The Irish Tech News Podcast

The Local Enterprise Awards for 2026 taok place recently in the Mansion House in Dublin. The awards are a celebration of the very best small businesses from across the country and serve to highlight the work that Local Enterprise Offices are doing with up-and-coming enterprises in every local authority area in the country.The 31 finalists have each been chosen by their Local Enterprise Office to represent them and their area at the awards, which are in their 26th year. The finalists feature a diverse mix of sectors and founders all competing for a share of the €80,000 prize fund and the chance to be named National Enterprise of the Year. There are also regional awards, and categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, the Innovation Award, Digital Award, Green Award and the Female Entrepreneur award.I caught up with three of the finalists, and the second finalist I spoke to was Stephen O'Sullivan the founder of I left you a note and the Tipperary finalist. Stephen talks to me about his background, what I left you a note does, digital concierge, AI, National Enterprise Awards, LEO and more More about  I left you a note:I left you a note was founded by Stephen O'Sullivan, a former Deputy Chief Actuary at Met Life, Stephen wanted to address the problem modern hotels are having in the fact that customers ‘no longer complain to the front desk' but rather are quick to write a bad review online. Stephen estimates that a bad review can cost hotels up to €15,000 in lost bookings per month. I Left You A Note aims to address that gap in communication to an online B2B SaaS platform which allows guests to connect with the front desk of hotels instantly through scanning QR codes located across the hotel. The portal opens instantly on any phone and allows guests to submit feedback, raise service requests, interact with an AI concierge, and access hotel facilities and room service with one click. When an issue is raised, AI triages it, creates a service ticket and routes it automatically to the correct department.

Anthony Sar, Co-founder and CEO of Finoverse and the driving force behind Hong Kong Fintech Week, joins Theo on One Vision to share the story behind one of Asia's most iconic innovation gatherings. From a bar conversation about hitting 5,000 attendees (when they had 300) to welcoming 45,000 people from 120+ economies at their 10th anniversary, Anthony reflects on what it takes to build something that genuinely keeps people in the room.At the center of the conversation is Samantha, built in-house by Finoverse. She acts as your personal AI networking agent. She interviews you, learns what you're looking for, and makes introductions at scale. After a successful pilot at last year's FinTech Week as well as the recent Genesis Festival, Samantha will return to Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 this November.  This year's conference is aptly themed Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future. It is a rallying call to drive connectivity and collaboration across global and Chinese Mainland markets, at a time when the world feels more fragmented than ever.One World, One Planet. This episode invites us to come together to foster collaboration for a more inclusive financial services ecosystem for everyone. 

The Local Enterprise Awards for 2026 taok place recently in the Mansion House in Dublin. The awards are a celebration of the very best small businesses from across the country and serve to highlight the work that Local Enterprise Offices are doing with up-and-coming enterprises in every local authority area in the country.The 31 finalists have each been chosen by their Local Enterprise Office to represent them and their area at the awards, which are in their 26th year. The finalists feature a diverse mix of sectors and founders all competing for a share of the €80,000 prize fund and the chance to be named National Enterprise of the Year. There are also regional awards, and categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, the Innovation Award, Digital Award, Green Award and the Female Entrepreneur award.I caught up with three of the finalists, and the first finalist I spoke to was John Cleary, the founder of Eventmaster and the Limerick finalist.John talks to me about his background, what Eventmaster does, the Local enterprise awards and more.More about Eventmaster:John Cleary, Founder of Eventmaster set up the company in 2010 while working as Race Director of the Great Limerick Run. John could not find a ticket participation system in Ireland capable of managing large-scale sporting events – so he set out to design one. Eventmaster operates a one-system approach for ticketing, fundraising, real time data and scalable digital infrastructure for events. Since 2010, Eventmaster technology has supported over 3,000 events including the Dublin Marathon, Very Pink Run, Cork City Marathon and many more charity-based events. Eventmaster is now looking to target markets internationally through exporting the technology used.

Chadwicks are showing technology can be upgraded without losing key institutional knowledge, while simultaneously upgrading onboarding in a tough market. A major milestone in its multi-year ERP modernisation program is taking place transforming its legacy Accustar platform into AccuPRO, a modern, cloud-hosted ERP system. AccuPRO has received a prestigious 2026 InterSystems READY Impact Award in the Supply Chain category.The initiative, supported by J2 Interactive, a technology consultancy specialising in enterprise modernisation To find out more about this and it's potential impact across Ireland I spoke to Colm Scannell, Chadwicks' IT director and Paul Cranston, J2 Director of Professional Services. Colm and Paul talk to me about their backgrounds, modernising Chadwick's IT, legacy systems and more.More about Chadwicks AccuPRO:For more than 40 years, Accustar served as the backbone of Chadwicks' operations, embedding decades of proven business logic and invaluable institutional knowledge. However, its terminal-based "green screen" interface could no longer meet modern requirements for usability, scalability, cloud readiness, or device independence, and onboarding new employees was time-consuming and costly. Chadwicks faced a critical challenge shared by many long-established enterprises: how to modernise a mission-critical system without losing the intellectual capital built into it or disrupting day-to-day business. The solution was AccuPRO, a web-enabled, cloud-hosted ERP designed to support Chadwicks' continued leadership and growth in the builders' merchant sector, while dramatically boosting back office and branch team user experiences.

In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Paolo Sironi joins Theodora Lau to unveil his new book, Quantum Sapiens, a philosophical literary thriller on artificial intelligence, quantum gravity, and the origins of human consciousness. A burning question: Why now?We talk about the "I love you" problem and what happens when we attribute meaning to words that machines give us. Paolo invites us to think about the journey ahead of us before we walk through Alice's mirror. What do we need to carry with us? What do we leave behind? An exhilarating conversation about the present and future of technology that you won't want to miss. No PhD required.

