Business

Record number of entrants for 2019 Digital DNA Awards

Pictured are: Simon Bailie, CEO of Digital DNA; Sean Devlin, associate director at MCS Group, and Louise Smyth, managing director at MCS Group.
Pictured are: Simon Bailie, CEO of Digital DNA; Sean Devlin, associate director at MCS Group, and Louise Smyth, managing director at MCS Group.

A RECORD number of entrants have been whittled down to a final shortlist for the 2019 Digital DNA Awards.

The awards recognise the companies and individuals which are excelling in the world of technology, with this year's high-calibre shortlist featuring the best and brightest in the north.

Finalists in the coveted Company of the Year category include heavyweights Kainos, Novosco and Allstate, as well as Dawson Andrews, See Sense and Whitespace.

It is one of 13 categories, with all the winners to be announced at the awards evening, being held in St Anne's Cathedral on March 28.

Shortlisted companies and individuals will also receive complementary passes to Digital DNA 2019, taking place in Belfast's St George's Market on June 18 and 19.

Victoria Shanks, global head of Kx Services at First Derivatives and one of the judges for the awards said the calibre of entries has been extremely high.

“We knew there is a rich seam of entrepreneurial tech talent in Northern Ireland but this year’s entries have really blown us away," she said.

"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."

Simon Bailie, CEO of Digital DNA added: “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 technology sector in Northern Ireland and let the world see the brilliant individuals and businesses we have here.”

The full list of shortlisted finalists are:

:: App of the Year

TakeTen Ltd - Relaxit

Origin Digital - Smart Care Doc

Scaffold Digital - IPA 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

Kainos

Novosco

Options IT

Rakuten

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

Joe Boyle - Salt DNA

Paddy O'Hagan - Neueda

Tara Simpson - Instil Software

:: Digital Project of the Year

Danske - Data Intelligence

Education Authority - Pupil Transport System

Liberty - Workgrid Assistant

Neueda - DAERA

TYSS - Apple Pay

Whitespace – Colinked

:: 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

Sophie McDonald - Options IT