Congratulations to the WeScale Graduates of cohort 1 and cohort 2, check out the photo gallery of our celebrations below.

WeScale Founder Showcase

WeScale: A community of ambitious scaling founders

A note from Clare McGee

Co-Founder & CEO, AwakenHub & AwakenAngels

You did it. Actually did it

Not in the “ticked a box and got a certificate” way. In the real way. The turn-up -when-you’re-exhausted, do-the-work-when nobody’s-watching, keep-going-when-you-questioned everything kind of way. Thirty-three companies. Two jurisdictions. One island. Two unstoppable cohorts. This is what all-island looks like in practice, not a phrase in a funding application, but thirty-five founders from north and south, sitting in the same room, doing the same hard work, building businesses with the same global ambition. That in itself is something worth celebrating today. You chose to invest in yourself at a level most people never will. You showed up, travelled and invested your time in participating on WeScale, and you didn’t just survive it. You grew inside it.

To our delivery partners, Professor Steffi Hussels, Martin Spiller of Cranfield University and our AwakenHub team, Denise, Maria, and Niamh, thank you all for bringing world-class thinking to the delivery and treating every woman in this cohort with the intellectual respect she deserved. You made this feel like more than a programme. You made it feel like belonging.

To the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI, thank you for understanding that women with global ambition deserve global-standard support. The cross-border model you backed here is proof that when both sides of this island move together, we go further.

Before you leave the island today, a few things to take with you:

• Use what you’ve learned. Now, not someday. Put it into practical action before the glow of today fades.

• No monkeys. You know exactly which ones. Leave them here.

• Trust your gut. It’s been right more than you’ve given it credit for. Stay true to yourself, your business and what you know.

• Keep the grit. The programme is over. The hard parts of building are not. You’ve proven you have what it takes, don’t put it down and remember the AwakenHub community is here for you.

• Pay it forward. Every one of you has something another woman founder needs. Don’t hoard it. Pass it on. That’s how this ecosystem grows, and that’s how we all go further, faster.

We’re so proud of you. Not just of what you’ve built, of who you’re becoming in the building of it. The world needs what you’re creating. Go make it impossible to ignore!

Keep showing up.

Clare x

A message from the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme

Barbara Orr

Director of Enterprise Development at InterTradeIreland.

Congratulations to WeScale Graduates

On behalf of InterTradeIreland and our Shared Island Enterprise Scheme Partners, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland, I am delighted to congratulate all the women founders who have graduated from the WeScale programme.

This is a significant achievement that reflects your ambition, resilience and commitment to scaling your business - something that once, may not have felt possible. That commitment and drive are a testament to your dedication and leadership and will propel you into the next stage of success for your business.

The Women’s Entrepreneurship suite of programmes, funded by the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, was established to support ambitious women in growing, innovating, and scaling their businesses across the island of Ireland. These businesses play a vital role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and shaping the future of our economy.

As participants conclude the WeScale programme, we hope that the connections that have been made and the networks that have been built will help to create opportunities, spark ideas and provide support well beyond today.

Congratulations to all graduates, we look forward to following your continued success.

WeScale Meet the Founders from Cohort 1 and Cohort 2

WeScale is a scaling initiative that supports women founders in strategically and sustainably scaling their businesses. The programme combines world-class learning delivered by AwakenHub, in collaboration with Cranfield University, bespoke mentoring, and access to corporate and investor networks. Across the island of Ireland, 33 ambitious women entrepreneurs are redefining what sustainable business growth looks like. Representing a wide range of industries, these founders are united by innovation, resilience and a shared commitment to scaling their businesses strategically.

From Belfast to Cork, Galway to Dublin, Wicklow to Donegal, the WeScale community reflects true all-island collaboration. Today, we are proud to introduce the founders and businesses shaping this powerful community of women entrepreneurs. Together, they form a vibrant community of founders driving economic growth, job creation and all island collaboration.

The WeScale all-island programme, led by InterTradeIreland in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, is part of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, funded by the Government of Ireland. The delivery partner for WeScale is AwakenHub.

Meet The Founders

WeScale Now Open For Applications

Applications are now open for WeScale Cohort 3, a transformational scaling programme designed specifically for women founders who are serious about growing their businesses, strengthening their leadership capabilities, and preparing for investment.

More Than a Programme – A Community

One of the most valuable aspects of WeScale is the community that founders join.

Participants become part of a growing network of women entrepreneurs from across the island of Ireland who are committed to supporting one another through the realities of scaling a business. The relationships developed through the programme often continue long after graduation, creating opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and mutual support.

As previous participants have demonstrated, scaling can feel less daunting when you have trusted peers walking the journey alongside you.

Who Should Apply?

WeScale is designed for women founders leading established businesses with clear growth ambitions.

Whether you are preparing to enter new markets, scale operations, grow your team, or position your business for investment, WeScale provides the structure, expertise and network to help you take the next step.

Learn more