Online start-up makes Endeavour Project shortlist

A new online business founded by a Mullingar native has been chosen to participate in a prestigious mentoring programme for Ireland's most promising techie start-ups.Founded by Irishtown native, David Nohilly, Laro Dispute Resolution Limited is an online dispute resolution provider for cross border e-commerce transactions. Although still in its infancy, the firm has a lot of potential as it saw off the challenge of more than 600 other applicants to be chosen as one of the 14 firms to participate in the 2011 Endeavour Project.The programme, which was first rolled out last year, provides budding entrepreneurs with the tools needed to turn their business ideas into commercial reality.As part of the selection process, over the last seven months solicitor David and his fellow applicants have received individual and group mentoring from some of Ireland's finest online business brains, and refined their presentation skills by pitching their plans to industry experts, who then provided feedback.Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, David, who is currently juggling his day job in Tullamore with the increasing demands from his new venture, said the entire process has been exhausting but invaluable."I'm a different person from when I started. In the last week in September and first week in October, we (the 14 Endeavour finalists) are travelling to London and Silicone Valley to pitch our business plans to venture capitalists. All of the work has been preparing for this."