Claire McHugh, the CEO of Axonista has risen to the top of the tech startup game, leading a company that makes television and video more interactive and list media giants MTV, ESPN, and QVC among their clients.

"Previously, I worked in sports tv - in Setanta, which was also a really cool startup. I knew back then that the market was shifting and going through phenomenal change. TV definitely isn't dead but it's evolving into a two-way interactive system with audiences. Our company name Axonista means 'revolutionary thinking' which comes from the word 'axon' which is the cell that processes and transmits information travelling through your brain."

"Starting out, we got a Horizon 2020 grant for 2 million Euro. We also raised seed capital from Enterprise Ireland and from some angel investors, but we always reinvest back into the business and into research and development. We have about 20 people in the company now but there's no school that teaches you how to be the CEO of company - you just have to do it. Being a female CEO in a tech industry I try to be approachable and visible so that young women can see me and say 'ok she doesn't have a strictly tech background but she's making it and maybe that's something I could do', I try to put myself out there."