“For a small Irish software company looking to grow beyond the domestic market, having that local support, advice and access to funding has made a genuine difference.”

Ignite Software is a young company on paper, but that’s not the whole story. For nearly 15 years Vadim Samsinovs and Nicholas Kent were part of the software team at HCS Business solutions. They were part of a spin off company in 2020 which they eventually bought out and rebranded as Ignite in 2024.

Since then they have been developing the next chapter of the business creating their own identity.

“Our core focus is bespoke software development. We build, modernise and support business-critical applications, primarily using Microsoft technologies and Microsoft Azure. A lot of our work comes from businesses that have outgrown off-the-shelf products or have older systems that no longer reflect how they operate.” Explains Nicholas.

“Our aim is to use technology to automate processes, reduce manual work and improve productivity, building solutions around how the business actually operates rather than expecting the business to adapt to the software.”

The Local Enterprise Office Waterford has supported Ignite at several important stages of its journey. It provided advice and support around establishing and developing the company, and was particularly helpful as Ignite became independent, needed more staff and went through the process of creating and launching its software brand.

Nicholas elaborated on the importance of the LEO supports, “As we have scaled, the LEO supported us through employment grants, helping us grow the team as our workload and client base increased. That support has been particularly valuable as we have expanded our customer operations and developed relationships with clients outside Ireland. For a small Irish software company looking to grow beyond the domestic market, having that local support, advice and access to funding has made a genuine difference.”

GradStart is an Irish funding and support program that helps small and medium-sized businesses hire college graduates for specific, project-based roles.

The initiative is run by Enterprise Ireland alongside Údarás na Gaeltachta and Local Enterprise Offices to boost innovation and growth in local companies.

Key Details

• Contract Length: 24-month (two-year) full-time contracts for graduates.
• Graduate Limits: Businesses can hire up to three graduates concurrently depending on the agency and company size.
• Minimum Qualification: Graduates must hold a minimum Level 6 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications or an equivalent.
• Eligible Roles: Project-based tasks such as product development, process improvements, and supply chain management (sales and marketing roles are excluded).

Funding Support

• Standard Funding: Up to €30,000 total (€15,000 per year) or 50% of salary costs, whichever is lower.

Nicholas commented on the future of AI within the industry, “Looking ahead, AI is going to change our industry significantly, but we see a lot of opportunity in that change. We are increasingly being asked by clients how AI can be incorporated into their existing applications and business processes. We see this becoming a natural part of software development, using AI where it provides genuine value to automate tasks, improve productivity, make better use of business data and ultimately help people spend less time on repetitive work.

“On one side, we can help existing clients introduce useful AI capabilities into the applications and processes they already rely on. On the other, as more businesses build prototypes and applications themselves using AI, there will be a growing need for experienced developers to review and secure them, prepare them for production, integrate them with other systems and provide ongoing development and support.”

Local Enterprise Office Waterford is here to help you start a business, expand an existing business or reach new markets. It provides advice, information and supports in starting up or growing your business as part of a network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices across Ireland. 

Contact your Local Enterprise Office Waterford for their latest training programmes, grants and events schedule on www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie for access to all their training support information.

To find out more about Ignite Software see, www.ignite.ie