CO-FOUNDERS

What CO-FOUNDERS does

Co-Founders is an 11-week part-time pre-accelerator programme for first-time entrepreneurs and early-stage startups, operated by Catalyst (The Northern Ireland Science Park Foundation Limited), an independent non-profit science and technology hub headquartered in Belfast. The programme brings together individuals from technical and commercial backgrounds to develop new product ideas focused on technology, engineering and science, and awards £10,000 proof-of-concept grants to participating teams. Since its launch in 2017, Co-Founders has run seven cohorts involving 488 people who have formed 100 teams, with over a third of teams still working together. A regional variant, Co-Founders North West, is delivered from Catalyst's Innovation Centre at Fort George in Derry/Londonderry with Innovate UK funding.

The programme is one strand within Catalyst's broader innovation ecosystem, which also includes Hello Possible, Springboard, Way to Scale, INVENT, Stryve, Generation Innovation, Role Models, Catalyst Link, and Catalyst Schools. Catalyst's physical infrastructure spans eight buildings across two campuses in Belfast (Titanic Quarter and Bedford Street) and Derry/Londonderry, providing 2,900+ desk spaces and dedicated lab facilities to 140+ resident companies and approximately 3,000 engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs and executives. Co-Founders is delivered online and in-person through this infrastructure, with execution supported by a Programme Manager and integrated into Catalyst's wider mentor and investor networks.

The business model is grant- and partnership-funded rather than commercial tuition: Co-Founders is supported by the UK Department for the Economy and Innovate UK, and Catalyst as a whole is sustained through workspace rental income, corporate partnerships (Bank of Ireland UK, Deloitte, NVIDIA, Allstate, Citi, ION Group, Fujitsu, Microsoft), government programme funding, and academic partnerships with Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast. Catalyst reinvests surplus into the entrepreneurial ecosystem consistent with its non-profit status. Customer segments span first-time entrepreneurs, early-stage startups, scaling SMEs, young people aged 16-25, researchers/academics, and large corporations seeking innovation access.

Name

CO-FOUNDERS

Legal name

The Northern Ireland Science Park Foundation Limited

Website

https://wearecatalyst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Co-Founders is an 11-week part-time pre-accelerator programme for first-time entrepreneurs and early-stage startups, operated by Catalyst in Northern Ireland. Since 2017 it has formed 100 teams across 7 cohorts, awarding £10,000 proof-of-concept grants with support from the Department for the Economy and Innovate UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Development Programme

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship programmes
• Startup pre-accelerator
• Early-stage founders
• Proof of concept funding
• Business mentoring programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workspace and Facilities Rental: Catalyst generates revenue from providing agile workspace and facilities to tenants, including startups, scale-ups, and large corporations. The surplus generated is reinvested into the entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem.
2. Programme and Membership Services: Catalyst offers entrepreneurship programmes, membership services, and support activities for innovators and entrepreneurs. The organization operates as a not-for-profit, reinvesting all surplus into community-led ecosystem development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CO-FOUNDERS is an 11-week part-time pre-accelerator programme for first-time entrepreneurs and early-stage startups based in Northern Ireland, operated by Catalyst (Northern Ireland Science Park). It brings together individuals from technical and commercial backgrounds to develop product ideas in technology, engineering and science, providing structured training, mentorship, and access to £10,000 proof of concept grants from the Department for the Economy and Innovate UK.

