Tipperary company wins big at startup awards

A Tipperary startup has scooped a top prize at the TUS Midwest Startup Awards, held this week in Limerick City.

BERGO, a startup company founded in Cashel, took home the Overall Startup of the Year award from the ceremony.

Founded by Cathal D’Arcy, BERGO is building a software platform to digitise and modernise Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments.

The platform equips assessors with digital tools to automate calculations, improve accuracy and streamline compliance - addressing a critical step in how homes and buildings are evaluated for energy performance.

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Energy assessments are required for home sales, rentals, public grants and, increasingly, for national energy reporting and, for some, discounted mortgage rates.

Yet despite their central role, much of the assessment process remains manual, fragmented, and inconsistent.

BERGO’s platform brings speed, structure and standardisation to the industry - laying the groundwork for more efficient housing policy, better energy data, and faster decision-making.

The Startup Awards marked the culmination of the New Frontiers Programme, Ireland’s national entrepreneurship initiative, delivered in the Mid West region by Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) at the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, in collaboration with the University of Limerick’s Nexus Innovation Centre.

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Two other Tipperary natives were also honoured at the TUS Mid West Startup Awards, Nenagh's David O'Keeffe was awarded Best Innovation for SeeGap, which enables product-based consumer insight through smart packaging engagement.

Stephen O'Sullivan from Ballina was also honoured, being named a joint winner of the Best Innovation category for I Left You A Note, a guest experience platform helping hotels resolve issues during a guest’s stay.

Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS said that the "event showcases the strength of entrepreneurial ambition in our region, and the value of supporting that ambition through New Frontiers. 

"Led by TUS and developed in collaboration with a wider network of regional and national partners, the programme reflects what’s possible when we work together to create meaningful opportunities for founders. We’re proud to be part of that effort," Prof Cunnane said.