Prep4Seed Accelerator Returns as 12 Start-ups Begin Programme in Galway

The Prep4Seed investor-readiness programme returned as 12 ambitious start-ups gathered in Galway last week for the opening masterclass on The Foundations of Investor Readiness, delivered by WestBIC and Furthr. Prep4Seed is a proven 12-week accelerator delivered by Ireland’s four Business Innovation Centres (BICs) in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, designed to bring high-growth start-up clients through the investor-readiness process quickly and effectively.

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Despite Ireland’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, many early-stage founders struggle to bridge the gap between a validated idea and a fundable business. Prep4Seed addresses this challenge head-on, providing structured support across pitch development, financial fluency, and investor engagement, the three areas most commonly cited as barriers to securing seed investment.

The programme combines five masterclasses run by the Irish BICs with six one-to-one sessions offering bespoke, client-led support from experienced BIC consultants. The one-to-one sessions ensure that content from the masterclasses is applied in a relevant way to each company. Participants also take part in intensive investor-pitch preparation sessions and trial pitches in the lead-up to the Investor Pitch Day, hosted by Enterprise Ireland in May.

Thirteen companies were selected by Enterprise Ireland from a variety of industry sectors including food, fintech and financial services, lifesciences and healthtech, climate tech, enterprise solutions, and digital technologies.

Conor O’Donovan, Head of Start-ups at Enterprise Ireland, said; "The Prep4Seed programme, in collaboration with the four BICs, has shown to be an effective building platform to nurture the entrepreneurs and founders of the future. The 12 start-ups represented in the latest programme will be provided with hands-on experience through prep and pitching sessions over the coming weeks, equipping them with the tools required to be investment ready. Enterprise Ireland looks forward and stands ready to work with these businesses on their start-up journey now and into the future."

Opening the masterclass, Mary Ryan, Deputy CEO of WestBIC, said; "Each year, Prep4Seed demonstrates the value of structured, hands-on investor-readiness support for ambitious founders. Securing seed funding is as much about confidence as it is about capability, and Prep4Seed gives founders both. Over twelve weeks, they'll sharpen their pitch, stress-test their numbers, and build an investor-ready foundation with deep, one-to-one support from experienced BIC consultants who know what investors are looking for. We're delighted to welcome 12 new companies into the programme and look forward to seeing them grow."

Prep4Seed forms part of the Enterprise Ireland - Irish BICs’ broader founder support pathway, which includes programmes such as PSSF webinars and Pre-Seed+, offering continuity of support from ideation through to scale.

Photo by Murt Fahy - Murtography: Wider group photo of the Prep4Seed participants, Irish BICs and Enterprise Ireland representatives.