Welcome to the March 2026 edition of Vikela’s monthly technology & business development newsletter.
It’s been another exciting and fast-paced month for Vikela, with recognition, international engagement, and continued growth across multiple fronts. 🚀 We hope our readers have had a great month and enjoy catching up on our latest updates 👏
With Easter just around the corner, we’d also like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers, partners, and supporters a very happy and restful Easter break 🐣
Belfast Telegraph Business Awards – Ulster Bank Pitch Competition Winners
We’re delighted to share that Vikela has been named winners of the Ulster Bank Pitch Competition at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards. This recognition marks an important milestone for the team and reflects the progress we’re making as we continue to pioneer advanced manufacturing in Northern Ireland — developing 3D-printed, lightweight protective solutions that push boundaries in both performance and sustainability.
We’re incredibly proud of our founder, Peter Gilleece, for leading this journey and driving innovation at every stage. A sincere thank you to the judges for their support and kind words, it’s an honour to have our technology recognised in this way. We would also like to congratulate fellow finalists Sarah McKegney, Aaron Carey, and Cormac Venney, it was inspiring to be alongside such innovative businesses.
We’re proud to be part of a strong and growing entrepreneurial community and look forward to building on this momentum in the months ahead 🚀
InterTradeIreland VC Conference
Our founder, Peter Gilleece, had the opportunity to be interviewed by Bronagh Duggan and attend the InterTradeIreland VC Conference this month.
The conference brought together venture capital firms, high-growth startups, and key stakeholders from across the island to explore investment opportunities, scaling strategies, and cross-border collaboration.
It provided a valuable platform for Vikela to showcase our growth journey, engage directly with the investor community, and gain insight into the evolving funding landscape for innovative businesses.
We were delighted to be part of such a forward-looking event and to build connections that will support our continued expansion and future fundraising ambitions. 🚀
Growth Club with ActionCoachNI
The Vikela team attended GrowthCLUB, taking time to step out of the day-to-day and focus on the bigger picture.
We also had the privilege of hearing from guest speaker Tom Blackledge, who delivered a powerful session on mindset, highlighting what it truly takes to grow, push past limits, and stay disciplined when it matters most.
It was a valuable opportunity for us to reflect, reset, and sharpen our focus for the months ahead. Planning is one thing, but execution is everything and we’re looking forward to a focused and intentional next 90 days 🚀
In Other News
US Stakeholder Visit & Future Partnerships
This month, Vikela was pleased to welcome key stakeholders from the United States to our site. It was a valuable opportunity to showcase our facilities, technology, and innovative product offering firsthand. During the visit, we were able to demonstrate how our solutions are designed and developed, while also engaging in meaningful discussions around future opportunities in the corrections and private security sectors. Hosting these conversations in person allowed us to strengthen relationships and align on potential collaborations as we continue to explore expansion into the US market. 🌍
The Shaw Cup Boxing Event
We were delighted to attend the Shaw Cup boxing event this month a fantastic evening celebrating sport, community, and competition. The event brought together a wide network of attendees and provided a great opportunity to connect in a different environment while supporting a well-organised and exciting event. 🥊
Continued Momentum
March has been a month of strong momentum across multiple areas of the business — from recognition and funding success to international expansion and strategic development. As we move into the next quarter, we remain focused on building partnerships, entering new markets, and continuing to innovate within the protective technology space.
Thank you for reading our latest newsletter and we’re looking forward to bringing you more updates over the next few months – as always get in touch with us if you want to book a chat or have any questions. If you know someone you think it would be good for us to have a conversation with, we would always appreciate being put in touch.
Look out for our next newsletter at the end of April and have a great month in the meantime,
The Vikela Team 👋
