NI tech talent to the fore as Digital DNA Awards 2019 short list revealed

A record number of entries to the 2019 Digital DNA Awards has been whittled down to a high-calibre short list featuring the best technology businesses and people in Northern Ireland. 

Finalists in the highly-coveted Company of the Year category - which will be voted for by the public - are: Allstate, Dawson Andrews, Kainos, Novosco, See.Sense and Whitespace.

The finalists in the other categories can be seen below and the winner of each will be announced at the awards night on 28th March 2019 in St Anne’s Cathedral.

The judges said the calibre of entries has been extremely high.

Victoria Shanks, Executive Director and Global Head of Kx Services at First Derivatives and one of the judges at the Digital DNA Awards 2019, said: “We knew there is a rich seam of entrepreneurial tech talent in Northern Ireland but this year’s entries have really blown us away. They have proven that we are capable of creating technology businesses and talent which is not just impressive in a local sense, but are capable of competing at the highest level on a global basis.

“From what we’ve seen, the future of Northern Ireland’s digital sector is in good hands.”

Simon Bailie, CEO of Digital DNA, said: “The judges were impressed by another stellar list of entries so once again it is going to be another tightly fought competition. This competition has gone from strength-to-strength and promises once again to reinvigorate the the technology sector in Northern Ireland and let the world see the brilliant individuals and businesses we have here.”

The judges included some of the keenest minds in the technology world including: Tony McManus, the Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Data, at US news, data and analysis giant Bloomberg LLP in New York; Victoria Shanks, Executive Director and Global Head of Kx Services at First Derivatives; Lisa Bailie, Eco System Manager at Barclays Eagle Labs; Jeremy Biggerstaff, Managing Director of Flint Studios; Paula Kennedy, Vice President of Concentrix; Dave Vincent, Chief Digital Officer at Tourism NI; Andi Jarvis, Creative Director at Eximo Marketing and Lisa Donaldson, Co-founder of Tech Education Network.

The Digital DNA Awards ceremony takes place on 28th March 2019 in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast. Shortlisted companies and individuals will receive complementary passes to Digital DNA 2019, taking place 18th and 19th June 2019. Further information is available at digitaldna.org.uk.

The full list of categories are: Business Personality of the Year, Developer of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Young Person of the Year, App of the Year, Best Digital Marketing Campaign, Digital Project of the Year, e-Commerce Project of the Year, Best Tech for Good Innovation, Deal of the Year, Best Large Tech Company, Best Small Tech Company and Start-up of the Year.

The full list of shortlisted finalists are:

App of the Year

TakeTen Ltd - Relaxit

Origin Digital - Smart Care Doc – Reducing the cost of healthcare

Scaffold Digital – Ireland a Directory

Secure Broadcast - Universal App

STATSports - Apex Athlete Series

Sugar Rush Creative - Whistle App

Deal of the Year

Dawson Andrews - GSMA Case for Change

Decision Time - HM Land Registry

DHD - Halfstack

Fathom - UX Design Institute

Neueda - DAERA

Whitespace - Austrailian Challenger Bank

Developer of the Year

Dermott Barron - STATSports

Gregg Craig - Allstate NI

John Kyle - PA Consulting

Luke Donnelly - axial3D

Nuala Carland - Origin Digital

Ritu Bhatt – iEngageIT

eCommerce Project of the Year

Northside - DigitalPrinting.co.uk

Pitchbooking.com

Eyekiller - Robinsonsshoes.com

Groundswell - statsports.com

Media Nerds - tourticketireland.com

Zesty - kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie

Entrepreneur of the Year

Daniel McGlade - Oroson

David Henderson - David Henderson Design

Jack Williams - Selazar Limited

Jason McKeown - Neurovalens

Jessica Dornan - Afterbook

Lucy McMullan - Only Just Media

Large Tech Company of the Year

All State NI

Kainos Group PLC

Novosco

Options Technology

Rakuten Blockchain Lab

STATSports

Best Digital Marketing Campaign

Kainos - Kainos Academy

Groundswell - Modius Headset

My Car Needs A - UK Brand Awareness Campaign

Power NI - Power NI Perks

Tomorrow Lab - Electric Ireland

Waterfront - Digital First Campaign

Business Personality of the Year

Adrienne Hanna - Right Revenue

David Henderson - David Henderson Design

Gareth Burns – Selazar Limited

Joe Boyle - Salt DNA

Paddy O'Hagan - Neueda

Tara Simpson - Instil Software

Digital Project of the Year

Danske - Data Intelligence

Education Authority – EA Transport

Liberty - Workgrid Assistant

Neueda - DAERA

TYSS – Genius Platform

Whitespace – Colinked Platform

Small Tech Company of the Year

See.Sense

Datactics

Fathom

Liopa

Neurovalens

Whitespace

Start-up of the Year

CropSafe

Deep Labs

Groundswell   

Importwise

loyalBe

VU.CITY

Tech for Good Innovation

Allstate - Cyber Security for Kids Programme 

Angel Eyes NI - Helping families with visually impaired kids

Dawson Andrew - Big Data for Social Change

Mencap - The World Around Us

U-Hub - Suicide Prevention App

Young Enterprise NI - Company Tech Programme

Young Person of the Year

Aisling McGibbon - PwC

Andy McComb - Irish FA

Becca Hume - TapSOS

Daniel Crawford - axial3D       

Jordan McDonald – Kainos Group Plc

Sophie McDonald - Options IT