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ATU students win top awards in 2026 Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards
Three Atlantic Technological University (ATU) student business ideas won top awards at this year’s Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards.
Three Atlantic Technological University (ATU) student business ideas won top awards at this year’s Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards, held in Technological University Dublin (TUD) recently, with ATU Sligo student Rory Staunton winning the coveted overall award and €10,000 cash prize for his product, AURA Sports Cream, a chilli infused muscle recovery cream. Rory is studying towards a postgrad Certificate in Mechanical and Electrical Quantity Surveying in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.
ATU Galway City campus Business Faculty student Sienna Joyce Faherty from Inis Mór of the Aran Islands won the Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 for her business ‘The Hill Café’ and Atlantic Modular. ATU Sligo & EU GREEN student team Emanuel Covasa and Luc Dober won an award for their ‘NeuroBridgeEDU’ idea, an AI powered learning platform that helps neurodivergent and multilingual students engage with educational content in the format, language, and pace that works for them.
Enterprise Ireland’s Student Entrepreneur Awards brings together third-level students who have innovative solutions to real-world challenges, and is supported by Cruickshank, Grant Thornton and the Local Enterprise Offices. This was the 45th year of the competition, and it was open to registered full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students across the island of Ireland.
Student Rory Staunton also won mentoring supports from specialist Enterprise Ireland advisors who will help him develop his product and explore new market opportunities. His product AURA Sports Cream is a unique muscle recovery cream with Capsicum Frutescens, an extract derived from chilli peppers. The cream was inspired by natural remedies from the Austrian Alps and is produced in Ireland. The cream works to combine capsaicin with active natural botanicals to deliver fast, targeted heat and relief for muscles and joints. The product is designed especially for athletes and active individuals, providing comfort after intense activity, allowing athletes to recover quickly while performing at their best.
Student Sienna’s enterprise, The Hill Café, is a successful café brand operating on Inis Mór and in Galway city, with plans to expand into further locations. The Hill Café specialises in quality food and drink options, with plans to source high-quality food trucks and modular units to provide on-the-go food and café services in some of Ireland’s more remote locations. The business emphasises premium design and operational efficiency through the modular units, providing unique opportunities for the hospitality industry.”
Student team Emanuel Covasa (Computing, Sligo) and Luc Dober’s (Business, Sligo) project NeuroBridge EDU reshapes material to match how a learner actually processes information, and provides multilingual support so language is never a barrier to understanding. Built with an accessibility-first approach, the platform turns standard learning content into something every student can access on their own terms.
Joe Healy, Head of Research and Innovation at Enterprise Ireland, said that Enterprise Ireland believes Irish exporters can become the primary driver of the Irish economy. “We believe programmes like the Student Entrepreneur Awards are critical to fostering the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who will drive this growth.”
Eve–Anne McCarron, Head of Engagement & Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at ATU, said:
This is exactly the outcome we aim for—creating the right environment to foster entrepreneurial thinking. We are committed to providing clear pathways for our students to engage with the strong support ecosystem of Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices, and to working with our academic champions to bring these opportunities to life. We’re delighted to host the National Final at our Sligo campus in 2027.
Jennifer Caffrey, mentor and lecturer in the School of Business, ATU Galway, said: “Sienna is a talented true spirited entrepreneur and a credit to the island and the college.”
Dr Seamus Lennon, Head of School of Business, and Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Head of Department, School of Business, ATU Galway, said: “Huge congratulations to Sienna on her wonderful success, and to Jennifer for her excellent supervision and guidance of Sienna. This is a remarkable achievement for a first-year student, and the entire team from the School of Business on the Galway City campus share in our congratulations of Sienna. We also extend our congratulations to our Sligo students and colleagues on their excellent achievements in this unique competition.”
Ivan McPhillips, lecturer in the School of Business and long-time mentor and supervisor to students in enterprise and entrepreneur competitions for many years, said: “I would say this is the first time in over 40 years in the history of Enterprise Ireland running this competition that a first-year student won a major award in this competition. I am involved since 1997 and I cannot remember a first-year student from any college north and south of the border winning such a major award. What is even more remarkable was that Sienna was up against over 1,700 applications and some of these were postgraduates. Sienna is a brilliant entrepreneur, and we are very privileged to have her as a student in our School of Business.”
[Photography by Coalesce]
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