The fintech has raised its prize pool and travel support for schools, and announced a mentorship programme for top projects.

The 2027 Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE) is open for applications, with deadlines closing on 25 September. The annual event will take place between 6 and 9 January in Dublin.

Back on its second year as title sponsor, Irish-founded fintech Stripe said it is raising the prize pool by 25pc, including for the overall top project, which will now win €10,000 instead of €7,500.

The company took over from long-term sponsor BT, which stepped down from the role after 25 years due to an ongoing financial and organisational overhaul.

The inaugural Stripe YSTE last year drew 3,670 entries, with 550 projects featuring more than 1,000 students selected to exhibit from all across the country.

15-year-old Aoibheann Daly from Mercy Secondary School, Mounthawk in Kerry received the top prize for her solution ‘GlioScope’, which allows doctors to predict what genetic mutation is likely to be present from an MRI, so they can make quicker treatment decisions and reduce risk for the cancer patient.

Daly is now gearing up to represent Ireland in the EU Contest for Young Scientists in Kiel, Germany this September.

The 2027 Stripe YSTE will award more than 200 winning projects across categories separated into biological and ecological science; chemical, physical and mathematical science; health and wellbeing; social and behavioural science; and technology. This year’s finalists will be announced on 23 October.

The fintech is introducing new perks for the top projects this year. It announced ‘Stripe YSTE Catalyst’, a programme for the students behind the exhibition’s top four awarded projects, who will be paired with mentors from academia, industry and Stripe’s own engineering and science teams, travel to San Francisco to visit some of the world’s leading technology companies, and present their projects at Stripe Sessions, the company’s flagship annual conference which featured more than 9,000 businesses this year.

Stripe is also expanding its YSTE travel bursary to €150,000 to support exhibiting schools.

“This year, we’re investing more than ever. Alongside increased prizes and travel support, our new ‘Stripe YSTE Catalyst’ programme will connect exceptional students with the mentors who can help them imagine what’s possible next,” said Eileen O’Mara, the vice-chair at Stripe.

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton said: “I am delighted to continue my Department’s strong partnership with the exhibition.

“It provides students with an invaluable opportunity to develop skills in research, critical thinking, problem solving and communication, while building confidence and sharing their ideas.”

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