AwakenAngels

AwakenAngels Celebrates One Year of Empowering Women in Investment in Ireland! Time flies when you're on a mission for change! AwakenAngels, proudly supported by InterTradeIreland and the British Business Bank, is thrilled to celebrate our first birthday. In just 12 months, we have made significant strides toward democratising investment for women connected to Ireland—and we’re just getting started! “We are excited about the ongoing development and growth of our community and the high-quality, curated deal flow we can offer to our investors. The enthusiasm and support from our syndicate members is incredible, and we are committed to fostering an environment where women entrepreneurs based anywhere in Ireland can thrive.” — Mary McKenna, MBE, Chair, AwakenAngels Read full blog on our website: https://lnkd.in/eP6zUHeD 🌟 👼 AwakenAngels is proudly supported by: InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey #awakenangels #angelinvesting #oneyearanniversary

This week we had our AwakenAngels October Pitch Event and Graduation for Training Cohorts 1 & 2! Three innovative startups led by women founders seeking seed investment pitched: ⭐️Joanne Cole Founder of BrokerIQ ⭐️ BrokerIQ provides financial advisors with a powerful platform to strengthen client engagement, ensure transparent and compliant communication, and foster growth in the mortgage and protection sectors, all while enhancing the client experience. ⭐️ Marie Toft CEO & Co-Founder of Emotionise ai ⭐️ Emotionise ai is a Gen Al solution for Customer Support developed to reduce costs and churn by improving how Customer Support engages emotionally with customers. Profits can increase by up to 25% when customers feel more emotionally connected and Emotionise Al is the first Gen Al model to codify human emotion. ⭐️Sinéad Crowther and Denise Lauaki : Co-Founders of Soothing Solutions Ltd ⭐️ Soothing Solutions Ltd, the creators of Tonstix Honey Jelly Pops, have transformed pediatric care with their innovative, all-natural, child-friendly product range. Their product is now available in Boots, Tesco, Amazon UK, and 90% of Irish pharmacies, marking a significant milestone in accessible healthcare for children. For those who were unable to attend, the event will be shared via a private link with AwakenAngels Syndicate members who may be interested in exploring investment opportunities. Congratulations to everyone involved! A special thank you to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their invaluable support. 👼🏼 Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey Maria McKeever For more details, visit: www.awakenangelshq.com #angelinvesting #angelinvestors #smartinvesting #startups #pitchevent #businessangels

This week we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking seed investment. Our third pitch announcement : Joanne Cole Founder of BrokerIQ ⭐️ BrokerIQ provides financial advisors with a powerful platform to strengthen client engagement, ensure transparent and compliant communication, and foster growth in the mortgage and protection sectors, all while enhancing the client experience. For those unable to attend, the event will be recorded and shared via a private link with AwakenAngels Syndicate members who may be interested in exploring investment opportunities. A special thank you to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their invaluable support. 👼🏼 Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey For more details, visit: www.awakenangelshq.com

AwakenAngels October Pitch Event - Investing with a Gender Lens to Support Women’s Entrepreneurship ⭐️ Next week we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking seed investment. Our second pitch announcement : Marie Toft CEO & Co-Founder of Emotionise ai ⭐️ Emotionise ai is a Gen Al solution for Customer Support developed to reduce costs and churn by improving how Customer Support engages emotionally with customers. Profits can increase by up to 25% when customers feel more emotionally connected and Emotionise Al is the first Gen Al model to codify human emotion. For those unable to attend, the event will be recorded and shared via a private link with AwakenAngels Syndicate members who may be interested in exploring investment opportunities. A special thank you to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their invaluable support. 👼🏼 Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey For more details, visit: www.awakenangelshq.com

It’s always a great day when I get to be part of an event celebrating women entrepreneurs! Last night, I had the privilege of joining the National Enterprise Women’s Day event hosting by Local Enterprise Office Kildare Thanks to Jacqui McNabb Claire Dunleavy and Lauren O'Reilly for the invitation and for curating such a fantastic evening in a stunning venue. I joined a panel brilliantly titled ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Funds!’ with Chupi Sweetman moderated by Susan HayesCulleton CFA, "The Positive Economist" We covered a lot of ground, supporting women founders on their fund raising journey and of course I was encouraging women to explore angel investing! It was a pleasure to meet so many brilliant founders. And if you are a founder in Kildare reach out to this brilliant team at Local Enterprise Office Kildare Louise O'Conor Sinead Kieran Deirdre Smith Ciara Kelly Eugene Forde AwakenAngels Sheelagh Brady

