Podcasts about Enterprise Ireland

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Alan Andrews, the unapologetically honest founder behind Old Barracks Roastery and Gucci Coffee Bar. Known for his bold social content and Ireland's most controversial coffee shop (no kids allowed, dogs welcome, €15 cups of coffee), Alan lifts the lid on the real cost of starting and scaling a successful hospitality business. He breaks down the myths that plague the coffee industry — from delusional €10K startup budgets to the glorification of hustle culture — and explains why €100K is the minimum buy-in for building a sustainable, profitable coffee business. Alan also shares the deeply personal reasons behind his adults-only policy, how he prioritises family without sacrificing growth, and why honesty (not trends) should drive your brand strategy. This episode is a masterclass in branding, business modelling, and living by your values — one cup at a time. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: ☕ The Real Costs of Starting a Coffee Shop Why €10K won't cut it, and what you actually need to spend How Alan built a coffee bar in Limerick for €100K — and what that buys you The weekly turnover benchmark every shop needs to survive: €10K

In this Mentor Moment, Gary Fox speaks with Sahil Bloom — investor, writer, and creator — about how his definition of success has transformed. Once focused purely on financial outcomes, Sahil now measures success through time, people, purpose, and health, seeing money as a natural byproduct rather than the goal. He also shares a refreshing take on imposter syndrome, reframing it as a sign of growth and a tax on personal progress, and explains why asking “Why not me?” is the mindset shift every founder needs when stepping into bigger rooms. This is a short but powerful conversation packed with perspective shifts to help you redefine success on your own terms. To listen to the full episode, go to episode number 401. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with one of Ireland's most recognisable business voices, Bobby Kerr — founder of Perk, former CEO and Chairman of Insomnia, investor, broadcaster, and champion of Irish enterprise. Bobby shares his remarkable journey from starting his first business at 39 — remortgaging his house with a newborn at home — to building Insomnia into over 800 locations across Ireland through smart partnerships, relentless drive, and a willingness to bet on himself. He reveals the lessons learned from navigating the arrival of Starbucks, the power of merging with competitors to scale, and why focusing on multiple revenue streams saved the business more than once. Bobby also opens up about selling in 2018 after a cancer diagnosis, the freedom he's designed for himself since, and the businesses exciting him today, from Bread 41 to Irish tourism. Whether you're an early-stage founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, Bobby's story is a masterclass in vision, resilience, and knowing when to play the long game. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: ☕ How Bobby spotted Ireland's coffee culture shift before it happened

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Áine Kerr, the award-winning journalist, serial entrepreneur behind startups including Storyful (acquired by News Corp), and Kinzen (acquired by Spotify). From teaching in Dublin classrooms to building Storyful alongside Mark Little, leading global journalism partnerships at Facebook, and launching her second successful startup, Áine shares the lessons she's learned from a “squiggly career” defined by reinvention, resilience, and purpose. Áine reveals the realities of startup life, why suffering and recommitment are part of the journey, and how she built extraordinary teams that continue to shape the future of technology and media. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is a masterclass in perseverance, finding your “why,” and creating impact-driven businesses. Show Notes In this episode, we cover:

In this episode of Start With a Win, host Adam Contos is joined by leadership strategist and author Dr. Vijay Pendakur to explore what it really takes to lead through disruption. Drawing from his experience at top tech companies and Cornell University, Vijay unpacks the secret to building high-performing teams when the ground is constantly shifting beneath you. From the invisible forces of trust and belonging to the raw challenges of leading through crisis, this conversation offers a bold reframe of leadership - one that is both deeply human and urgently practical. If you've ever wondered how to turn volatility into opportunity, this episode is your blueprint.Dr. Vijay Pendakur is the founder of Vijay Pendakur Consulting and a seasoned leader across tech and higher education, with senior roles at Zynga, VMware, Dropbox, and Salesforce. He previously served as Dean of Students and Presidential Advisor for Diversity and Equity at Cornell University. Vijay's upcoming book, The Alchemy of Talent (Dec 2024), is a practical guide to building high-performing teams. He also authored Closing the Opportunity Gap (2016), a widely used resource on equity in student success. A faculty member at USC's Race and Equity Center and recognized as a top DEI leader by Channel Futures and Untapped, he also advises Ezra Coaching and Enterprise Ireland. Vijay lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Katie, and their two daughters, Mira and Savi.00:00 Leadership Is About Relationship00:29 Welcome to Start With a Win00:55 Introducing Dr. Vijay Pendakur02:03 From Education to Corporate Disruption04:02 Growth Happens Through Pain06:28 Why “The Alchemy of Talent”?09:33 Leading Teams Through VUCA13:07 Trust, Belonging, Connection Framework15:08 How to Build Trust as a Leader27:46 Where to Find the Book + Final Thoughtshttps://www.vijaypendakur.com/===========================Subscribe and Listen to the Start With a Win Podcast HERE:

