Stelios Foundation awards €500,000 to cross-border entrepreneurs
The North-South Business Co-operation Awards rewards eleven businesses spanning farming technology, food and healthcare secure awards
Belfast watchmaker Nomadic Watches takes €150,000 top prize
Monaghan – 28th October 2026: Belfast watchmaker Nomadic Watches, which sells to customers in more than 45 countries and counts Dublin’s Weir & Sons among its retail partners, has won the €150,000 top prize at this year’s Stelios North-South Business Cooperation Awards. The company leads a group of entrepreneurs sharing €500,000 in cash awards for building businesses with customers, suppliers and commercial partnerships on both sides of the border.
Creator and owner of the easy family of brands – including easyJet.com, easyHotel.com and many others (see www.easy.com and www.easyHistory.info), and founder and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation (see stelios.foundation and stelios.ie), Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, presented the awards at the Awards ceremony in Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan today (28th October 2026). Now in their second year, the Awards attracted over 90 applications from businesses from across the island of Ireland.
A total of €500,000 in cash prizes was awarded: one Gold Award of €150,000, two Silver Awards of €100,000 each, and six Bronze Awards of €25,000 each.
Winner of the Gold Award in this year’s series of the North-South Business Cooperation Awards, Nomadic Watches, was founded in Belfast in 2021. The watchmaker combines Swiss mechanical excellence with Belfast-based assembly and quality control to create luxury timepieces inspired by Ireland’s stories and heritage. With ambitions to become the world’s leading Irish watch brand, the company serves its worldwide customers through its Belfast flagship store and watchmaking workshop, e-commerce platform and retail partners.
Two Silver Awards of €100,000 were also presented. Irish agricultural technology company MartEye, whose digital platform connects farmers with more than 120 livestock auction centres across Ireland and the UK, received one of the awards. The second €100,000 Silver Award was jointly awarded to Northern Ireland-based garden centre and café Langtry Lane Ltd and Irish frozen dessert producer Dae Ice Cream, recognising their cross-border business partnership.
A further six Bronze Awards of €25,000 recognised businesses spanning engineering, healthcare, recycling technology, drinks, food and support for mobile food entrepreneurs.
Founder and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, said: “It is a real pleasure to return to Ireland for the second year of these awards to celebrate another exceptional group of entrepreneurs. This year’s winners reflect the wealth of talent and enterprise on both sides of the border and the potential that comes from doing business on an all-island basis.
I am especially pleased to recognise our Gold Award winner, Nomadic Watches, whose success demonstrates the value of cooperation between Northern Ireland and Ireland. I warmly congratulate all this year’s winners and hope their achievements serve as encouragement to other entrepreneurs to forge new partnerships, grow their businesses and embrace opportunities across the island of Ireland.”
Stephen Dallas, Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland, which partnered on the initiative, added: “This year’s winners are a powerful example of what can be achieved when entrepreneurs see opportunity across the whole island. Through their ambition, creativity and commitment, they are growing successful businesses while strengthening commercial connections between North and South. Their achievements underline the enormous potential of greater cross-border cooperation and provide an example for businesses with ambitions to grow beyond their home market.”
Peter McAuley founder of Nomadic Watches added: “Winning €150,000 in the North-South Business Cooperation Awards is a tremendous milestone for Nomadic Watches and it’s an opportunity to continue expanding on the vision that began in Belfast in 2021: to create a brand rooted in storytelling, design, and the industrial spirit of the city. We look forward to continuing to establish Nomadic as one of the world’s leading watch brands, bringing Ireland’s stories and heritage to clients around the world.
Our cross-border partnership with Weir and Sons has played an important role in our growth. This connection has helped us to reach new clients, increase our sales, while supporting employment in Belfast and Dublin. The prize will support our production capacity and retail expansion, helping us to reach new markets, and to tell our story globally.
We’re grateful to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for recognising our achievements and supporting our next stage of growth, and we look forward to building on this momentum as Nomadic Watches continues to grow.”
To learn more about the awards, visit www.stelios.ie and www.stelios.foundation.
