Scaling Case Study: Julie Connelly, Founder & CEO, AIMapit
Mapping the future with a new support network
Dr Julie Connelly is the founder of AIMapit, a computer vision spin-out from Trinity College Dublin. After having the vision to create the company, Julie wanted to build on her authority and ability to lead it. Learn how through AwakenHub’s SheScale’s programme she quietened imposter syndrome, increased her confidence, and found the strategic know-how she needed to lead AIMapit into delivering paid pilots across the UK and Europe and raising her first seed round to scale operations.
Transitions
Julie Connelly is the founder of AIMapit, a computer vision spin-out from Trinity College Dublin building automated mapping software for roadside infrastructure. Analysing street-level imagery, the platform identifies and geolocates roadside assets with sub-meter accuracy and 95%+ recall, enabling accelerated infrastructure upgrades critical to decarbonisation. But behind the innovation and solid research career was a first-time founder grappling with imposter syndrome and a steep transition from academia to entrepreneurship.
Before : The quiet doubt
“Going from an academic setting to startup life was incredibly isolating. I was so used to working with and being part of large teams in busy environments. Without that feedback loop from colleagues, I began to constantly question my ability to lead a company,” Julie says.
Despite having a highly technical product and traction through paid pilots in Europe and the UK, Julie began to feel the emotional toll of being a solo founder. Transitioning from academia to leading a tech company had left her questioning her abilities, particularly around leadership and being the face of the company. “Imposter syndrome was a big issue. I knew I was good at my research ‘day job’ but didn’t know if I was cut out to be a CEO,” she says.
Why scaling support with AwakenHub?
“I was searching for reassurance, confidence, and connection. A community that would allow me to grow both personally and professionally. When I saw the SheScales programme and asked around about AwakenHub, I knew it felt different. It was more targeted, more personal, and more understanding of the unique challenges we as women founders face. I’d also heard it wasn’t just a talking shop and that I would get a lot of tangible benefits out of it for me and the business.”
During SheScales: A safe space
It wasn’t long after joining that Julie realised she had found the safe space she had been craving and the place to begin to build the confidence she had been missing. Through honest conversations with other women founders, many of whom were in different sectors and at different stages than her, Julie began to shift how she saw herself. “Hearing their stories helped me realise I wasn’t alone and that nobody has all the answers. You just need to turn up and give it your best shot. That simple realisation gave me permission to lead as I am and to take time out of the day-to-day running of the company to be clear on my goals and my vision for us.”
For Julie, her biggest shift wasn’t a lightbulb moment, but a gradual transformation. After undertaking each aspect of the programme, which is accredited and delivered in association with the renowned Cranfield University Management School, she says she began to realise that leadership doesn’t require perfection, it requires clarity, connection, and courage: “Through sessions focused on mindset, vision-setting, and peer support, I began to gain a deeper understanding of my own leadership strengths, confidence to delegate and trust others, and the tools to balance our business goals with my personal values, all at a pace that was realistic. It helped me see that the business and personal goals are linked and that’s not something I had taken the time to reflect on before.”
After SheScales: Mapping a bright future
Since completing the programme, AIMapit has begun raising a seed round and gaining traction with commercial pilots in Europe and the UK. But perhaps the most meaningful change is internal. Julie is now confidently leading the company, making decisions rooted in both business needs and her personal sense of purpose. “Thanks to SheScales, I’m 100% clear on the strategic direction of the company. I’m now embracing my role as CEO and am no longer reluctant to be the public face of my company. I now enjoy actively networking and seeking connections that will help scale AIMapit and expand into new markets. Thanks to the AwakenHub community, many of those doors are also already open to me.”
AwakenHub: A strong sisterhood
For Julie, one of the lasting benefits of SheScales is the support network it created for her. Julie describes it as empowering, honest, and available. “I love the support the other women founders have given me. If I had a problem, I could call any one of them and I’d get an honest answer. And vice versa. As a founder, there are still moments of doubt, but I no longer have that horrible sense of isolation.”
AIMapit: The road ahead
With AIMapit scaling and a seed round underway, Julie is now preparing to explore the UK, European, and later US markets, with new confidence. “SheScales opened my eyes to what’s possible, and it’s really inspired me to seize every opportunity. It’s also allowed me to realise I have an important role to play in encouraging other women in tech and deeptech to avail of opportunities like this. They can only gain. Whether it’s from the connections, the support, the encouragement, or the resources. AwakenHub is for women. No barriers.”
Julie’s advice to any woman founder considering joining the AwakenHub community?
“Do it. You don’t have to have all the answers. Just start with who you are and let the rest grow from there.”
For further information on AwakenHub’s range of supports for women founders visit www.awakenhub.com/shescales