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Fran Quilty, co-founder and CEO of Conjura, the analytics platform powering the world's fastest-growing e-commerce brands. From spinning out Wayflyer to building one of Ireland's most exciting SaaS companies, Fran shares the unfiltered reality of transitioning from a services business to a scalable product, raising venture capital, and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape. Fran breaks down how AI is fundamentally changing the way brands operate, why marketplaces like Amazon, TikTok, and Walmart are driving revenue shifts, and the lessons he learned building two companies simultaneously. If you want to understand where e-commerce is headed, and how data and automation will define the next decade - this is an episode you can't miss. In this episode, we cover:

A Clare Government TD claims he'll work to ensure funding for small businesses in the county isn't slashed in the next Budget. A Department of Enterprise response to a parliamentary question from Bodyke Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has revealed businesses supported by Enterprise Ireland in Clare have risen by 7% in the last year, bringing the total amount of EI-supported jobs here to 5,566. Clare's Local Enterprise Office received over €1.3 million in funding in 2024 which resulted in 228 small businesses and 1,300 jobs here being supported. Deputy Cooney says amid much economic uncertainty the level of financial support being offered to Clare businesses mustn't be allowed to drop.

Barry Napier didn't follow the typical founder path. In this bite-sized Mentor Moment, he shares how trading phones around the world laid the foundation for building Cubic Telecom - the company he'd go on to sell 51% of for €473 million. From street smarts to striking deals with Tesla, it's a story of grit, vision, and relentless execution. To listen to the full episode with Barry, go to episode 355. —- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo .

Ovagen Group Limited, an innovation-led Irish biotech, has announced groundbreaking results from a Yellow Fever virus yield study that could transform the economics of global vaccine manufacturing. Conducted at The Pirbright Institute (UK), a world-renowned centre tackling viral diseases of livestock, the comparative study showed that Ovagen's Germ Free embryonated chicken eggs delivered up to 7,600 doses of yellow fever virus 17D per egg compared to just 422 doses per Specified Pathogen-Free (SPF) Egg using current industry standards. With a current global shortfall of 60 million yellow fever vaccines per year, Ovagen's technology can help scale up production of yellow fever vaccine production by reducing reliance on key raw material inputs such as SPF eggs, antibiotics, and downstream processing resources. More than 140,000 eggs would be required to satisfy the current global shortfall using current industry standards compared with just 7,894 eggs using Ovagen's technology. The improved yield also dramatically reduces the volume of antibiotics typically required in conventional egg-based manufacturing, helping to mitigate risks associated with antimicrobial resistance and lowering overall production costs. Speaking about the results of the study, Dr. Catherine Caulfield, CEO of Ovagen said: "What we have developed isn't incremental, it's a complete rethink of the vaccine manufacturing process. Our germ free egg platform eliminates bacterial contamination and reduces the need for antibiotics in vaccine production, while delivering significantly higher viral yield. This is high-impact science with high-value commercial outcomes." The results of the Pirbright Institute study using Ovagen's technology demonstrated that: Ovagen Germ Free eggs resulted in 7,606 doses of Yellow Fever vaccine per egg VERSUS 6 doses & 422 doses per SPF egg, respectively, from two leading SPF egg suppliers Up to a 5-fold lower interferon beta response, boosting viral replication. The technology offers immediate scalability and significant margins for manufacturers, all while reducing waste and environmental impact. For public health systems and vaccine developers alike, it enables faster response times, lower costs, and increased resilience in the face of a public health crisis. Backed by Enterprise Ireland, Ovagen represents a standout opportunity in Europe's deep tech and biotech sectors. With growing global demand for scalable, clean, and efficient vaccine platforms, the company is now positioned for rapid international growth. Tom Cusack, Head of Industrial & Life Sciences at Enterprise Ireland, said: "Enterprise Ireland is proud to support Ovagen as they continue to scale their innovation and ambition. Their germ-free egg technology shows real potential to drive greater efficiency in vaccine manufacturing, and it's encouraging to see this level of innovation emerging from the West of Ireland. Ovagen's progress highlights the strength of Ireland's biotech sector and the impact that Irish companies can have on global health challenges." Ovagen was founded with the ambitious goal of developing the world's first commercially viable germ-free egg production system for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Having secured over €21 million in funding through a mix of private investment, promoter funds, VC, EU research grants, and EIC Accelerator backing, the company has developed a state-of-the-art facility, secured global patent protection, sales traction and validated significantly higher viral yields compared to industry-standard SPF eggs. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to disc...