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Media contact: Lorraine Higgins | Lorraine@rockwood.ie |+353 87 9034883
EDITORS NOTES
About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
Sir Stelios, who founded easyJet in 1994, is the creator and owner of the easy family of brands. Via his private company, easyGroup, he has become one of the world’s leading philanthropists. easyGroup donates more than half of its annual profits to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. The total cumulative giving by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and easyGroup to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation since 2010 amounts to 138 million euros. The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation supports a diverse range of charitable activities, primarily in places where the founder has lived and worked – the UK, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France and Monaco.
About the North-South Business Cooperation Awards
The North-South Business Cooperation Awards Ireland celebrate outstanding cross-border entrepreneurship on the island of Ireland. Backed by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and inspired by similar award initiatives in Cyprus, Greece and the UK, the Awards recognise entrepreneurs whose ventures bridge the communities of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. With a total prize fund of €500,000, the Awards offer both recognition and tangible support to foster innovation, job creation and lasting cooperation. The initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader mission to give back to society in places where Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his family have lived and worked.
The winners were selected by Sir Stelios from a competitive field of 91 applicants. Eligible companies were required to demonstrate significant cross-border economic activity, including a customer base in both markets, achieve a minimum annual turnover of €200,000/£160,000, and employ at least three other staff members, not including the owner. Preference was given to joint applications from two companies collaborating on a cross-border business initiative.
About the Award Winners
Silver Awards (€100,000 each):
- MartEye Ltd: Founded in 2020, MartEye is an Irish technology company that connects farmers with livestock auctions through its mobile and web-based platforms. Serving more than 120 auction centres across Ireland and the UK, the company enables agricultural businesses to participate in auctions digitally, strengthening access to markets and supporting cross-border trade.
- Langtry Lane Ltd and Dae Ice Cream (Joint Silver Award): Langtry Lane is a family-owned garden centre and café in Northern Ireland, with the business sourcing approximately 85% of its shrubs and perennials from Irish growers. Dae Ice Cream, founded by Conor Sweeny, produces frozen desserts and Brazilian açaí products, supplying cafés and retailers across Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Langtry Lane now stocks Dae Ice Cream.
Bronze Awards, who received €25,000 each:
- Trident Project Engineering: An Irish engineering consultancy providing engineering and design services to pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company has recently commenced a project with Almac in Northern Ireland, supporting Trident’s expansion into the Northern Irish market.
- ADHD Now and Duality Healthcare (Joint Bronze Award): Founded in 2023, ADHD Now provides specialist ADHD assessments, treatment and support services for children and adults. Operating clinics in Dublin and Cork alongside a telehealth service, the company has expanded into Northern Ireland through a partnership with Duality Healthcare. Duality Healthcare is a Northern Ireland-based private healthcare provider offering GP-led primary care through its network of clinics and virtual GP services. Its services include GP consultations, diagnostic testing, health screening and specialist clinics, with a focus on making healthcare more accessible and convenient for individuals and families.
- REP-TEC: A Northern Ireland-based engineering and technology company serving the waste management and recycling sectors. Established in 2020, the business develops and supplies specialist recycling equipment and engineering solutions, working with customers and manufacturing partners across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and international markets, inlcuding partnerships with McDonald International and BigBin.
- X-LITE Beverages: Founded by Patrick Joyce and Oliver Feeney, X-LITE Beverages is a drinks business operating through companies registered in the Republic of Ireland and the UK. The business combines product development and manufacturing with plans for further commercial expansion across both markets.
- Chimac: Founded by Sofie Rooney, Chimac is a Dublin-based food business producing Korean-inspired sauces and condiments. The company has expanded its distribution to more than 900 retailers across Ireland, the UK and the EU, demonstrating the growth potential of Irish food brands in international markets.
- StreatSchool Ltd: Founded by Seán McCleary, StreatSchool supports entrepreneurs seeking to establish and grow mobile food businesses, providing practical training, advice, food trailers, branding and ongoing support. The company has helped establish more than 500 food businesses across Ireland.