What happens, at a psychological level, when a person develops a close relationship with AI? Can AI love them back? And what does this attachment reveal about human desire, projection and responsibility?A groundbreaking study into the ethical and psychological implications of human-AI relationships, AI Intimacy and Psychoanalysis by Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska, academic, writer and filmmaker – addresses the hugely topical, but hardly new, question of our emotional bonds with machines.To find out more about this I caught up with Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska when she was recently in Dublin.Agnieszka talks about her background, her new book, Freud, AI models and more.About Agnieszka Piotrowska:Agnieszka Piotrowska, PhD, is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, trained psychologist, and psychoanalytic life coach. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and supervises doctoral students at Oxford Brookes University and the University of Staffordshire. Her documentary work includes Married to the Eiffel Tower ( 2008), a critically acclaimed and internationally broadcast film exploring unconventional human attachments, which established her international reputation as a filmmaker working at the intersection of psychology and human experience. She is the author of The Cinema of Agnieszka Holland: Anger and Ethics (Routledge, 2026), Psychoanalysis and Ethics in Documentary Film (Routledge, 2014 & 2023), and The Nasty Woman and the Neo-Femme Fatale in Contemporary Cinema (Routledge, 2019).

Back in 2017 when the Irish Tech News podcast was in its second year, one of my guests was Darya Yegorina  the founder of CleverBooks. In 2020 I caught up with Darya and did a written interview to see what happened since the podcast.Darya has recently launched a new venture Arventa, AI software designed in Ireland for Irish SMEs that helps to make business ops efficient and compliant, and to find out more about Arventa I caught with Darya .Darya talks about her background, Arventa, AI and more.More about Arventa:Arventa provides an all-in-one toolkit designed specifically for startups and freelancers. Our platform enhances productivity with tools for invoicing, proposals, CRM, time tracking, social media management, and compliance. Complementing, not replacing, accountants and accounting software, working seamlessly alongside them. Arventa's mission is to deliver an affordable solution tailored to meet the unique needs of micro businesses, helping them streamline their operations and achieve growth.

Something that is not talked about enough is pay transparency and the fact that on the 7th of June 2026 all EU countries had to comply with the EU pay discrepancy act. Ireland missed this deadline but will bring it on a phased basis and employers have been urged to take steps to prepare for its full implementation. To find out more about pay transparency and the EU pay discrepancy act I spoke to Crystel Robbins Rynne CEO HRLocker and Fredericka Sheppard Co-Founder and Managing Director VoltedgeCrystal and Fredericka talk about their backgrounds, salaries, putting good frameworks in place and more.More about HRLocker and Voltedge:HRLocker is the Irish people-management platform that transforms admin-heavy tasks, such as time & attendance and leave management, into one secure, intuitive system, so HR teams reclaim hours, eliminate errors, and focus on strategic people initiatives, not paperwork. Voltedge Management is an Irish-based HR consultancy supporting scaling businesses, SMEs, and multinational organisations with strategic HR, leadership, and organisational development solutions. The firm partners with clients across Ireland, the UK, and internationally to build high-performing teams and drive sustainable growth. 

A lot of businesses are overpaying for outdated ways of working, and AI is reshaping their expectations around creative, strategy and operational costs. To find out more about this I spoke to Seamus Begley, founder of creative studio, The Studio of Possible.Seamus talks about ahis background, what the Studio of Possible does, why many businesses overpay for outdated ways of working, how AI is reshaping expectations around creative, strategy and operational costs and more.More about The Studio of Possible:They are a Design Practice that works with forward thinking individuals, brands and businesses to increase their impact on the world around us

Many people in this country don't have access to reliable financial guidance — so they're increasingly asking a free chatbot instead. The problem? A general-purpose model trained on Reddit threads inherits Reddit's appetite for risk, and now that skew shows up in the conversations people are having about their money. In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Alisha Chowdhury, Founder of Kiro Money, joins Theodora Lau to argue that the same technology, pointed with different intentions, can do the opposite: close the advice gap instead of widening it.Alisha traces the origin of Kiro back to a socioeconomically diverse Bangladeshi community in New Orleans — the "aunties and uncles" who taught her immigrant parents how to navigate an unfamiliar financial system — and to the University of Pennsylvania, where she saw real wealth and learned how it's built for the first time. After years as an investor at Vanguard and in private equity, she left for an MBA in London and started building the earliest version of Kiro: a low-code, RAG-based coach fed only sources she trusted. "Not garbage in."Today Kiro is an embedded financial intelligence layer that lets a bank or investing platform drop a context-aware AI coach directly into its own app, so users get guidance where their data and their relationship already live. A conversation about financial inclusion, the advice gap, and what it takes to build AI for money that people can actually trust. Because when it comes to money, trust has to be earned — and tested.

As various nations prepare for future lunar landings, interest in space exploration has never been greater especially in Ireland. In Cork the UCC Rocketry and Space Exploration Society which was founded last year has been very busy, launching 5 rockets. To find out more about what the UCC Rocketry and Space Exploration Society are doing and the Irish interest in space exploration I spoke to members of the UCC Rocketry and Space Exploration Society.The members told me when they started the society, Ireland's first flight computer, Mach-26 Rocketry competition, For All Mankind and more:More about UCC Rocketry and Space Exploration Society:Since being founded last year, they have launched 5 rockets. This includes Prometheus, their largest rocket yet which got  5th in the Mach-X Rocketry and Cansat Competition in their respective category. Their current projects include:- Ireland's first flight computer: Recently test-launched in Portlaw, Waterford.- Liquid propellant motor, currently under construction for the Race 2 Space competition, where their design review ranked third in their category.- Ireland's first two-stage rocket, scheduled to fly this summer in the Mach-26 Rocketry Competition.