University of Galway spin-out Lua Health has officially launched its next-generation, AI-powered, workforce wellbeing intelligence platform. Founded in 2023, Lua has pioneered proprietary AI algorithms capable of accurately detecting early indicators of declining wellbeing based on how a person writes. Lua is fully GDPR-compliant and 100% anonymised, integrating seamlessly with enterprise communication tools like Microsoft Teams and deploying in under a week. Designed for enterprise scale, Lua delivers a real-time, evidence-based solution for organisations ready to move from reactive care to proactive, precision-led wellbeing. New employee wellbeing platform created by Lua Health By discreetly analysing written language across workplace communication platforms, Lua identifies early signs of stress, burnout, and disengagement - without accessing private messages or individual identities. Employees may receive personalised, opt-in prompts to support self-awareness, while leaders gain aggregated insights at the team, department, or location level. The result is timely, data-driven intervention that improves outcomes and prevents issues before they escalate. A spin-out of University of Galway's Business Innovation Centre and Insight, the Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics, Lua was founded by University alumnus Dr Mihael Arcan. Dr Mihael Arcan, founder and chief executive of Lua, said: "While it is about identifying issues as early as possible, it is also about creating a workplace that is appealing and placing a priority on attracting and retaining talent." Lua has been backed by Enterprise Ireland's commercialisation fund and private investment company Growing Capital. Gianni Matera, Founder of Growing Capital, said: "With Lua, organisations can move from reactive care to precision wellbeing - building healthier, higher-performing teams. We are proud to support Lua's mission to help individuals better understand and manage their wellbeing before issues become crises." Lua's technology is research-driven, interdisciplinary innovation at the intersection of AI and psychology - designed to deliver measurable wellbeing outcomes, reduce attrition, and demonstrate clear return on investment. Lua combines behavioural science, data analytics and enterprise technology to deliver a disruptive approach to organisational wellbeing. By passively analysing written language and interaction patterns within enterprise communication platforms like Microsoft Teams, Lua detects early indicators of stress, burnout and disengagement. These insights enable precisely targeted, personalised interventions, improving outcomes while reducing the burden on internal teams. Lua is helping forward-thinking companies deliver personalised, data-informed support at scale. One such partnership is with the CPL Group, a consultancy business that explores, questions and designs future work solutions. Maria Souza, Future of Work Institute, CPL Group, said: "Lua presents a highly impressive and insightful approach. What stood out most is the significant value it can deliver through its methodology alone." See more breaking stories here.

Over 6,500 SMEs have been directly supported by the all-of-Government National Enterprise Hub (NEH) in the first 12 months since its launch. The top grants availed of by businesses ranged in value from €3,000 to €7,000 and focused on supporting businesses with cashflow, expansion and productivity to help them deal with concerns around rising costs, and competitiveness. The National Enterprise Hub has attracted over 220,000 active online users to its website over the last 12 months and also offers a full-time dedicated phone line, connecting business owners with specialist advisors who can discuss potential grant options over the phone. The National Enterprise Hub, an initiative of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Enterprise Ireland, brings together information and resources on over 250 Government supports from 30 different Departments and State Agencies. Looking ahead, there will be a continued and renewed focus on simplifying business grant applications for SMEs engaging with the National Enterprise Hub. The businesses are from a range of industries however the majority fall within Tourism & Hospitality, retail & consumer products, food, health & beauty, professional services and the construction sector. This free service makes it easier and more efficient for businesses to access and avail of supports such as grants, funding, loans and expert advice across a range of sectors. Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said, "With over 6,500 companies engaging in its first 12 months, the National Enterprise Hub has proven effective in streamlining and simplifying access for SMEs to government supports, equipping them with vital digital and sustainability resources to navigate rising costs and stay competitive. Research from my Department shows that four in five businesses believe sustainability is important. An awareness campaign is currently underway showcasing how the NEH can support businesses in cutting costs through grants such as the LEO's Energy Efficiency Grant and SEAI's Business Energy Upgrade Scheme. My focus now with the NEH is on reducing administrative burdens and red tape for businesses by consolidating multiple grant applications into a single, simplified process. We must redouble our efforts to simplify processes for businesses and make sure that we think about small businesses first. I look forward to its continued growth and positive impact on Irish SMEs." Conor O'Donovan, Head of Start-Ups and the National Enterprise Hub, said: "SME engagement with the National Enterprise Hub has met and exceeded our targets to date, supporting 6,500 businesses within our first year of operation. One of the main aims of the Hub was to engage with businesses who haven't availed of government supports to date and to make the process of availing of government supports faster and easier." "We know that Irish SMEs are operating in a complex environment and being able to access grants and supports is more important than ever. Small businesses who are engaging with the National Enterprise Hub are concerned about rising cost of business and competitiveness - that is why a single source of government supports for businesses is important to ensure that accessing the right information is made easier. The National Enterprise Hub has a team of dedicated advisors who are directing SMEs to the right support that will help them. It's for every business in the country and we'd encourage every business to go online to neh.gov.ie or pick up the phone and start the conversation around your business needs today." Audrey Hughes, CEO of Principle HR, said: "Like so many Irish SMEs, we are focused on providing the highest quality of service delivery to our customers, while remaining competitive. Accessing government supports to assist can feel daunting but the National Enterprise Hub made the process so much easier by putting us in contact with the right agency whose support and expertise fitted our n...

