Westmeath company completes Bord na Móna Accelerate Green Pre-Accelerator Programme
OptaHaul was one of just nine companies selected to participate in the Bord na Móna Accelerate Green Pre-Accelerator programme for start-ups in the climate and sustainability sectors.
Delivered by Bord na Móna in conjunction with Resolve Partners, Accelerate Green is dedicated to supporting companies developing products and services based on green innovation.
OptaHaul’s participation culminated in a pitching of their business plan to a panel of experts at Bord na Móna’s HQ in Kildare.
The panel included Bord na Móna CEO, Tom Donnellan and Barclay Clibborn, principal of AIB’s Foresight SME Impact Fund, which backs businesses helping to accelerate Ireland’s transition towards a low-carbon economy.
OptaHaul is a SaaS route optimisation platform for the dairy industry which reduces costs, saves planning time and minimises greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) related to farm to plant milk transport.
OptaHaul’s mission is to help the agri-food industry to reduce its carbon footprint by minimising vehicle GHG emissions produced from supply chain transportation activities.
OptaHaul clients achieve this by using their route optimisation software to calculate the best plans for their transport operations.
Gary Gallagher, CEO and Founder of OptaHaul, said: “It was a great experience presenting our business plan in a Dragons’ Den style pitch. The panel were generous in sharing their expertise with us and it was great to have access to some of Ireland’s leading business figures.
“The whole programme has been beneficial will stand to us as we present our company and our product to future customers and future investors.”
Mr Gallagher said the Pre-Accelerator provided his firm with a combination of skills, tough challenges and mentoring to explore their value proposition for scale and how to achieve further investment.
“The focus on climate and sustainability has given us a wealth of knowledge and access to other companies focused on green innovation. The programme is ideal for any digital or science-based business that is focused on climate.”
Bord na Móna chief executive Tom Donnellan said: “The pitch presentations we saw are a testament to the expertise and potential of the companies that have taken part.
“Over the last six weeks, companies such as OptaHaul have benefitted from mentoring and guest speakers who have provided practical industry insights and helped the businesses identify clear pathways to scale their novel solutions.
“Bord na Móna has expertise across a variety of climate solutions and it is encouraging to see other companies that are invested in green innovation and delivering sustainable jobs.”
Alan Costello of Resolve Partners congratulated the companies who took part in the Pre-Accelerator, and commended them for their “dedication to developing products and services based on green innovation”.
“This programme has helped the participants deliver measurable impact while supporting economic development and I look forward to seeing how they will contribute to the green revolution in Ireland. The business plans presented have great potential and we are looking forward to welcoming new companies on board for Accelerate Green 2023.”
The nine companies that took part in the Accelerate Green Summer 2022 Pre-Accelerator were: OptaHaul, Addible, KnowCarbon, WoodCo Renewable Energy, ChargeMe, Slán Eco, Carbon Harvesters, Digital Energy and Ethica Planet.
About Accelerate Green
Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green Programme is the leading accelerator programme in Ireland dedicated to scaling companies leading the response to climate action and sustainability, by developing products and services based on green innovation.
Combining Bord na Móna‘s commercial expertise with Resolve Partners expertise in building innovative companies that scale, the programme will open up key reference customers, give you access to infrastructure, expertise, and the world-class mentors needed to help your company navigate the path to impact at scale.
OptaHaul
Mullingar based OptaHaul is a SaaS route optimisation platform for the dairy industry which reduces costs, saves planning time and minimises greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) related to farm to plant milk transport.