The National Final of the Student Enterprise Programme took place recently with 88 students competing for the title of Student Enterprise of the Year. The programme itself is Ireland's largest student entrepreneurship initiative, with over 500,000 students having started businesses since 2003. To find out more I spoke to one of the finalists Seán FitzGerald, a fourth-year student who has created software Fleet Monitor, designed to predict the movements of ships attempting to avoid maritime sanctions across every ocean globally.I spoke Sean about his background, the  Student Enterprise Programme, what Fleet Monitor does, and more.More about Fleet Monitor:A standout in this year's programme, Fleet Monitor uses Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to track the position, heading, speed and size of vessels. The platform then cross checks this data in real time against official EU and Nato sanction lists to identify known or suspected shadow-fleet ships.

We're halfway through 2026, and the fintech landscape is moving faster than anyone can track. In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Theo brings back three fan favorites — Jennifer White (J.D. Power), Tiffani Montez (Insider Intelligence / EMARKETER), and Julie Muhn (Finovate) — for a midyear roundtable that covers it all.What did the recent Finovate Spring reveal about where AI is actually landing in financial services? Tiffani shares the latest from the AI Visibility Leadership Board — why banks are no longer competing for attention, they're competing for recommendations, and why the rules of discovery have completely changed. Jennifer brings the data that captures our attention: 53% of consumers used AI in the last 3 months to ask a personal finance question. While awareness of bank-provided PFM tools runs 70–90%, adoption sits at 17–22%. Soft churn is now the real primacy threat. And Julie calls out one of the hardest questions in fintech: what's real, and what's just marketing?This episode covers AI as infrastructure, the trust paradox, agentic payments, GEO vs. SEO, and why the money leaving your primary bank might be the most important signal nobody's watching closely enough.

At the recent Future Health Summit which was held in Dublin, Nordic Europe delivered a special presentation on why Ireland has reached a pivotal moment in patient safety, with medication related harm responsible for around 50% of preventable harm globally. To find out more about this I spoke to Nordic Europe's Vice President of Strategy and Transformation Bill Meredith, and their Vice President of Strategy & Country Manager for Ireland Claire Staple.Bill and Claire spoke to me about their background, what Nordic does, digital transformation reshaping medication safety across Ireland and more.More about Nordic Europe:From technology to teams, Nordic provides the end-to-end expertise that healthcare systems throughout Europe need to advance clinical and operational excellence through technology. They combine deep healthcare insight with technical and strategic expertise to help providers integrate new systems, improve workflows, and elevate patient care with confidence. 

In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Danny Friday, CEO and Founder of Sail, joins Theodora Lau to unpack why the "boring" corners of fintech — HSA and FSA accounts — are exactly where the next wave of meaningful innovation is hiding. Danny shares the origin story behind Sail: a claim over a Spanish-language dental receipt that exposed a deeper challenge about regulated industries: most of their software isn't broken by accident, it's broken by indifference to user experience. They dig into why no one had built itemized, embedded HSA/FSA infrastructure before now, what changed technically to make it possible, and why Danny insists AI should never make the hard calls. The conversation closes on a bigger bet: that within three to five years, every digital banking app will help people reimburse tax-advantaged expenses, and what that means for the industry. 

Robotics and AI comes in many shapes and sizes revolutionising many different sectors. One of these sectors being revolutionised is the commercial cleaning industry, using autonomous cleaning, robotics, and innovation creating efficiency. To find out more about this I spoke to Shane O'Flaherty from CleaningMachines.ie. Shane talks about his background, what CleaningMachines.ie does, robots, AI and more.More about CleaningMachines.ie:CleaningMachines.ie have been supplying and servicing the cleaning industry for decades. In that time, they have built up a wealth of knowledge and earned ourselves a skilled and committed team.At CleaningMachines.ie, they don't just sell cleaning equipment, they live and breathe it. Behind every scrubber dryer, industrial vacuum, or ride-on sweeper we offer, there's a story of family, grit, and generations of hands-on experience.

NTT DATA, a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services, opened its new Dublin office earlier in the week and I attended the opening. Whilst I was there I interviewed Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Marianne Checkley, CEO Kinia and Professor Dan Kilper, Director CONNECT Centre Trinity College Dublin. I spoke to Minister Burke about NTT DATA being good for the Irish economy. I then spoke to Marianne Checkley about the excellent stem work Kinia is doing and how NTT DATA is helping them. Lastly I spoke to professor Dan Kilper about the great work the Connect Centre in Trinity College Dublin is doing with NTT DATA.

Since 2023, illicit financial activity has surged by $1.3 trillion, reaching an estimated $4.4 trillion globally. The reason isn't a mystery: bad actors have AI now too.In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Tyler Allen, CEO of Unit21, to unpack what's happening on the front lines of AI-powered fraud. Tyler was Unit21's founding software engineer and he is now leading the company through a moment he calls "have your cake and eat it too": AI is finally cheaper than the human labor it could replace, and unlike humans, it doesn't get alert fatigue.The conversation goes deeper on:• The fundamental asymmetry between attackers and defenders — and why AI made it worse• Why majority of AI pilots fail (hint: it's almost never the technology) • Why AI makes sense for financial crime prevention and detection • What he asks potential buyers, from ownership and goals, to risk tolerance and more • What every FI should be demanding from their AI vendorsA conversation about the new physics of fraud — and the human consequences of getting it wrong. 