Registrations are now open for the National AI Challenge 2025, a hackathon-style initiative by TechIreland, for developers and AI enthusiasts from across Ireland to collaborate and build practical AI solutions addressing real-world problems. With strong uptake recorded from across developer communities, organisers are expecting to complete registrations before 10th August - the scheduled closing date. Inspired by Ireland's national AI strategy, "AI - Here for Good," the Challenge emphasises people-centred, ethical AI development across diverse sectors including FinTech, InsurTech, Health, Enterprise Solutions, Public Services, ImmersiveTech, Sustainability, among other impact-driven themes. National AI Challenge 2025 to Drive AI Innovation Supported by Enterprise Ireland, Data2Sustain EDIH, Google, and OpenAI, the 2025 Challenge has attracted interest and support from prominent industry groups such as ITAG, InsTech.ie, and Eirmersive, alongside global companies implementing AI such as Millennium Management and the leading AI Platform, Workday - both organisations expanding their presence in Ireland, reflecting the country's world-class technology talent. With hundreds of participants signing-up, ten leading innovation hubs have stepped forward to support as Challenge Venues and host the final in-person day, following two-week of remote collaboration. This year, teams are encouraged to develop either innovative solutions or efficiency-driven agentic workflows to tackle pressing industry challenges. Google and OpenAI provide participants with complimentary access to their advanced AI tools, along with technical guidance from their teams. Both organisations have been longstanding supporters of the initiative, ensuring a valuable educational experience for participants. Now entering its second year, the Challenge has expanded its network to include nearly 30 partner organisations and coding communities nationwide to enhance collaboration and impact. On 11th August, all registered participants will be invited to the AI Challenge opening webinar for briefings and guidelines. Sean Blanchfield - Founder & CEO of agentic AI startup Jentic, will talk about building with AI primer, inspiring the application of AI for meaningful outcomes. These top teams announced on the final in-person day will have the opportunity to showcase their projects at the National AI Meet 2025 on 18th September in Galway, where the National AI Challenge 2025 winners will be announced. Participants from last year reported a steep learning curve during the Challenge, with two teams even evolving into fledgling startups. The National AI Challenge Steering Group is confident that this year's Challenge will also bring to light innovative solutions and workflows. Challenge Highlights An ideation and consultation period to shape ideas with sector and technical experts Two full weeks to build AI solutions Local demo events at more than 10 hubs nationwide A final showcase for top teams at the National AI Meet in Galway on 18 September Key Dates 10 August: Registration closes (free to enter) 11 August to 21 August: Team formation, ideation webinars and preparation 22 August to 4 September: Build phase 5 September: Regional in-person presentation day 18 September: National showcase in Galway Participants must be based in Ireland or Northern Ireland, and must be at least 18 years of age. The event continues to champion the principles of ethical AI design, inclusion, and collaboration, placing a strong emphasis on learning and impact over competition. For more information, and to register: CLICK Commentary from Key Stakeholders: Brian Caulfield, Chair - TechIreland: TechIreland is proud to be hosting the second edition of the National AI Challenge, together with our sponsors and supporters. AI is here to stay and will have profound impacts on society. We can't ignore it. Ireland needs to be a leader in driving considered, ethical adoption of AI. We hope that the National...