AwakenAngels October Pitch Event - Investing with a Gender Lens to Support Women’s Entrepreneurship ⭐️ Next week we will spotlight three innovative startups led by women founders seeking seed investment. Our first pitch announcement : Sinéad Crowther and Denise Lauaki : Co-Founders of Soothing Solutions Ltd ✨ Soothing Solutions Ltd, the creators of Tonstix Honey Jelly Pops, have transformed pediatric care with their innovative, all-natural, child-friendly product range. Their product is now available in Boots, Tesco, Amazon UK, and 90% of Irish pharmacies, marking a significant milestone in accessible healthcare for children. For those unable to attend, the event will be recorded and shared via a private link with AwakenAngels Syndicate members who may be interested in exploring investment opportunities. A special thank you to InterTradeIreland and British Business Bank for their invaluable support. 👼🏼 Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey For more details, visit: www.awakenangelshq.com

AwakenAngels Announce Maria McKeever as Chief Operating Officer. We’re beyond excited to introduce Maria McKeever, the newest powerhouse joining AwakenAngels & AwakenHub as we continue our mission to deploy more capital into women-founded businesses across the island of Ireland and Europe, driving their scaling and success. Maria has taken up the role of  Chief Operating Officer for the group. Maria brings an impressive breadth of expertise from both the public and private sectors. As a Chartered Marketer, former business owner, lecturer, and all-around operational problem solver, Maria is known for her sharp critical thinking and her knack for turning complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies. Her ability to leverage key insights, forge valuable connections, and drive innovation makes her the perfect addition to the AwakenAngels & AwakenHub community as we continue to expand our impact. In her new role, Maria will work closely with Clare McGee, AwakenHub/AwakenAngels’s Founder and CEO, as well as Mary McKenna, our Chair. Her strategic insights and hands-on approach will be instrumental in supporting Denise McQuaid, our Director of Investor Relations, as we continue to cultivate connections with investors across multiple geographies. Sinead Crowley, our Director of Community, and Brìghde Barnes, our Community Manager, are equally excited to have Maria on board as we continue to grow our vibrant AwakenHub community and scale the impact we deliver to women founders. Despite being only, a week into her new role, Maria has already hit the ground running! Before joining AwakenHub, Maria was deeply embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the North West, where she led flagship programmes like Go Succeed and the Digital Transformation Flexible Fund at Derry City and Strabane District Council, supporting small and micro businesses. Her proven track record and passion for empowering businesses align perfectly with AwakenHub’s mission, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board! Please join us in giving Maria a warm AwakenHub welcome. We’re confident she’ll do amazing things! AIB | British Business Bank | Catalyst | Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council | InterTradeIreland | MAP Digital: MetaMeetings® | North West Regional College (NWRC) | The Open University | QUBIS Ltd | Taylor Wessing Ireland | Údarás na Gaeltachta | Ulster Bank Northern Ireland - Business | Ulster University I Innovate-NI | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

TRADE MISSION 2025 🇺🇸🇮🇪 AwakenHub organises a self-funded Annual Trade Mission to the USA to coincide with St. Brigid’s Day ☘️ It's a ‘money can’t buy’ opportunity for members of AwakenClub (AwakenHub / AwakenAngels) to gain access to high-profile diaspora businesses, networks, Irish and British Consulates, prospective investors or those with a keen interest in supporting women founders looking to gain traction in the USA! We’re currently in advance planning stages for our 2025 St. Brigid’s Day Trade Mission which will take place in and around the week of 1st February. EOI is OPEN to join us on our 2025 mission : https://lnkd.in/epCNMSb6 Make sure you check out our previous missions in 2023 and 2024 : https://lnkd.in/egQqd2_Y and https://lnkd.in/ewKgGHSU 🌟 👼 AwakenAngels is proudly supported by: InterTradeIreland, British Business Bank and Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey

TRADE MISSION 2025 🇺🇸🇮🇪 AwakenHub organises a self-funded Annual Trade Mission to the USA to coincide with St. Brigid’s Day ☘️ It's a ‘money can’t buy’ opportunity for members of AwakenClub (AwakenHub / AwakenAngels) to gain access to high-profile diaspora businesses, networks, Irish and British Consulates, prospective investors or those with a keen interest in supporting women founders looking to gain traction in the USA! We’re currently in advance planning stages for our 2025 St. Brigid’s Day Trade Mission which will take place in and around the week of 1st February. EOI is OPEN to join us on our 2025 mission : https://lnkd.in/epCNMSb6 Make sure you check out our previous missions in 2023 and 2024 : https://lnkd.in/egQqd2_Y and https://lnkd.in/ewKgGHSU 🌟 👼 AwakenAngels is proudly supported by: InterTradeIreland, British Business Bank and Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland Denise McQuaid Mary McKenna, MBE Clare McGee Sinead Crowley Mary Ann Pierce Jane McCooey

Don’t miss the opportunity to join our AwakenAngels community event this evening at 7pm. Denise McQuaid will be hosting a fireside chat with Gianni Matera of Growing Capital. Link to register is below!