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TECHIRELANDNATIONAL
AI
CHALLENGE2026

Akella inMotion

Blueprint

Part 04 of fourAfter.

The Challenge ended.
Now what?

The result was one day. The product, the team and the people you met can still go somewhere. Pick what is worth carrying forward, then give it the next thirty days.

Choose your next moveFind the next room

The result

One data point. Not a verdict.

A pitch result tells you how that presentation landed on that day. It cannot tell you whether customers need the product or whether this team should build together again. You have to find those answers outside the Challenge.

Won

Enjoy it. Then ask whether anyone needs what you built.

Made the final

The stage started conversations. Follow them up.

Did not make the list

The list is not a market test. Talk to the people with the problem.

The decision

What deserves the next month?

You can pursue the product, stay close to the people, or do both. Make the choice explicit so momentum turns into a calendar.

Route 01 · the product

Run with what you built.

Keep the smallest useful version alive. Replace pitch feedback with evidence from people who actually have the problem.

  1. 01Show it to ten people who have the problem.
  2. 02Ask about their current workaround, cost and willingness to pay.
  3. 03Fix what blocks use. Cut what nobody touches.
  4. 04Put the revised version in a real user’s hands within thirty days.

Decision gate: after ten conversations, can you name a buyer, an urgent problem and the next test? If not, change the idea or stop.

Route 02 · the people

Run with who you met.

A team that shipped under a deadline has learned something together. The people around the Challenge can open the next door too.

  1. 01Book a team debrief. Say what worked and what each person wants next.
  2. 02Message three people you met while the conversation is still fresh.
  3. 03Ask for one specific thing: an introduction, a critique or a first user.
  4. 04Go to one event and follow up with the people you actually spoke to.

Decision gate: pick one shared next step, even if the original product ends here.

The next thirty days

Give momentum a job.

You do not need a six-month plan this week. You need the next conversation, a small test and a date to decide again.

  1. This week

    Reconnect

    Message three people. Book the team debrief. Find ten potential users.

  2. Week 2

    Test the problem

    Have the conversations. Record the current workaround and the cost of doing nothing.

  3. Week 3

    Ship one change

    Improve the part that blocks real use. Put it in front of someone new.

  4. Week 4

    Choose again

    Continue, change direction or close the project. Keep the relationships either way.

Get in the room

Keep showing up.

Choose an event for the people and the conversations you want, then take a clear question with you. These are real upcoming rooms as of 29 September 2026.

2 to 9 October · Dublin

Dublin AI Week

A citywide programme of free community events. Pick one room where you can show the work and meet people building nearby.

Browse the events

3 October · Dublin

Hack for Humanity

A Dublin AI Week build event hosted by The AI Collective. A useful next room if you want to keep making things with other builders.

See the event

15 October · Dublin

ProductTank Dublin

A product community meetup on making better product decisions in the age of AI. Go with one decision you need help making.

See the meetup

Pressure Cooker takes place during Dublin AI Week, but its 2026 applications closed on 18 September. Check the event calendar for sessions you can still attend.

Find support

Ask for the right kind of help.

A grant, a programme and an introduction solve different problems. Start with the evidence you have, then choose the support that fits your stage.

Founder programme

New Frontiers

Enterprise Ireland’s nationwide founder programme. Phase 2 includes a €17,500 tax-free allowance for eligible participants, with no equity taken.

Next move: Check the calendar for your nearest location and the right phase.

Check local deadlines

Advice and grants

Local Enterprise Office

A local first stop for mentoring, training and grant eligibility. Feasibility and Priming grants have criteria, so start with a conversation.

Next move: Find your office and ask which support fits your current stage.

Find your local office

Women founders · applications close 30 October

WeBuild

A free, all-island programme delivered by TechFoundHer for women building tech-enabled enterprises. Cohort 4 starts in January 2027.

Next move: Check eligibility and apply by 12pm on 30 October.

Check eligibility

Programme dates and eligibility can change. Use each organiser’s page before applying or making plans.

Your move this week

Three things. Then reassess.

Message three people you met during the Challenge.

Book ten conversations with people who have the problem.

Pick one event or programme to explore next.

The Challenge was the way in. What you do next is yours.