Health food venture company wins UCD’s 2017 start-up programme for students

Oisin McElhinney and Jack Parsons, co-founders, O’Kale Krisps, overall winner of the 2017 UCD Start-Up Stars Programme (Photo: Nick Bradshaw, Fotonic)

Ellie Donnelly

O’Kale Krisps has won the UCD’s 2017 start-up programme for students, receiving a cash prize of €3k.

The early-stage food venture has developed low-calorie, highly nutritious and air-dried kale crisps to give consumers a healthy snack alternative.

O’Kale Krisps, which was founded by UCD undergraduate students, Jack Parsons and Oisin McElhinney, is currently selling its products in 28 stores across Ireland.

“We want to build a community around healthy food, healthy body and mind to help people live a happier life. We hope to have O’Kale Krisps available in stores in all corners of Ireland by the end of the year,” Mr. Parsons said.

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The UCD start-up programme, now in its third year, has been developed by UCD Research and Innovation, the UCD Innovation Academy and UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, to support UCD undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop and grow start-up companies.

“I would like to congratulate the founders of O’Kale Krisps on winning the 2017 UCD Startup Stars Programme and I would like to applaud all the students who participated in this year’s programme,” Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said.