Adoreboard wins Silicon Valley award 

Queen’s spin-out company, Adoreboard, has scooped the Irish Technology Leaders Group (ITLG) University Challenge Award, for the best tech start-up with the most global commercial potential at a recent awards ceremony.

The company beat off stiff competition from over 20 third level institutions from across the island of Ireland in a 'Dragons’ Den' style pitching competition.

Last year another Queen’s spin-out company, Analytics Engines, won the Emerging Technology sector at the same event.

The Adoreboard award was made as part of a two-day technology forum, where a delegation from Silicon Valley, which included top executives from the global tech sector including CISCO, Intel, DELL, Disney and AOL, met with a shortlist of start-up companies from across Ireland who pitched their innovative technology solutions to a would-be investor panel.

The data analytics software company, which extracts meaning from big data to help brands understand how people feel about them online, faced a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs and corporate leaders including Barry O’Sullivan, Senior Vice-President of CISCO.

The award was presented to Adoreboard founder and CEO Chris Johnston (pictured right, above) by ITLG chairman and former chairman and CEO of Intel Corp., Craig Barrett. Speaking after picking up the award Chris described the accolade as “recognition of the worldwide commercial potential of Adoreboard.”

The Adoreboard leadership team includes Chief Scientific Officer Dr Gary McKeown from Queen’s and Chief Technology Officer Dr Fergal Monaghan, who previously worked at German software giant SAP.

Adoreboard will now go forward to meet with investors in Silicon Valley at the next ITLG event on the US West Coast, later this year. Dr Paul Donachy (above left), who heads the Commercial Development Team in the University’s Research and Enterprise Directorate, said: “We are thrilled that Queen’s and Adoreboard won in this very competitive category, reflecting the pedigree of tech start-ups supported by Queen’s. The ITLG award provides a significant opportunity for Adoreboard to meet with investors in Silicon Valley later this year. For any start-up this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Cian Hughes ITLG Head of Operations commented: "We looked for a company that shows the best global opportunity for a very early stage company in the ITLG University Challenge, and having received entries from over 20 third level institutions all over Ireland, Adoreboard showed us that real potential."

Further information on Adoreboard is available online at www.adoreboard.com/ 

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