In partnership with Heineken Ireland, AssistiV, wants to bring life changing technology to the hospitality sector that will support growth in the trade by helping fill job vacancies and foster inclusivity. To find out more about this I spoke to Barbara Anne Richardson, Sustainability and Public Affairs Manager at Heineken Ireland and Alan Craughwell, AssistiV Ireland CEO. Barbara and Alan talk about their backgrounds, what AssistiV does, Heineken's partnership with AssistiV, Heineken's  and AssistiV's rollout across the company and more. More about AssistiV :AssistiV is an assistive technology platform that supports people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and learning disabilities to complete workplace tasks independently through step-by-step guidance.It offers personalised prompts, routine reminders, and guidance whether preparing breakfast, packing a bag, or catching the bus.  By removing barriers to employment like numeracy and literacy challenges, AssistiV levels the playing field and makes it easier for people with disabilities to work. To date, AssistiV is already supporting people with intellectual disabilities in hospitality and in other sectors - with aim to support 1,000 jobs within 5 years.

After more than a decade of crossing paths at conferences and following each other's work, Theodora Lau finally gets the opportunity to host Sarah Biller, Co-Founder & Member Board of Directors of Fintech Sandbox, and Bank Director and Investor of Thread Bank, on the One Vision Podcast. In this episode, Sarah talks about building innovation ecosystems beyond traditional hubs, including her work in West Virginia and the influence of leaders like Brad Smith and John Chambers. Sarah describes what she looks for in founders. It's about digging deep, listening closely, and finding solutions that truly matter. The conversation turns to AI's rapid adoption in financial services, the shift to agentic AI, risks of replacing human judgment in regulated credit decisions, and the need to prioritize understanding and human-centered outcomes over speed and efficiency. The real constraint on a better financial future isn't AI, it's data, and whoever controls access to it controls the upper hand. And the episode closes on something both Sarah and Theo keep returning to in their work: the fragility of the household balance sheet, the millions of Americans who are one flat tire away from financial distress, and the choice in front of an AI-enabled industry — to widen that gap, or close it.If AI is the most transformative technology any of us will see in our lifetimes., whose financial future are we actually building?

Magnet+, the leading independent provider of enterprise connectivity, cloud-based voice solutions and managed services, is seeing a significant increase in the uptake of Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) by businesses nationwide at the moment. Magnet+, part of Speed Fibre Group, serves over 7,000 customers across Ireland and Europe, including 70% of the world's leading tech companies located in Ireland.The increase in DIA uptake (1G and up) is due to the fact that more and more organisations across Ireland are accelerating investment in cloud-based systems and platforms, real time data and collab tools, AI, cybersecurity and multi-site / hybrid working environments. To find out more about DIA and its uptake I spoke to Patrick Masterson, MD of Magnet+. Patrick talks to me about his background, what Magnet+ does, DIA, digital transformation and more.More about Patrick Masterson, MD of Magnet Plus:Patrick Masterson was appointed MD of Magnet Plus three years ago. With over 20 years of experience across a variety of areas including commercial, sales and marketing, Patrick's reputation for driving commercial activities and improving overall business performance is a key asset to Magnet Plus.Prior to joining Magnet Plus, he held several Commercial Director and Chief Commercial Officer roles in leading Irish companies across the Retail, Healthcare and Technology sectors. He also has an MBA with Henley Business School in the U.K.

What happens to a deposit when the account holder dies — and why are banks so unprepared for the one moment they know is coming?In this episode of the One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Martha Underwood, Founder and CEO of Prismm and author of the new release: The Death of Deposits. Drawing on 25+ years across IBM, Silicon Valley, and BBVA Compass, Martha talks about the unspoken assumption in banking — that the user will always be there — and how that assumption is now colliding with the largest generational wealth transfer in history.Together, Theo and Martha unpack the retention illusion, why the beneficiary field is the richest unused lead list sitting inside every bank's core, and why deposit attrition at death is an infrastructure problem, not a marketing one. They dig into the operational reality, the cultural reality, and the human reality, and why AI's real job is orchestration under pressure (not more automation). A deeply human conversation about deposits, design, and what it really means to extend a banking relationship beyond a single account holder. 

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our sixth and last podcast is with John Wilson CISO and President of Forensics at HaystackID, and Jeff Shapiro Managing Director of Europe  at HaystackID. John and Jeff talk to Ronan about their backgrounds, what Haystack does, their Dublin Tech Summit talk and AI deep fakes.

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our ffith podcast is with Alvina Antar Chief Digital Officer at F5, an American technology company providing global scale and industry-leading converged application delivery and security platform offering unrivaled insight into the challenges and threats facing modern and legacy apps in the AI era. Alvina talks to Ronan about her background, embracing new technology, what F5 does, AI and getting the Grace Hopper award the night before Dublin Tech Summit started.

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our fourth podcast is with James Kretchmar SVP and CTO of Cloud Technology at Akamai the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. James talks to Ronan about his background, what Akami does, cloud outages and AI.

In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau sits down with Hay Yip, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff at FundPark in Hong Kong, for a conversation that spans heritage, working capital, and what it really takes for SMEs to scale in an uncertain world.Hay shares his journey from a commercial banking career at HSBC — spanning both London and Hong Kong — to the electric pace of a fintech startup, and why he now goes to bed "with one eye open." Born in Hong Kong and grew up in the UK, his story comes full circle as he returns home to help the small businesses he's always been drawn to.At the heart of the conversation is the often-overlooked engine of commerce: working capital. Hay makes the case that cash flow is the "bloodline" of any growing business, and explains how FundPark uses data and analytics to serve e-commerce merchants who are not just underserved by traditional banks, but in many cases entirely unserved. Theo and Hay explore the founders' origin story, why entrepreneurs deserve more credit for their courage, and how global supply chain fragility shows up in the everyday lives of merchants and the customers who depend on them.Tune in for a candid look at the unglamorous but essential side of fintech, and FundPark's vision of "scale up as a service" — helping ordinary people behind real businesses thrive.