CeADAR, Ireland's Centre for AI, this month celebrated enrolling its 1,500th learner in AI for You, an online course for Irish enterprises and public sector organisations who want to increase their AI awareness and literacy and boost their knowledge of regulations governing AI, such as the EU AI Act. The AI for You programme was developed by CeADAR in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE). The course is fully funded, supported by CeADAR's European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) for AI programme, which itself is funded by Enterprise Ireland and the European Commission. The programme is self-paced, so it can be completed in a learner's own time, and is made up of five modules, including introduction to AI, the concepts underpinning AI, the applications and impacts of AI, the future with AI, and AI governance and the EU AI Act. The first-ever legal framework on AI, the EU AI Act sets out rules for AI providers and those that deploy AI technology on the specific uses of AI. The EU AI Act came into effect in August last year. Those interested in enrolling in the programme can do so by following the instructions on the CeADAR website (www.ceadar.ie/edih/skills-and-training/). The EDIH is a €700m European initiative comprising of more than 160 tech hubs across 30 countries. CeADAR's selection as the EDIH for AI in Ireland came with an initial funding boost of €6 million over three years. The award is jointly supported by the EU and the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Minister Smyth, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation said: "I am very pleased with the success of the AI for You online course and I congratulate CeADAR on the achievement of enrolling the 1500th learner. This reflects the growing appetite for AI skills in Ireland but also our commitment to equipping citizens and businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in the digital age." CeADAR's Director of Innovation and Development and EDIH for AI Programme Director, Dr. Ricardo Simon Carbajo said: "This is a significant milestone and is contributing to companies and public sector organisation's ability to understand and comply with the EU AI Act. We thank all those who signed up for this course and look forward to welcoming more in the future." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Jarvio, the Dublin start-up that puts an AI operator behind every Amazon storefront, has raised €1.5 million in pre-seed funding. Backers include senior executives from Amazon, Target, Wayflyer, Meta and MongoDB; Brian Caulfield and HBAN angel investors; and institutional investors Darius Cubed, Baseline VC, Enterprise Ireland, NDRC and an Accel Scout Fund. The funding will accelerate engineering hires, automation development and U.S. expansion. It follows strong traction in Jarvio's private beta, where more than 650 brands have joined the waitlist in recent months. Rick Kelley, HBAN angel investor, said, "I'm delighted to support the Jarvio team who are helping businesses overcome the friction that comes with enabling e-commerce on Amazon, the largest platform in the world. As Amazon continues to be on nearly every phone in the western world, Jarvio will help merchants drive success." The journey began with Jake Ryan and Connor Mulholland, who met at University College Dublin and later launched a boutique Amazon agency after flipping everything from plastic dinosaurs to 12,000 candles during the pandemic. After years of manually solving the same operational challenges for clients, they realised the answer wasn't more services -it was smarter software. "eCommerce brands shouldn't have to juggle dashboards or get buried in fragmented tools just to grow," said Ryan, co-founder and CEO. " Jarvio gives teams their time back and lets them focus on what really matters, growing the business, not managing the chaos." The pain point is clear: most Amazon merchants rely on a maze of disconnected apps to run their business - wasting time, obscuring data, stalling scale, and driving up staffing costs. Jarvio offers a new model. More than just an Amazon tool, it acts as the hub for your entire eCommerce operation. It integrates with everything from marketplace software to Gmail, Slack, and task managers - bringing all your operations and workflows into one place. No more switching tabs or stitching together tools. Just one prompt-driven interface to run your business. "We're not building another tool to put in the box of eCommerce tools," Mulholland added. "We're building the box." In 2024, JD O'Hea joined as co-founder and CTO to chart Jarvio's AI roadmap. With deep expertise in AI, machine learning, and eCommerce, O'Hea set out a technical vision for a platform designed to redefine how eCommerce brands operate. Alongside founding engineer Joseph Tummon, they kicked off development of what's now Jarvio's AI foundation. Since then, the team has built relentlessly: through late nights in Dogpatch Labs, a stint in a San Francisco hacker house, and now, as part of the NDRC Accelerator and with €1.5m in fresh funding, they're scaling Jarvio into the operating system for modern eCommerce. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, has today commenced a two-day Enterprise Ireland investment mission, focused on strengthening ties with some of the largest Irish-owned global businesses that are headquartered in Ireland. This investment mission will see Minister Burke visiting and engaging with a number of Ireland's homegrown multinational companies at their offices here in Ireland. Discussions will focus on exploring new opportunities for further investment in Ireland, addressing global opportunities and challenges, and potential areas for further collaboration with Ireland's entrepreneurial and research ecosystems. This is the first such investment mission from Enterprise Ireland, led by the agency's new Global Irish Business Unit which was established last year to focus on stimulating investment and deepening relations with global Irish businesses who are making significant contributions to the Irish economy. Over the course of the two days, a number of Enterprise Ireland client companies are set to provide the Minister with updates on business activities, including Ryanair, Kingspan, ICON PLC, Uniphar and Smurfit Westrock. This two-day investment mission demonstrates a commitment to nurturing indigenous global businesses, and provides a platform for significant discussions with the leadership teams from these companies around potential opportunities to expand their operations here. A key objective of the mission is to encourage more value add-activity by these global leaders in Ireland, and to help connect them further with the various aspects of the Irish entrepreneurial and research ecosystems, maximising their contribution to Ireland's economy This strategic investment mission comes as Enterprise Ireland last week confirmed that exports from Irish-owned companies supported by the agency reached a record €36.75bn in 2024, up 7% on the year prior. Employment at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland also reached record levels last year, with 234,454 people employed in these businesses around the country. Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting companies at all stages of growth, including companies on their scaling journey. In our recently published new five-year strategy, 'Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025-2029)', Enterprise Ireland outlined an ambition of increasing the number of world-leading Irish companies, with targets of; 275,000 employed in Enterprise Ireland supported companies by the end of 2029, €50 billion in export sales, and having 150 large Irish exporting companies of more than 250 employees supported by Enterprise Ireland by the end of the five-year strategy. Speaking this morning as he commenced this investment mission, Minister Burke said; "Nurturing the development of homegrown Irish success stories is of huge importance to this government, and this investment mission provides a unique opportunity to engage directly with some of Ireland's top business leaders, to identify new opportunities for growth, and to understand more about challenges they are facing. Engaging and meeting directly with entrepreneurs and leaders is hugely important in terms of understanding challenges facing the Irish enterprise base, and I am delighted to lead this important investment mission." The travelling delegation, which will be led by Minister Burke with support from Jenny Melia, CEO Designate of Enterprise Ireland, also provides an opportunity to highlight Ireland as an ideal location for new centres of excellence in digitalisation, research and development, HR, finance, and sustainability. Jenny Melia, CEO Designate, Enterprise Ireland said; "Working with Irish companies at all stages of their growth journey is at the centre of everything we do in Enterprise Ireland. Scaling companies is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland, and it is our long-term ambition that exporting Irish companies become the primary driver of the Irish economy. "A number of important facto...

