultant wastage.
The company was set up by Neill Dunwoody and Daragh Donohoe in 2022, supported by Local Enterprise Office Monaghan, and pilots of the company’s ASA tool with the NHS have seen a 160% increase in appointment conversion rates. They have also seen a 260% increase in patient engagement using this tool, while removing 80-90% of the administration around appointments.
The Awards, which are an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices to celebrate the best small businesses in Ireland, were held at the Round Room in the Mansion House in Dublin in what is their 25th year. Alan Dillon,T.D., Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail ,announced this year’s winners in front of representatives from the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities and small businesses from across the country at the event.
Announcing the award winners at the Mansion House Minister Dillon said, “The National Enterprise Awards are a celebration of the innovation, resilience, and ambition that define Ireland’s business community. Each year, the calibre of finalists continues to rise, reflecting the extraordinary talent and determination of entrepreneurs across the country. These businesses are not only creating jobs—they are shaping the future of our local economies and communities.
“Tonight’s winners represent the very best of what Irish enterprise has to offer, and we remain committed to supporting them as they grow, compete, and thrive on both a national and global stage. These businesses are at the core of every town, village and community and are vital to our economy. We will ensure businesses continue to get the support they need to grow, prosper, and remain competitive,” Minister Dillon continued.
Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, said; “The National Enterprise Awards are a celebration of the very best of what Irish enterprise has to offer. It highlights those companies who are primed to take those next steps and scale up into international markets and it also highlights excellence in key areas of business development such as digitalisation, sustainability and exporting.
“We will no doubt see the winners here go on to do great things over the coming years but for every business that has made it to this point, it is validation that they have created an outstanding business. Entrepreneurship is the road less taken but we have to encourage more people to take that leap, and show them the benefits it can bring.
“We have some amazing people across the country and many have started businesses that are taking on the world. Look at some of our previous winners like Pestle & Mortar, Bevcraft and Advanced Cosmetics. As the Local Enterprise Offices we will continue to encourage and support great ideas and new businesses because we have the entrepreneurs to make amazing global companies.”
There were several other category winners announced on the night.
Innovation Award
The winner of the Innovation Award was MoneySherpa, supported by Local Enterprise Office Louth. Moneysherpa provide a complete home buying service including mortgages, surveys, and conveyancing in one place and also provide software to the property industry to integrate the home buying journey.
Best Export Award
The winner of the Best Export Award was Seabound Engineering, supported by Local Enterprise Office Donegal. Seabound Engineering is Ireland’s only SCMS-certified aluminium shipyard, specialising in custom-built vessels for the aquaculture, inshore and offshore fishing, and marine sectors, including Ireland’s largest aluminium catamaran and it’s first amphibious vessel.
Best Start Up Award
The winner of the Best Start-Up Award was HappyPath Labs, supported by Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West. HappyPath Labs provide software solutions for the contact centre industry, including AI-driven interaction analytics, and scalable customer contact technology serving both national and international markets.
Green / Sustainability Award
The winner of the Green/Sustainability Award was Vision Green Consultancy, supported by Local Enterprise Office Carlow. Vision Green Consultancy helps companies to integrate sustainability in their operations helping organisations reduce carbon impact and boost performance.
Digital Award
The winner of the Digital Award was TAPiTAG, supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath. TAPiTAG develop NFC-powered digital solutions, including business cards, marketing tags, and donation platforms. Their cloud software helps to enhance customer interactions, streamline operations, and provide analytics. They currently have more than 45,000 users in over 75 countries.
This year’s winners share a €50,000 investment fund, while nine regional winners were also announced on the night.
Those winners are –
- CozmoTec Consulting in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO Fingal)
- Decontamination Technical Services in the Midland Region (Back by LEO Offaly)
- SOS Cookies in the Mid-West Region (backed by LEO Limerick)
- Fused by Fiona Uyema in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Kildare)
- Breakthrough Maths in the South West Region (backed by LEO Cork South)
- Deep Digital Solutions Group in the South East Region (backed by LEO Waterford)
- Slick+ in the North West Region (backed by LEO Sligo)
- Fire Doors Ireland in the North East Region (backed by LEO Cavan)
- WONDR Jellies in the West Region (backed by LEO Mayo)
Also honoured on the night were Keoghs Farm who won the Outstanding Achievement Award. An example of a company who began with their Local Enterprise Office and then accessed support from Enterprise Ireland to grow their business globally.
Originally a 200-year-old potato farm in north county Dublin owned by the Keogh Family they faced a shrinking market in 2011. In response, Tom Keogh set up Keoghs Crisps at the farm as a means of diversifying the business. They have continued to grow over the years and now export to 22 countries and employ 150 people at their family farm in rural north Dublin.
Carol Gibbons, Head of Entrepreneurship and Local Enterprise, Enterprise Ireland, said: “The high calibre of businesses in today’s final highlights the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and innovation within Ireland’s SME base right now. The innovative solutions these businesses have developed are impressive, and I am encouraged by their pioneering spirit and determination to develop products and services with a positive impact on our society.
“Enterprise Ireland’s ambition is that Irish businesses will be the key drivers of the Irish economy, and we are proud to play a role to drive this ambition – providing supports, insights and expertise to founders at all stages of their business journey. I would like to congratulate all the winners and wish them every success as they continue their growth journey.”
Shane Tiernan, Chair, CCMA Economic Development Committee, said; “Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are essential service providers in our Cities, Towns and Villages, offering much needed supports to small businesses that are a lifeblood to our local economies and communities. The entrepreneurship they nurture, is key to driving development within every county, with these businesses forming the economic backbone of both urban and rural communities across Ireland.
“LEOs are also at the forefront of helping small businesses lead the way in decarbonisation, ensuring these enterprises are expanding on their leadership role in the use of carbon-free and renewable energy sources. The annual National Enterprise Awards offer a very important and unique opportunity to celebrate the significant role of small businesses in our society and showcase the exceptional innovation and excellence that LEOs foster at the national, regional, and local level.”
Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards include Irish Yoghurts (1998), Obelisk (2000), Simtech Aviation (2008), Digiweb (2004) and Design Pro (2013), Terra NutriTech (2018), Pestle & Mortar (2019), Bevcraft (2021), Aqualicence in 2022 and Advanced Cosmetics in 2023.
Last year’s winners were DreamDev Technologies, supported by Local Enterprise Office Kildare, who developed an AI augmented platform to help companies to significantly increase their product’s time to market.
The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.
Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 75,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie