Idea to Action: Startup Sprint 2026
Inside the NDRC Startup Sprint 2026: Building Momentum for the Next Big Idea in Cork
The recent NDRC Startup Sprint in Cork brought together ambitious founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and innovators for a high-energy day focused on turning ideas into real business opportunities.
Designed as a hands-on startup experience, the Sprint gave participants the tools to move from concept to clarity fast. Across the day, teams explored startup innovation, validated business ideas, and learned how to approach customer discovery, all while working alongside experienced mentors from Ireland’s growing startup ecosystem.
A buzzing room of innovators refining ideas and pitches at the NDRC Startup Sprint.
Fueling Startup Success: High-Impact Workshops in Action
The room was buzzing with energy as founders and aspiring entrepreneurs immersed themselves in a series of hands-on startup workshops designed to turn ideas into real business opportunities. These sessions went beyond theory—fast-paced, practical, and led by experienced operators, they gave participants the tools to move from concept to execution.
Customer Discovery & Validation: Led by Lavanya Bhandari, NDRC Programme Regional Lead, Republic of Work. This session focused on one of the most critical aspects of building a startup: understanding the customer. Teams worked through problem validation, tested assumptions, and identified their target market, ensuring their ideas were grounded in real needs.
Startup Pitching & Communication: Led by Chris Barrett , NDRC Programme Regional Lead from RdiHub. A strong idea needs a clear, compelling story. Participants learned how to craft and deliver a powerful startup pitch, communicate their value proposition, and confidently present their business to mentors, judges, and potential investors.
No-Code Product Development: Led by guest speaker Fionn Tobin, Co-Founder at Agenyx. This practical session demonstrated how quickly ideas can be brought to life using no-code tools, enabling teams to build functional prototypes without technical barriers, an essential step for early-stage startups.
By the end of the workshops, participants had moved beyond ideation. Their concepts were validated, refined, and ready for pitching, marking a significant step forward in their entrepreneuria.
Workshops transformed ideas into action with customer insights, pitch skills, and no-code tools.
Expert Mentoring in Action: Guiding Startups to the Next Level
Following the workshops, the focus shifted to one of the most valuable parts of the day, startup mentoring sessions. Founders and teams worked closely with experienced mentors, including seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts, and leaders from across Ireland’s startup and business ecosystem.
These sessions were fast-paced and highly focused, giving participants the opportunity to gain real-time feedback on their ideas, business models, and pitches. Mentors challenged assumptions, asked critical questions, and provided practical guidance on everything from market positioning and customer validation to growth strategy and product development.
For many early-stage entrepreneurs, these conversations were transformative. Some teams uncovered new opportunities within their target market, while others gained the clarity needed to refine their startup strategy and strengthen their pitch ahead of judging.
More than just preparation for pitching, these mentoring sessions helped unlock the true potential of each idea, equipping founders with the insights and confidence to move forward in their entrepreneurial journey.
Teams during their focus time working on refining their pitch and strategy before judges panel.
The Startup Sprint Finale: Down to the Wire!
As the mentor sessions wrapped up, founders submitted their pitches and eagerly awaited to take the stage to present in front of our judges. The final judges; Sam Hunt of Hunt Ventures, Adrianna Mosakowska from Saaspire Marketing, Moira McKenna a First Port Angel Syndicate representing HBAN, and Tim Roche of Enterprise Ireland, had the challenging but exciting task of selecting the winners. The day ended with participants reflecting on their journey, from sparking ideas to refining pitches, and recognising how much they had achieved in just a few hours.
Congratulations to our winners on the day:
Most improvement: Team LogUp
Best Pitch: Team Aquafarm
They each won 3 month Hot-desk membership, Podcast Studio Rental, Meeting Room Credits, NDRC and RoW Member perks and more!
From the Republic of Work and NDRC team, thank you to everyone who took part, from participants to mentors and judges. Your energy and dedication made this day truly special!
Missed this one? Join us at the next NDRC Founder Weekend!
Applications are now open for the next early-stage startup programme in Dublin’s Dogpatch Labs on Jun 6th: apply now to kickstart your journey!
Pre-Accelerator 2026
Does your tech startup idea have global potential? Join our six-week virtual Pre-Accelerator programme to find out - the perfect launchpad for founders with ambition. Learn more, applications Close May 1st.