IdeasLab, University of Galway's hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, has celebrated student entrepreneurs and innovators at the 2025 Start100 programme. Now in its fourth year, the six-week incubator brings in partners from the world of business and enterprise to support students and student teams as they develop early-stage business ideas. The programme culminated in a Demo Day, where the students pitched their ideas to a panel of expert judges and an audience of peers, mentors and leaders in enterprise. Sean Allen, from Four Mile House, Co Roscommon, showcased his concept - LeukoCheck - an early-stage idea for a continuous blood monitoring system designed to support ICU patients. It explores how real-time biomarker analysis might enable earlier detection of sepsis and, in time, contribute to improved patient outcomes. He was inspired by his family's personal experience of undetected sepsis. Sean Allen was recently awarded the Séamus McDermott Entrepreneurial Scholarship, sponsored by The Liffey Trust, in partnership with IdeasLab at University of Galway. The 'One to Watch' award, sponsored by WestBIC, was presented to Joseph Tannian, a PhD student in the University's College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The award recognises the potential of his concept - DuaLine - which aims to reimagine diabetes care. Building on scientific advances that have extended the lifespan of implants from just three to four days to up to eight weeks, DuaLine seeks to explore how these breakthroughs could be translated into real-world impact through the design of a compact, next-generation pump. Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: "Congratulations to both of our innovative students on receiving their Start100 2025 awards by demonstrating such exceptional ideas and entrepreneurial talent. Our students are not just preparing for the future - they are helping to shape it. Start100 is a powerful expression of University of Galway's commitment to innovation with impact. Through IdeasLab, we foster creativity, collaboration and the confidence to tackle complex challenges. In a rapidly changing world, this kind of applied, values-driven learning is essential - not just for our students, but for the future of our society and economy." Méabh Conaghan, Regional Director for the West and North-West Regions, Enterprise Ireland, said: "The Start100 series of incubation supports are to be commended as they help students to explore, develop and validate their ideas in a structured and safe environment. Enterprise Ireland is delighted to collaborate with University of Galway and its IdeasLab team on Start100 2025. "It is a privilege to preview the project ideas, and I am excited to say that there are some strong business prospects in the mix. Enterprise Ireland welcomes the Start100 initiative, recognising it as an avenue for future enterprise success and is happy to support this worthwhile programme. Supports that encourage and develop student entrepreneurship at all levels are crucial to a vibrant start-up ecosystem." Start100 is designed to nurture creativity, confidence and entrepreneurial thinking through a blend of mentorship, skills-building workshops and real-world exposure. This year's students explored diverse opportunities and challenges across sectors such as health innovation, education, accessibility, AI, and creative technologies. Each team worked closely with a mentor from their field, while expert-led sessions focused on market validation, storytelling, tax, intellectual property and pitch delivery. Students were also hosted by CREW and Platform94, strengthening their understanding of the regional innovation ecosystem. Guest speakers included leaders from Enterprise Ireland, WestBIC, and the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), the award-winning SymPhysis Medical and Start100 alumni Sam O'Neill from Rowteic. Final pitches at Demo Day were evaluated by an expert judging panel: Dr. Helen McBreen, Pa...