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our third podcast is with Armin Moradi and Lydia Foott the Co-Founders of Qashio, created for finance leaders and business owners. They built a User-Centric Technology solution within spend management that is allowing businesses to mature their processes without compromising the speed of their operations. Armin and Lydia talk to Ronan about their backgrounds, their new Dublin office, new jobs and investment in Dublin and how the war in Iran has impacted them.

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our second podcast is with Phil Barnes Business Development Manager at Geotab, a Canadian technology company that develops and manufactures telematics and fleet management solutions. Phil talks to Ronan about his background, what Geotab does, AI and data analytics.

Irish Tech News is at Dublin Tech Summit and over the 2 days Ronan will be doing various podcasts. Our first podcast is with Luke Treacy the Managing Director and founder of Business Technology Academy. Luke has been on the podcast before and it's nice to catchup and see what Luke and Business Technology academy are up. Luke talks to Ronan about what  Business Technology Academy has been up to, their new AI courses, working with Senator Craughwell CyberQuest on Cyber Security for SME's, Business Technology Academy's new online publication and the events they are running with Dun Laoghaire Chamber of Commerce.

Bay Broadcasting has announced the "imminent" rollout of three of its radio stations to DAB, making them available to an estimated 85% of the population.Radio Nova, Classic Hits Radio and Sunshine 106.8 will broadcast on the Failte DAB Mux2 trial, which will reach most of the country outside the Dublin when launched.Bay claims the move marks a new era of national scale and audience growth for the group and describes the launch of the three radio services on national DAB as the most exciting development for radio choice in over a decade.It believes the move will significantly increase its reach, with Nova and Sunshine expected to add 2.5m potential listeners and Classic Hits a further 1.2m people.Bay Broadcasting said the rollout gives the group the potential to challenge Bauer Media's monopoly on national radio commercial radio in Ireland. To find out more about this I spoke to Kevin Brannigan the CEO of Bay Broadcasting. Kevin spoke to me about his background, the radio stations Bay Broadcasting owns, Failte DAB Mux2, how technology has changed radio from the 1980's till now, and looking for more Irish talent to present on DAB radio.More about FáilteDAB Mux 2:FáilteDAB Mux 2 is an extended DAB+ trial network that covers approximately 85% of the Irish population. Launched in April 2026, it expands coverage well beyond the original Dublin-centric trial area to include the Midlands, Southeast, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Galway, and Mayo. 

What do the American people actually expect from companies deploying AI — and are corporate leaders listening?In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with longtime friend Tyler Spalding, Chief Marketing, Communications & Engagement Officer at JUST Capital, to unpack the organization's latest research on how the public, investors, and corporate executives view AI's impact on society, jobs, and the economy.They dig into the perception gap between public sentiment (66%) and corporate optimism (94% of investors and 90% of corporate leaders see AI as a net positive), and what that gap means for business leaders navigating workforce decisions, reskilling investments, and responsible AI deployment.The conversation also explores the tension between AI-driven efficiency gains and the human cost of disruption — from layoffs framed as AI transformation and the anxiety facing the next generation entering the workforce, as well as the importance of defining and incentivizing responsible AI through consistent, comparable standards guided by public expectations.

Audrey AI, a Dublin startup building AI for financial auditors recently announced a $1.8m pre-seed. The round was backed by Sure Valley Ventures, Delta Partners and Enterprise Ireland, with Donnchadh Casey (ex-CEO of Calypso) and Conor Jones (ex-CBO of Wayflyer) also investing.To find out more I caught up with Ryan Laughran the CEO and Co-Founder of Audrey AI.More about Ryan Loughran:Ryan has a BSc Accounting, from Queen's University Belfast and an MBA from Stanford. With 5+ years in professional services at McKinsey & Co he also has 5 years helping audit firms adopt technology at Qualtrics.

What separates an AI agent that demos beautifully from one that actually runs in production at a bank? In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau reconnects with Maté Jendrolovics, CEO and Founder of Intuitech, for a candid conversation about the reality of agentic AI in financial services — where "80% accurate" doesn't mean 80% of the value. Maté shares how Intuitech has expanded in the past year, and his idea of an AI-native bank. A grounded, hype-free conversation about doing AI in financial services the hard way — and why that's the only way it creates real value.

With An Garda Síochána recently reporting that over 2,100 motorists were caught speeding during the Easter Bank Holiday surge, road safety is now an important story.While the national figures show the scale of the problem, new research of 60,000 policies by Irish provider its4women identifies exactly where these habits are most ingrained. Their data reveals Cavan as the nation's speeding hotspot (26% "dangerous speeding" rate), while Limerick and Roscommon emerged as the most compliant.Crucially, the study shows that telematics (black box) tech is actually fixing the issue, and in Limerick, claims for black box users dropped to less than 1%. To find out more about this I spoke to its4women's CEO, Gary McClarty. Gary spoke about his background, the its4women's analysis, telematics and more.More about its4women:its4women provides fast, flexible and reliable car, home and travel insurance available anytime, anywhere. You can make an amendment, view your documents or even renew your insurance policy via their quick and easy Customer Portal.

