Niamh Donnelly

Niamh Donnelly is the Co-Founder and Chief Robotics Officer at Akara Robotics, a company focused on developing robotic solutions for healthcare environments. She holds a degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from Dublin City University and a Master's in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from University College Dublin.

Donnelly is recognized as a key figure in the founding team of Akara Robotics, where she has been instrumental in creating innovative technologies, including the social care robot named Stevie, which was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 2019. This robot is designed to assist individuals in long-term care settings, such as nursing homes. Additionally, Akara has developed a Disinfection Robot aimed at improving hospital cleaning processes using UV disinfectant technology, addressing inefficiencies that have persisted since the Spanish flu pandemic.12

In recognition of her contributions to the field, Niamh Donnelly received the Rising Innovator Award at the EU Prize for Women Innovators in December 2022, highlighting her success in a predominantly male-dominated industry. Under her leadership, Akara Robotics has secured significant funding, amounting to €2.45 million from the European Innovation Council.13