Local duo's company graduates from accelerator programme for green start-ups
Nine of Ireland’s leading green innovators have successfully completed Bord na Móna’s 2025 Accelerate Green Grow programme, which culminated with a showcase at the Accelerate Green Conference 2025 at the Tullamore Court Hotel, on Thursday.
Delivered by Bord na Móna in conjunction with Resolve Partners, the Accelerate Green programme is a flagship accelerator supporting early-stage enterprises and SMEs at the forefront of climate action and sustainability.
Circular Food Co. run by brother and sister duo Ruairi and Niamh Dooley from Ballykeeran was part of the programme. It is based on Church Road, Tullamore.
Circular Food Co are committed to reducing food waste by repurposing nutrient-rich by-products that would otherwise be discarded. They do this by upcycling spent grain from brewing into sustainable, high-value food ingredients. The goal is to address food waste while providing food manufacturers with environmentally friendly ingredient solutions that not only improve their products but also help them meet their sustainability targets, lower carbon footprints and meet CSRD goals.
The other companies in the programme were Easydry, BioSense, Watt Footprint, Plaswire, The Planted Way, Novelplast, JTM Energy, and Pulse Market.
Since the launch of the 2025 Accelerate Green Grow programme in January, the nine participating businesses have taken part in an eight-module series of intensive workshops and mentoring sessions. These engagements connected them with leaders from enterprise and energy agencies, Irish-founded companies, research networks, and the investment community. Participants also benefited from tailored networking and business development opportunities through direct engagement with senior leaders across Bord na Móna.
The total number of sustainable Irish businesses supported by the programme since its launch in 2022 is 60.
The Accelerate Green Conference 2025, themed Energy and Policy, brought together more than 250 attendees who are passionate about sustainability, strengthening Ireland’s energy resilience and advancing innovation. During the conference, the nine participating businesses of the 2025 Accelerate Green Grow programme showcased their innovative business solutions to a national audience. Keynote addresses included Bord na Móna Chief Executive Tom Donnellan, along with Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien and global expert and financier in Energy Transition, Gerard Reid.
Commenting on the success of Accelerate Green 2025, Bord na Móna Chief Executive Tom Donnellan said: “As a company that has undergone a major transformation, Bord na Móna is now established as a renewable energy leader in the Irish market. We understand the challenges and opportunities that come with meaningful change, which is why we remain deeply committed to the Accelerate Green programme. By sharing our experience and expertise, we aim to support the next generation of innovators on their own growth journeys.