Frustrations with robot lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners spurred ACORNS alumni and Cork-based entrepreneur Clara Mulligan to start HomeBot Ireland.
Clara Mulligan and her husband Alan O’Neill relocated to Cork during the COVID-19 pandemic to be closer to family. During this time the plans for her business, HomeBot Ireland began to take shape.
Clara noticed a household routine of grass cutting was becoming difficult for her father-in-law. Wanting to make life easier for everyone, she focused on a modern solution – robotic lawnmowers.
“The help and support from fellow participants was beneficial as I continued to develop as a business owner”
After buying a robot vacuum, which ended up breaking soon after it arrived, Clara became frustrated with the lack of customer support received from the international supplier. It was this experience that led her to develop her idea of a robotics company that stood over its products and supported its customers – creating HomeBot Ireland which sold its first robot in June 2024.
Mulligan is a graduate of the ACORNS rural women entrepreneurship programme. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme, generating 60 jobs. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
Automating the household
Combining their skillsets in AI Technology and business, Clara and chief technology officer Alan have now created a full range of products designed specifically for Irish homes ranging from AI-powered lawnmowers, robot vacuums and mops.
So far, 2026 has been a successful year for Clara and her business. She was named as the 2026 STEM Professional at the Network Ireland West Cork Awards before being announced as the 2026 Rising Star at the Tech Excellence Awards in May. She is also shortlisted in the Business Person of the Year category at the upcoming Chambers Ireland Awards. As well as this, HomeBot Ireland is a finalist in the Best New Business category at the same awards.
Clara sees the ACORNS programme as invaluable, with regular peer meetings giving her something to work towards, providing business updates at monthly meetings.
“The help and support from fellow participants was beneficial as I continued to develop as a business owner.
“Today, HomeBot Ireland’s products are stocked online and in large retail outlets nationwide, with plans to move into the European market ongoing.”
Clara also plans to move into the commercial market as her exciting business goes from strength to strength.
Do you have what it takes to join ACORNS?
Applications have opened for ACORNS 12, the next phase of the programme for early-stage female business founders.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
ACORNS 12 will run from October 2026 to April 2027 and is open to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023. Up to 50 places are available. Participation is free of charge, supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of Lead Entrepreneurs from across rural Ireland.
This year’s Lead Entrepreneurs include Alison Ritchie of Polar Ice, Geraldine Jones of Skin Formulas, Karen Kerrigan of Kerrigan’s Mushrooms, Larissa Feeney of Kinore, Mary B Walsh of Ire Wel Pallets, Orla Leahy of Ireland Chauffeur Travel and Triona MacGiolla Rí of Aró Digital Strategies.
Applications for ACORNS 12 will remain open until midnight on September 18. To apply, click here
Eligibility Criteria for participation on ACORNS
To be considered for ACORNS, applicants must:
- Have set up a new business which has generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023 or be actively planning a new venture and have made good progress towards getting the new venture off the ground. Indicators of actively planning a business would include organising the start-up team, sourcing equipment / facilities, money saved for the start-up, writing the business plan, etc.
- They must own or part-own the business and be living in a rural area, that is in an area outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
- If selected, applicants must be available to attend the launch Forum and first round table session on October 19 and 20, 2026.
- They must expect to become an employer within three years.
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