AI-powered enterprise intelligence and automation platform Oraion has announced it has raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed funding round to support product development and accelerate expansion into the US and Latin America. The investment will also enable Oraion to expand its team, with the aim of tripling the workforce to 45 staff focused on engineering, R&D, and go-to-market by the end of 2026. As demand grows for secure and reliable AI solutions, Oraion's intelligence platform provides enterprises a direct line from raw data to clear decision-making in seconds, providing them with deep insights and integrating automatically into existing workflows without disruption. Over the past year, Oraion has gone from stealth mode to landing enterprise customers across e-commerce, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, private equity, investment management, and financial services. As a remote-first company, Oraion is seeking strategic talent in the US and worldwide to accelerate their vision, close to their customers, with location flexibility to attract the best industry talent. The pre-seed round was led by US-based Studio VC, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York City, with several high-profile backers including Enterprise Ireland and angel investors such as Paul Forster, Co-founder of Indeed.com; Aidan Corbett, Co-founder and CEO at Wayflyer; Gearoid O'Brien, Principal Data Scientist at YouTube; Juho Parkkinen, CFO of the Burning Man Project; Angus Miln, Partner at Cooley LLP; Maurice O'Donoghue, serial entrepreneur; Adam Wilson, Nordea Bank; Maria O'Brien, Partner at SOSV; and Pierre-Antoine Porte, OpenAI. Oraion is an AI-powered platform that makes raw enterprise data instantly useful. Teams across any industry can chat with their enterprise data to surface insights in real time and predict and prepare for business events before they happen, all using Oraion to accelerate data to action. Oraion's agents interrogate internal and external systems, extracting context and content to deliver current recommendations in time-sensitive and data-dense arenas such as investment intelligence, customer sentiment analysis, and workflow automation. The platform can serve as a company's enterprise data store or seamlessly connect with their existing data infrastructure, supporting over 300 data sources. By integrating directly with productivity applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more, executives can interact with Oraion through their existing applications, receiving the responses needed to make high-impact, data-driven decisions faster. Oraion acts as a trusted single source of truth that powers smarter, faster outcomes for enterprises. According to the 2025 State of Analytics Engineering Report, 80 percent of data professionals now use AI daily, up from 30 percent last year, signaling a major shift in how enterprises handle data. Yet 57 percent still spend most of their time maintaining or organizing data sets instead of driving business decisions, a persistent imbalance that limits the strategic impact data teams can make. Oraion is leading the way in helping teams move beyond routine tasks to focus on high-leverage work. Commenting on the investment, Alexander Walsh, Co-Founder and CEO, said: "This investment is an important step on our journey to transform how enterprises harness their data. It will accelerate our expansion and fuel the continuous evolution of our platform to deliver unparalleled actionable insights at scale. We are driven by a bold vision to secure 50 percent market share of Fortune 500 companies within the next three years. This funding brings us one step closer to reshaping the future of enterprise intelligence." Joe Coyne, Managing Partner, Studio VC, added: "We back founders who are ahead of the curve, and the Oraion team is building exactly where the enterprise world is going, toward more autonomous intelligent systems designed to serve humans, not replace them. Agentic AI isn't just a trend...

