Inishowen firm that specialises in software for underground drones wins major award

An Inishowen company that specialises in software for drones operating in underground and constrained environments has won a major award.

Subterranean Software has been announced as a winner at this year’s Stelios Foundation North-South Business Cooperation Awards, along with its partner, Good Friday Robotics.

Subterranean’s work is both technically sophisticated and regionally rooted – and their success illustrates the power of what a supportive hub like Inishowen Innovation (ii) can provide.

Founded by Anthony Hutton and Aidan Gallagher and based at the ii hub in Buncrana, Subterranean develops advanced embedded and autonomous software systems that enable drones to navigate environments where GPS is absent, radio links are degraded, and visibility is minimal.

Their mission is to unlock new possibilities in infrastructure inspection, robotics, and subterranean autonomy – making them a genuine innovation leader from the region.

Subterranean’s story at ii is a clear example of how a regional innovation ecosystem can work. They began at ii with a hot desk, engaging with the community and using the flexible workspace.

As the business developed, they moved into a two-person office at ii. They now occupy two offices within ii and have expanded their team to six, including recent graduates and returners to Inishowen.

This progression – from hot desk to small office to growing team to regionally based high-tech company – highlights how the flexible infrastructure and community at ii support ambitious scale-ups.

One of the most exciting parts of Subterranean’s story is the way they’re drawing talent into Inishowen: both local graduates from institutions like Ulster University and ATU Donegal, and professionals returning to the region from elsewhere to work in these high-tech roles.

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As Subterranean grows, they’re creating opportunities for people to work on robotics and autonomy from Inishowen, helping build out the tech ecosystem here rather than just operating remotely.

The success of Subterranean at the ii underlines how ambitious, specialist tech firms can be based in Inishowen and compete on a global stage.

An ii spokesperson added: “With the award in hand and the team growing, Subterranean is poised for further expansion and impact. We at the ii are proud to be their home and look forward to supporting the next phase: more talent, more innovation, more growth in Inishowen.”

“Congratulations to Anthony and Aidan and the entire Subterranean Software team for this recognition – we’re excited to see what comes next.”