WEALTH June 28, 2026 0 Comments

NCI Students Unveil Game-Changing AI Startups at Citi-Backed Dragons’ Den—Who Will Snag the Million-Dollar Breakthrough?

Ever wonder if your texts could get a bit less cryptic and a lot more on point? Well, a sharp squad of master’s students from the National College of Ireland just nailed it with an AI-powered communication platform that’s shaking up the way digital conversations flow. Picture this: a tool that deciphers ambiguous messages on the fly, handing you clarity and context before you even hit reply — game-changing, right? This isn’t just another tech gimmick; it’s a breakthrough with real muscle, especially for neurodivergent folks and non-native English speakers, making digital chatter clearer and way more accessible. Crowned winners of the Citi upStart programme, these brains spent the year hustling through hackathons and expert mentorship, culminating in a fierce Dragons’ Den-style showdown at Citi’s Dublin HQ. If you’re into the future of communication and the grind behind tech start-ups, this story’s got your name on it. LEARN MORE.

A team of National College of Ireland (NCI) master’s students has won this year’s Citi upStart programme after impressing judges with an AI-powered communication platform designed to make digital conversations clearer and more accessible.

The annual initiative, run jointly by NCI and Citi, supports postgraduate computing students in developing technology start-ups as part of their master’s degrees.

The programme concluded with a Dragons’ Den-style pitching competition at Citi‘s European headquarters in Dublin on 24 June, where 10 student teams presented their business ideas to a panel of industry experts.

The students spent the academic year refining their concepts through hackathons and mentoring from Citi employees, with the strongest projects progressing to the final.

This year’s overall winner was Team Cognize, whose platform acts as an AI-powered communication layer that interprets ambiguous messages and tasks in real time, providing users with greater clarity and context before they respond.

The judges said the technology had broad appeal, particularly for neurodivergent users and non-native English speakers, while also offering benefits for anyone seeking clearer communication.

The platform is designed to integrate with major communication tools.

Team Cognize comprises NCI master’s students Amit Gupta, Joe Loftus, Annie Milka, Seejal Killedar, Chetan Panchal and Sabhyata Kumari.

Dr Anu Sahni, Programme Director for the MSc in Data Analytics, AI for Business and Knowledge Transfer Champion at NCI, praised the standard of this year’s entries and the support provided by industry partners.

“I’m proud to see the commitment and talent of NCI students showcased through Citi upStart,” she said.

“Congratulations to the winning teams and well done to all who participated and worked hard to be here today.

“Thank you to Citi for facilitating the mentorship throughout the programme which plays an important role in shaping the next generation of technologists.”

Sahni also thanked technology company Mphasis for joining the initiative and supporting the students.

Mphasis participated in this year’s event as a prize sponsor and member of the judging panel, bringing additional expertise to the evaluation process alongside Citi.

Davinia Conlan, Country Head for Citi Ireland, said the programme reflects the company’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Citi upStart demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovation and the development of future entrepreneurial talent,” she said.

“The creativity and dedication shown by these students, supported by our mentors, underlines the importance of bridging academic ideas with real-world impact.”

Professor Paul Stynes, Dean of NCI’s School of Computing, said the partnership continues to provide valuable opportunities for students to develop commercial skills while tackling real-world challenges.

“Our long-standing partnership with Citi gives NCI students invaluable opportunities to develop their skills, work on real-world challenges and bring innovative ideas to life,” he said.

Rohit Jayachandran of Mphasis added that the competition highlighted how AI and other emerging technologies can be applied to solve practical business and societal challenges while helping develop the next generation of technology talent.