# Rian McDonnell

> Rian McDonnell is the Irish co-founder and CEO of FloVision Solutions, a South Bend-based food analytics business that uses computer vision and sensors to help protein processors improve yield and reduce waste. His work began as a Trinity College Dublin student project, developed through Notre Dame’s ESTEEM programme, and shifted from food-service waste analysis to production-line inspection. FloVision announced an $8.7 million Series A in July 2025 and received the 2026 AgTech Breakthrough FoodTech Equipment of the Year award.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at FloVision Solutions
- **Organizations:** FloVision Solutions
- **Nationality:** Irish
- **Education:** Bachelor’s in Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering; master’s in Engineering (MAI), Trinity College Dublin, Master of Science, ESTEEM, University of Notre Dame, Academic year abroad; vehicle dynamics and materials research, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** First-class engineering qualifications from Trinity College Dublin., Co-founded FloVision with Elise Weimholt., Led the company through an $8.7 million Series A announced in July 2025.

## Career timeline

- **2019** — Completed engineering studies at Trinity and entered Notre Dame’s ESTEEM programme.
- **2020** — Graduated from ESTEEM and launched FloVision, initially known as FloWaste, with co-founder Elise Weimholt.
- **2021** — Announced $270,000 pre-seed financing in March; participated in Rockstart’s Fall 2021 agri-food accelerator.
- **2021–2022** — Shifted focus from food-service waste analytics toward protein processing.
- **2025** — Announced $8.7 million Series A funding led by Insight Partners on July 30.
- **2026** — FloVision received AgTech Breakthrough’s FoodTech Equipment of the Year award in August.

## Achievements

- First-class engineering qualifications from Trinity College Dublin.
- Co-founded FloVision with Elise Weimholt.
- Led the company through an $8.7 million Series A announced in July 2025.
- FloVision reported more than 220 million pounds of food measured by August 2026.
- FloVision won FoodTech Equipment of the Year in the 2026 AgTech Breakthrough Awards.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — FloVision announced its FoodTech Equipment of the Year award and reported more than 220 million pounds measured since first production installations in 2022.
- **2025-07** — FloVision announced an $8.7 million Series A led by Insight Partners to finance expansion and hiring.

## Links

- Website: https://www.flovision.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rianmcdonnell/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rian-mcdonnell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-12