30 September 2027 · Dublin, Ireland
Ireland's Innovator AwARD
Recognising Ireland's most extraordinary innovators. Backed by Ard Capital's pledge to invest in Ireland's innovation ecosystem.
I am an Irish Innovator
Enter the Ard AwARD and have your work judged on Impact, Innovation, and Story by a select panel. Free to enter.
Enter free →I am a Corporate
Join the community and back Irish innovation. Every corporate member triggers a €500 pledge from Ard to the prize pool. Free to join.
Join free →Ceremony · 30 September 2027 · Dublin
Ard's Pledge
Investing in Ireland's innovation ecosystem.
Ard Capital was founded to back Ireland's most ambitious R&D-led companies. The Ard AwARDs is an extension of that mission - a commitment to bringing Ireland's entire innovation ecosystem together under one roof and shining a light on the people and companies driving it forward.
By building a community of corporate members and innovators, we are creating a network that amplifies Irish innovation on a global stage. Every corporate member who joins triggers a €500 pledge from Ard Capital directly into the prize pool - putting real money behind Ireland's best and brightest.
Judging Criteria
Three things that matter.
Our select panel judges every entry on the same three criteria — no categories, no subcategories, just the things that define genuine innovation.
Impact
How many lives, jobs, or how much growth?
What measurable difference has this company or founder made? We look at jobs created, lives improved, revenue generated, and the scale of real-world change.
Innovation
How different is this to the rest of the world?
Is this genuinely new? We assess how far this work pushes the frontier — not just in Ireland, but globally. Incremental improvement is not enough.
Story
Where did you start, and where are you now?
Every great innovation has a human story behind it. We want to know the journey — the obstacles overcome, the team built, and the vision that drove it all.
The Prize Pool
Built by the community.
For every corporate member who joins the Ard AwARDs community, Ard Capital pledges €500 to the prize pool. The more organisations that back Irish innovation, the bigger the prize for Ireland's Innovator.
Become a corporate member →Ready to be part of it? Join free.
Whether you are an innovator pushing boundaries or a corporate member supporting Ireland's innovation ecosystem — it is free to join and the ceremony takes place 30 September 2027.
Ceremony · 30 September 2027 · Dublin