When AI agents start buying and selling on our behalf, who do they really represent? In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Marc Massar — payments veteran and founder of Aura Labs — to unpack the merchant side of agentic commerce that most of the industry is overlooking. They dig into why today's agentic protocols are still walled gardens, what happens when transaction context disappears but liability doesn't, why dynamic pricing gets dangerous at machine speed, and what merchants need to do now before they get trapped in someone else's ecosystem. Marc draws on past lessons to make the case that market design — not smarter agents — is what will determine whether agentic commerce works for everyone or just the platforms that control it.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro03:03 Protocols and Walled Gardens10:25 Who Does the Agent Serve14:20 Post Purchase Identity and Disputes22:54 Merchant Playbook for Agentic Search32:41 Consent and Payments Friction35:25 Dynamic Pricing Meets Agents39:06 Market Design and Controls44:48 Seller Data Playbook51:35 Closing 

The market has evolved and the technology has evolved Sheila Kavanagh, female engineer and Network Director Vodafone IrelandLast month, Vodafone made telecoms history with Ireland's first-ever mobile video call via satellite through a smartphone. Satellite video calls happen when data is beamed directly to and from satellites orbiting Earth. It means regular phone users in Ireland will soon be able to access the internet and make video calls via satellites, without needing to own a clunky satellite phone. It's a significant move in the right direction for Ireland's telecommunications industry, which regularly experiences connectivity challenges due to flooding, big freezes and heatwaves. I caught up with Sheila Kavanagh, engineer and Network Director Vodafone Ireland to find out more about this.Shelia talks about her background, Ireland's first-ever mobile video call via satellite through a smartphone, the growing popularity of video calls and audio messages and more.More about Ireland's Ireland's first-ever mobile video call by Vodafone via satellite: Powered by AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellite, Vodafone hopes this new technology will help people stay connected, even in the most hazardous climate conditions. In January last year, it was estimated that over one third of mobile phone users were affected by Storm Éowyn. In addition, the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) published by the Environmental Protection Agency last June identified 115 risks to Ireland from climate change, the most pressing being risks to energy and communications infrastructure due to extreme winds.

While the conversation around AI often centers on automation and efficiency, the real opportunity lies in AI's ability to act as a decision-making layer. In this episode of One Vision podcast, Theodora Lau hosts Bianca Zwart, Chief Strategy Officer at bunq, to unpack what it truly means to be AI-native. For bunq, AI isn't a feature bolted onto an existing model. It's the operating system. Bianca shares how bunq's obsession with the user experience drives every technology decision. The conversation also explores what's next for agentic AI — and why the future isn't about AI taking over, but about making users smarter supervisors of their own financial lives.Plus: bunq's bold move into the US market, the needs of the people navigating life on both sides of the Atlantic, and why Bianca believes trust — not technology — is ultimately the only thing that matters.

Bharat Sharma, is the founder and CEO of Apex, and he spent over a decade building complex B2B commerce platforms through Monsoon Consulting, gaining firsthand insight into the recurring operational challenges mid-market merchants face. Some of those challenges, such as manual and fragmented processes involving multiple buyers, layered approval, and strict financial controls, could not be solved with traditional B2C platforms, and this was when he noticed  a pattern in B2B commerce platforms and why B2C tools are not fit to meet their challenges. Bharat also noticed that almost 65% of B2B executives reported that B2B online commerce is "broken" due to poor data, inefficient processes, and an inability to meet B2C-like convenience standards. Noticing these patterns across multiple projects, and this inspired him to create Apex, a purpose-built platform that addresses these pain points at scale. I recently caught up with Bharat and he spoke to me about his background, what Apex does, the challenges of B2B commerce and more.More about Apex:Apex is an out-of-the-box ready B2B eCommerce product for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. Apex knows B2B e-commerce is hard which is why it makes it easy, providing everything you need, from pricing and quoting to self-serve dashboards. It is ready to go out of the box, so you can focus on growth, not setup.

I Wish is a multi-award-winning programme dedicated to driving the power of STEM to female students in Ireland and across the globe. I Wish brings STEM education to life in a high-energy, fun space, igniting a flame in the minds of girls.In the past 12 years, I Wish has engaged with 65,988 girls. 23,365 girls have shared their voices through the annual surveys to date. Initiatives include showcase events. To find out more about iWish I spoke to Caroline O'Driscoll the co-founder of I WishCaroline talks about her background, What I Wish does, STEM, gender bias, the speakers at this year I Wish event and more,More about Caroline O'Driscoll:As well as being the co-founder of I Wish, Caroline is a Corporate and International tax partner with Deloitte Ireland focused on the technology sector.  Caroline is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Law at University College Cork (UCC). Caroline is a former member of the gender balance advisory group for the Department of Education to achieve better gender balance in STEM education at the post-primary level. Caroline has held a number of board positions in the not-for-profit and charity sector.  

In the ever-evolving world of digital banking, understanding the shifts and trends is crucial for industry practitioners and innovators. In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau hosts Dharmesh Mistry and Dave Wallace to explore the transformative moments in banking and fintech over the past decade, the impact of technology on the financial services industry, and the future of work. They discuss the rise of 5G, smartphones, digital banking, and the need for industry revaluation to adapt to rapid technological convergence.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome02:20 The Game Changers and Misreads11:57 The Role of Fintechs and Neobanks21:24 The Future of Banking: A New Paradigm32:16 Rethinking Banking for the Future34:09 AI Native Banking37:03 Jobs and the Human Contribution 

As AI is becoming more common place and innovative, new uses are being found for it.  Higher education for example could benefit from the implementation of bespoke AI chatbots. One person who knows all about this is Sean O'Grady, Lead Learning Designer and Deputy AI Futurist at the IDEA Lab, Imperial Business School. The IDEA Lab is developing tailor-made, course-specific AI avatar lecturers that act as digital twins to several of Imperial's teaching professors. A key strength of the avatars is that they can provide students with real-time specialist knowledge, regardless of geographical distance or time zone differences (in the case of online courses. I recently caught up with Sean and he spoke to me about his background, AI, bespoke AI chatbots, and more.More about Sean O'Grady:As Lead Learning Designer in the IDEA Lab, Sean collaborates with faculty, academic and programme management and media to design and evaluate online programmes within the business school, primarily the Global Online MBA (GMBA). Sean explores how technology can be used to create impactful learning experiences while maintaining a pedagogy first approach to my work.

