PorterShed pilots virtual accelerator with MyBertie.ai to sharpen founders’ PSSF bids. 6-week programme aims to boost investment readiness across the west of Ireland.
PorterShed has launched a virtual accelerator to help early-stage tech founders prepare competitive applications for Enterprise Ireland’s Pre-Seed Start Fund.
The pilot, developed with Irish venture-builder platform MyBertie.ai and supported by the Western Development Commission, opens applications today to companies based across the west of Ireland.
“Working with MyBertie’s AI powered venture building platform provides a timely opportunity to get Irish tech founders PSSF-ready in a self-paced, structured hybrid environment which will translate early traction into a compelling PSSF application”
The six-week programme, “Get PSSF Ready with PorterShed x Bertie”, begins on 23 March and blends PorterShed’s startup launch track with mentorship, peer learning and founder interviews.
Participants will also receive full access to MyBertie’s AI-enabled copilot to structure market validation and investment materials. Each team will be assigned a dedicated mentor and work to a fixed sprint designed to refine commercial strategy, validate market opportunity and strengthen investor narratives. As part of the pilot, companies commit to submitting a PSSF application within two weeks of completing the sprint.
Maximising momentum
The initiative is targeted at tech founders with digital innovation at their core who have already completed primary customer discovery and can point to early traction. Final intake closes on 4 May, allowing founders to complete the full programme before the pilot concludes on 12 June. Off-ramp support will continue until the end of June.
Rosemary Gallagher, Programmes Lead at PorterShed, said the collaboration is about helping founders turn momentum into fundable cases.
“At PorterShed, our focus has always been to support the creation and scale of globally focused innovation-driven enterprises. Working with MyBertie’s AI powered venture building platform provides a timely opportunity to get Irish tech founders PSSF-ready in a self-paced, structured hybrid environment which will translate early traction into a compelling PSSF application.
“The partnership between MyBertie and PorterShed is a natural fit, we are both focused on helping founders better articulate and accelerate the thing they know best – their business.”
Philip Reynolds, chief executive of MyBertie.ai, said the pilot is intended to compress the time to investment readiness.
“At myBertie.ai our job is to help founders. Combining our own life experiences with our powerful AI Co-Pilot platform Bertie, designed specifically for start-ups, we aim to expedite the journey, accelerating the venture in a more efficient and cost effective way. We are delighted to partner with Portershed in what will be the first virtual pilot of its type in Ireland. I congratulate them on their vision and determination in providing the best support for new businesses in the West of Ireland. Delivering results is what’s important to us. Working with the team at PorterShed, we believe we can help create the next generation of global tech businesses in the West.”
The Western Development Commission is backing the pilot as part of its long-term effort to deepen the pipeline of investable companies in the region.
Allan Mullroney, the WDC’s chief executive, said founders in the west often require structured support to be ready when capital becomes available. “One of the consistent challenges we see across the region, particularly outside Galway, is not a lack of ambition or ideas, but a lack of companies that are fully investment-ready at the point capital becomes available. If we want to see more indigenous tech companies scale from places like Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo and Clare, we have to strengthen the pipeline much earlier.
“This programme is important because it focuses on the long-term view. It helps founders translate early traction into strong, credible funding applications, and that ultimately builds a deeper bench of investable companies across the West. For the Western Development Commission, backing initiatives like this is about ensuring that five and ten years from now, we have a broader, more geographically balanced cohort of high-potential businesses ready to grow and create jobs in their own communities.”
By piloting MyBertie’s platform in a regional context, PorterShed aims to test digital venture-building tools with real founders and real timelines. The approach couples structured sprints and mentorship with a requirement to file live PSSF applications, creating a defined pathway from discovery to submission.
Applications are open now through PorterShed, with eligibility criteria available here.
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