Product overview

Catalyst is an independent, non-profit science and technology hub providing a comprehensive innovation ecosystem in Northern Ireland. The organization offers multiple interconnected programmes: Co-Founders (an 11-week pre-accelerator for first-time entrepreneurs), Hello Possible (MIT-based entrepreneurship development), Springboard (20-week accelerator), Way to Scale (MIT-linked scaling programme), INVENT (annual innovation competition), and Stryve (inclusive youth programme). Physical infrastructure includes workspaces at Belfast (Titanic Quarter, Bedford Street) and Derry/Londonderry, with the recently launched Bedford Street hub in partnership with Deloitte.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Co-Founders Programme An 11-week part-time pre-accelerator programme for first-time entrepreneurs and early-stage startups in Northern Ireland that helps individuals from technical and commercial backgrounds develop new product ideas focused on technology, engineering and science. Participants receive mentorship, business training, and access to £10,000 proof of concept grants.
• Co-Founders North West A North West regional variant of the Co-Founders programme delivered at the Catalyst Innovation Centre at Fort George in Derry, providing proof of concept grants of £10,000 from Innovate UK to early-stage startup teams in the North West region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% progression rate into employment, further education, or training for Stryve programme participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Partnership to establish Catalyst Bedford Street innovation hub within Deloitte's Belfast headquarters at The Ewart Building. Deloitte provides physical space while Catalyst manages the startup coworking space. Aligns with Deloitte's regional strategy for fostering collaboration and innovation.
• NOW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Award-winning social enterprise operating the cafe at Catalyst Bedford Street. Provides training placements for individuals with disabilities in hospitality and catering. Long-standing partnership with Deloitte expanding to include Catalyst.
• Bank of Ireland UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadline partner for the INVENT Awards competition for multiple years. Provides sponsorship, business expertise, and financial advice to programme participants. Supports innovation and entrepreneurship across Northern Ireland.
• Ulster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for research collaborations and technology transfer. Partnership announced November 2025 to empower future innovators.
• Queen's University BelfastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for research collaborations and student innovation programmes.
• FujitsuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology corporation partner providing expertise and support for the innovation ecosystem.
• Solid SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing design and engineering software expertise to the ecosystem.
• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner supporting the innovation ecosystem through various initiatives.
• NovaUCDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin-based startup hub also recognized in FT Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs ranking. Part of the broader island of Ireland innovation ecosystem.
• FurthrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin-based startup hub also recognized in FT Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs ranking. Collaborator in strengthening Ireland's startup support ecosystem.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NovaUCD: Dublin-based startup hub co-recognized with Catalyst in the FT Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs ranking. Operates a comparable accelerator/innovation model serving Ireland, making it the closest geographic peer for Co-Founders.
• Furthr: Dublin-based startup hub also ranked alongside Catalyst in the FT Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs list. Provides parallel pre-accelerator and accelerator services to Irish founders, directly comparable to Co-Founders' role in NI.
• Dogpatch Labs: Dublin-based startup hub and accelerator space operated by Polaris Partners. Comparable in operating a physical innovation campus combined with accelerator programming for early-stage founders on the island of Ireland.

Broad incumbents

• Mass Challenge: Global non-profit startup accelerator operating multiple programs across geographies. Comparable in its non-profit, cohort-based, equity-free accelerator model that Co-Founders also follows.
• Techstars: World's largest pre-seed/seed investor and accelerator network running 50+ programs worldwide. Comparable in accelerator structure, though investor-backed rather than non-profit like Catalyst.
• SETsquared Partnership: University-linked UK startup incubator network (Surrey, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter, Bath). Comparable in operating a portfolio of regional accelerators with academic and corporate partnerships similar to Catalyst's Ulster/QUB ties.
• Wayra (Telefónica): Corporate-operated global startup accelerator (owned by Telefónica). Comparable as a corporate-backed accelerator model; relevant given Catalyst's growing corporate partner network (Deloitte, NVIDIA, Microsoft).
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): US-based innovation campus operator offering co-location, labs, and accelerator services. Directly comparable to Catalyst's workspace-plus-programme model and FT-recognized workspace quality.
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub combining startup programming, workspace, and corporate partnerships. Comparable as a non-profit regional innovation hub with similar scope of entrepreneur support programmes.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting 1,000+ startups and dozens of partner programmes. Comparable as a large-scale hub offering workspace plus accelerator programmes in a single physical location.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CatalystNI_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCshu3SC-dZsPLuMAUoieRbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatalystNI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catalyst-ni
• Instagraminstagram.com/catalystni

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments16 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CO-FOUNDERS