Northern Ireland is a launchpad for thriving startups, and one startup that has done very well is Belfast based Cloudsmith. Back in March they had an oversubscribed Series B which raised £18m from key investors. To find out more about Cloudsmith and the startup scene in Belfast I caught up with Glenn Weinstein the CEO of Cloudsmith.Glenn talks about his background, what Cloudsmith does, Belfast, Unix, open source libraries and more.More about Cloudsmith:Made with love in Belfast and trusted around the world. Cloudsmith is the fully-managed solution for controlling, securing, and distributing software artifacts. Led by industry veterans united by a common passion to make it easier for software teams to do their jobs well. They are building the future of the software supply chain. 

With a record number of companies vying for US bank charters, it's crucial to understand the driving forces behind this surge. The regulatory environment is more welcoming than ever, allowing fintechs to innovate and meet the needs of consumers who feel underserved by traditional banks.  But it's not just about quantity; it's about quality. In a saturated market, how can these new entrants provide real value that stands out? It's all about solving real problems and creating unique offerings that resonate with consumers. Keep an eye on companies that understand the nuances of the market and can adapt their strategies. What's your take? Tune in and hear the take from Tiffani Montez and David Penn, in the latest episode of One Vision Podcast, hosted by Theodora Lau.00:00 Underserved Banking Opportunity14:44 Life Stage Subscriptions15:54 Niche Neobanks Strategy16:28 Who Will Win18:21 Incumbents Reaction20:09 Pressure To Modernize21:25 Rethinking Bank Models22:33 Trust And Charters24:36 Next 12 Months OutlookHot take: “We don't need more banks. We need better banks.” Tiffani MontezHot take: “The sky is getting darker.” David PennKeywords: Fintech, Financial Inclusion, Neobank, Open Banking #Fintech #neobank #AI #Financialinclusion More about our guests 

Back in 2020 I had John Brady CEO and Co-Founder of Bowsy on the Irish Tech News podcast. John had just launched Bowsy during Covid and since then Bowsy has grown and are launching a new service powered by AI. John is back on the podcast to talk about what's happened since we last spoke and the new AI powered service launching in April.. John talks about apprenticeships, careers advice,  remote working, AI, more women in stem and more.More about Bowsy:Bowsy is an AI-powered talent assessment and early careers platform that helps organisations identify, assess and recruit high-potential talent more effectively. Our platform combines AI-driven profiling with real-world project assessments to improve hiring decisions across graduate recruitment, early careers programmes and specialised workforce assessments such as driver capability.based on real-world business challenges.Bowsy helps organisations move beyond traditional CV screening and recruitment channels by providing a data-driven approach to identifying candidate potential, motivation and role fit.

In this episode, Theodora Lau interviews Jennifer White, Senior Director, Global Banking & Payments Intelligence at J.D. Power, about consumer behavior, financial resilience, AI in finance, and future trends. They explore how consumers are navigating financial challenges and the affordability crisis, against the backdrop of “an era of resilience” — with two-thirds of Americans being financially unhealthy. They also discuss AI's role in financial literacy, MrBeast's move into fintech, why Chime is leading new account acquisition, and implications for existing players.Looking to understand the current and future landscape of consumer finance? Hint: Fundamentals in customer experience are more important than ever. 00:00 Welcome Back Jennifer01:24 Consumer Resilience Snapshot06:26 Holiday Reality Check16:21 MrBeast Meets Fintech23:46 Chime and New Account Churn28:41 Consumer Trust and AI Tools41:31 Back to Service FundamentalsHot take: "Basics of customer experience still matter."Keywords: AI, fintech, Buy Now Pay Later, Trust, MrBeast, Chime, Financial Resilience, Financial Literacy, Fraud, Affordability More about our guest 

The Irish Tech News Podcast is now 10 years old ,and over the years we have covered a wide variety of tech topics over 1700 episodes. To celebrate this milestone I have a very special guest, Alexia Cambon appearing on the podcast. Alexia, is a senior director of research at Microsoft and I caught up with her at the recent Microsoft AI Summit in Dublin.Alexia talks about her background, AI in the work place, intelligence work, writing for AI, copilot, and more.More about Alexia Cambon:Alexia leads research for the Future of Work & M365 team as a Senior Director at Microsoft, working to identify emerging research opportunities and delving into customers' most pressing workforce challenges. She co-leads Microsoft's cross-company research initiative examining AI's impact on productivity and performance, and is a seasoned presenter and speaker with a passion for storytelling and creative thinking. Alexia's areas of focus include AI, hybrid work design, and organisational culture. She has written for HBR and The Guardian, and has been featured in NPR, Forbes and The Times (UK).

