ToolsEV repair startup wins global Techstars competition

ToolsEV, created during Startup Weekend Women Dublin, beat teams from 40 cities across six continents
An Irish-based startup team has won the Techstars Startup Weekend Women Global Pitch Competition with a platform designed to help independent mechanics diagnose and repair electric vehicles.
ToolsEV, created during Startup Weekend Women Dublin earlier this year, was named the overall global winner after progressing from the Dublin event to the international final, competing against startup teams from 40 cities across six continents.
The platform was developed by Dr Lisa Ruttledge, Ciara Close, Tory Miller and Cui Can during the 54-hour entrepreneurship event held in Dublin in March.
Built during a 54-hour startup weekend
Startup Weekend Women 2026 was organised as part of International Women's Day activities and brought together more than 240 startup teams worldwide to rapidly develop and pitch business ideas.
ToolsEV first won the Dublin event before advancing to the global competition, where it ultimately secured the top prize.
The startup focuses on a growing challenge facing the electric vehicle sector: many independent garages lack access to the diagnostic tools, technical data and repair intelligence needed to service EVs.
"We kept hearing the same thing over and over again from mechanics and EV owners across Ireland," said Dr Lisa Ruttledge, Co-founder of ToolsEV.
"Independent garages want to work on EVs, but the information is fragmented, difficult to access, or locked behind manufacturer systems. That leaves consumers with fewer repair options and higher costs."
Addressing gaps in EV repair access
The platform aims to become a centralised repair intelligence tool for the independent EV repair market, bringing together repair workflows, diagnostic information and technical insights across multiple vehicle brands.
According to the team, customer discovery interviews were carried out with independent garages, EV owners, charging infrastructure companies and training organisations across Ireland during the validation process.
The project also aligns with wider European discussions around Right to Repair legislation and improving access to repair information for consumers and independent repair providers.
"Ireland is moving quickly toward EV adoption, but the repair ecosystem hasn't caught up yet," said Ruttledge.
"If EVs are going to truly deliver on their environmental promise, we need independent repair shops to be able to participate in that future."
Dublin event reaches global stage
Evelyn Nomayo, Lead Organiser for Startup Weekend Women Dublin, said the success of ToolsEV demonstrated the value of practical entrepreneurship programmes.
"ToolsEV is addressing a real and growing challenge in the EV sector," she said. "Their success shows what can happen when people come together to solve practical problems."
Following the competition win, the team plans to continue industry validation work across Ireland and Europe while exploring partnerships within the EV ecosystem and further development of the platform.
Those interested in following the project or signing up for beta updates can do so via ToolsEV.
Irish Tech News has covered Startup Weekend Women Dublin over the past three years, including this year's event where ToolsEV first emerged during the 54-hour entrepreneurship programme.
Billy Linehan attended this year's Startup Weekend Women Dublin event as both a mentor, and as a journalist for Irish Tech News.
Billy Linehan
Billy Linehan writes about innovation, tech for good and entrepreneurship for Irish Tech News. He leads Celtar Advisers, working as a business mentor with SMEs and startup founders, and co-founded StartUp Ballymun, Dublin's longest-running entrepreneurship series. In recent months he has reported from technology and innovation events in Rome, Las Vegas, Orlando and Dublin.
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