In this new episode One Vision podcast, Theodora Lau welcomes back Christopher Mims, Technology Columnist for the Wall Street Journal, to discuss his 2026 book “How to AI,” a practical guide aimed at the 90% who aren't early adopters. They discuss the book's “24 Laws of AI”, the evolving role of AI in the workplace, and how to prepare for the new future (without the hype). Who will win the AI race? And what might Christopher be writing about next year? Stay till the end of the conversation for the hint … and it is not what you'd expect! You can order a copy of Mims' new book, “How to AI”, on bookshop.org and Amazon. And you can find my recent review of the book here on LinkedIn. #AI #FutureOfWork #Agents #Automation 00:00 Welcome 01:46 Why This AI Book04:13 Durable AI Principles06:22 Competition between Firms08:58 Agents as Assembly Robots14:43 Trust and Delegation Lines16:37 Kaizen and How the Principle Applies24:05 Key TakeawaysHot take: “ We're in this early DIY phase of AI.”Hot take: “It's just as important to figure out what AI can't do for you as it is to figure out what it can do … The opportunity cost for pursuing AI for the wrong types of tasks is bigger than ever.” Keywords AI, generative AI, future of work, automation, trustMore about our guest Christopher Mims is a tech columnist for the Wall Street Journal, where he covers AI, technology, and their implications on society. His latest book, "How to AI," breaks down complex concepts into actionable insights, making AI accessible to everyone. Mims has interviewed experts across various fields, providing a comprehensive view of how AI is being integrated into different sectors.

Are we moving too fast in the world of agentic commerce — a new paradigm in online shopping where AI agents act on behalf of consumers, facilitating transactions and product discovery? Unlike traditional e-commerce, where consumers interact directly with platforms, agentic commerce leverages advanced technologies to streamline the purchasing process.In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse, we dive deep into the rapidly shifting landscape of agentic commerce and the alphabet soup. With the technology landscape changing at an unprecedented pace, we explore the challenges and opportunities that arise in the new world.Joining us in the discussion are industry experts, Dr. Efi Pylarinou and Jas Shah, who offer their insights on the rise of different protocols like ACP and UCP, identity verification, and the importance of a level-playing field in the future of commerce.What's your take on this fast-paced evolution? Let's keep the conversation going!#FinTech #AI #AgenticCommerce #AIAgents00:00 Welcome and Setup: The Agentic Commerce Alphabet Soup02:53 The Reality: Are We Moving Too Fast?07:35 Who Writes The Rules? 10:03 Which Protocol Will Win?16:20 Staying Visible: Banks Brand in Bot Era21:04 Trust Data and Curation25:44 The Economics and Gatekeepers33:57 Predictions: Who Will Emerge as The Likely Winner41:56 What Banks Should Do NextHot take: The real battle is about protocols, not models.Hot take: The future belongs to those who can optimize for AI.Keywords AI, agentic AI, commerce protocols, fintech, banking, digital transformation, identity, trust, UCP, ACPMore about our guests 

Alan Jones is a serial entrepreneur who has been on the Irish Tech News twice before. He is now involved with Mascotte.AI as their Strategic Executive Partner. Mascotte.AI are building the next interface for human-AI interaction. To find out more about this I caught up with Alan and Mao Lao Lin the founder and CEO of Mascotte.AI.Alan and Mao talk about their backgrounds, what Mascotte.AI does, AI companions, AI ethics, holo boxes and more.More about Moscotte.AI:Mascotte.AI was born out of a simple observation: The most critical business skills are the hardest to practice. For years, their team at Reblika built the world's most sophisticated digital humans for global icons like LVMH, Adidas, and David Guetta. They mastered the art of "High-Fidelity Identity."  and they realised that photorealism shouldn't just be for fashion and entertainment, it should be for growth.They saw sales teams stumbling through high-stakes negotiations, healthcare providers struggling with bedside manner, and managers dreading difficult conversations. They were all practicing on the one thing they couldn't afford to lose: their people.So, Mascotte.AI was built.

In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau hosts Angi Milano, Founder and CEO of Maven Advisory, about her diverse career journey in financial services. They discuss the challenges and rewards of embracing independence, the importance of saying 'no', as well as the complexities and the art of selling in regulated industries. Angi shares insights on current trends in fintech, emphasizing the need for relationship building and community engagement as the industry evolves.Hot take: “… power of no and knowing when your limits really are hit and you have to turn somebody down is a powerful lesson that I wish I had learned.”Hot take: “In sales, if you are not thinking ahead, you're falling behind.” 00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:04 Angi's Career Pivot 05:39 Betting on Yourself10:17 The Power of Saying No13:24 The Art of Selling21:12 Trends for 202625:18 Slow Down and Recharge27:46 Magic Wand WishMore about our guest 

SME's face various challenges when adopting digital tools in Ireland, which is why empowering SMEs with accessible technology is critical to economic growth. A fast and  simple ERP can redefine the market dynamics for small business success and one man who knows all-out this is Morgan Browne founder and CEO  of Enterpryze. I recently caught up with Morgan to find out more.Morgan talks about his background, cloud erp solution, AI  and more.More about Morgan Browne:Morgan Browne is the Founder and CEO of Enterpryze and is a highly regarded member of SAP's Global Partner Executive Council and was a finalist in the EY (Entrepreneur of the Year Awards) in 2015.He spent a year studying Computer Science at the Institute of Technology Tallaght before catching the entrepreneurial bug. An avid businessman and technology enthusiast, Morgan Browne is passionate about helping SMEs succeed financially, and empowering them to achieve their full potential.With this in mind, Morgan purchased Milner Browne 10 years ago and developed it from a reseller business into a solutions company using SAP technology as a key platform provider.The Milner Browne Group develops business management software to help SMEs work smarter and more effectively, Milner Browne is a Deloitte best managed companies platinum member and a fast 50 finalist.In 2017, Morgan officially launched Enterpryze, the world's first mobile-first solution for SAP Business One.