Fenergo has announced 300 new jobs at its global HQ in Dublin. This is part of a €100 million Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) expansion plan supported by Enterprise Ireland. In addition to the new roles in Ireland, which will double the domestic headcount, Fenergo is creating new jobs across its international markets to meet increasing demand for its AI-powered solutions. A total of 500 new positions will be filled by the company globally within the next three years. With support from Enterprise Ireland, Fenergo has also invested in a new RD&I Centre of Excellence at its Dublin HQ where the new Irish roles will be based, supporting Fenergo's innovation strategy. The new roles will enable Fenergo to further deliver on its mission to support financial institutions in fighting financial crime and creating a safer world. Fenergo will continue to build out its intelligent, AI-powered solutions for client lifecycle management (CLM), anti-money laundering (AML) and Know your Customer (KYC). This suite of solutions forms Fenergo's FinCrime Operating System, which addresses all anti-financial crime events and operations, transforming compliance from a burden into a strategic competitive advantage. Recruitment for the new roles is now underway, with candidates being sought for a wide range of mid-level engineering and R&D positions. Fenergo is also rolling out a graduate programme with the intention to appoint up to 30 university graduates. Interested candidates can find more information about the new jobs and submit applications via: Let's Grow Together | Fenergo. Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD welcomed the jobs announcement: "The government and Enterprise Ireland are committed to supporting and accelerating the scaling of ambitious, innovation-led Irish companies. Fenergo is a clear example of ambition in action - a company that has expanded at pace since it first launched in 2009, and one which today represents a standout financial technology solutions provider both globally and domestically. Today's announcement not only represents significant job creation within the Irish market and excellent opportunities for our homegrown talent, but it also reinforces our position as one of the largest and most important tech hubs in Europe. I would like to commend Fenergo on this milestone expansion and their continued investment in Ireland, which I'm confident will underpin further growth for the company while supporting our economy." Marc Murphy, CEO and Founder of Fenergo, said: "I am delighted to announce Fenergo's significant expansion in Ireland with the creation of 300 jobs at our new RD&I Centre of Excellence, which was made possible with the considerable support and investment we have received from Enterprise Ireland. This investment and growth of our Irish operations reflect our confidence in the excellent talent pool we have in this country, and a market where innovative thinking, entrepreneurship and evolving technology will propel Fenergo to new heights. With AI at the core of our RD&I strategy, we are committed to delivering future-proof solutions for financial institutions in Ireland, across Europe, the UK, America, the Middle East and Asia - supporting them during times of intensifying geopolitical tension and regulatory uncertainty. "We are actively recruiting for the new roles already, and I would strongly encourage prospective candidates to consider applying and join our world-class team of change-makers at Fenergo - shaping the future of financial services operations through innovation and AI." Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: "Ambitious companies like Fenergo embody Enterprise Ireland's mission that Irish-owned, globally focused companies will be the primary driver of our economy. Fenergo, announcing 500 new jobs today, is a great example of an innovative Irish company growing customers, adding RD&I to drive forward AI-powered solutions and creating an impact ...

Two Enterprise Ireland-backed companies have won funding approvals of up to €18.75m in the latest competition under Horizon Europe's European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme. The two successful companies are CroíValve and Lios. Enterprise Ireland leads the National Support Network for Horizon Europe which helps entrepreneurs to compete and win funding in EIC competitions. To date, 28 Irish companies have secured approvals totalling €175.5m under the EIC Accelerator Programme since the beginning of Horizon Europe in 2021. Trinity College Dublin spin-out company CroíValve is a clinical-stage medical device company focused on developing a minimally invasive device for the treatment of a severe cardiac disease called tricuspid regurgitation. CroíValve's DUO Tricuspid Coaptation Valve system will enable a non-surgical solution for the condition as currently less than one percent of elderly patients receive surgical treatment due to the risks involved in this population. CroíValve previously received funding under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund which is administered by Enterprise Ireland and supports research collaboration to drive disruptive technology development. Lios, a pioneer in acoustic advanced materials technology, is a Dublin company with strong Sligo roots. SoundBounce is an advanced acoustic material developed by Lios that works better than traditional sound dampening materials. Transport, home appliances, power generation, and construction are among the major industries seeking to reduce noise levels. Part of the EU's Horizon Europe 2021-2027 Research and Innovation Programme, the EIC Accelerator Programme provides transformational funding to high-potential, high-risk start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs. Approvals include grant funding of up to €2.5 million combined with an equity investment ranging from €0.5 to €10 million in a blended finance offer. 959 applications were submitted to this latest competition with 150 companies subsequently selected for interview resulting in a total of 40 funding awards to 16 countries. The 40 companies were allocated funding of up to €229m in a combination of grants and equity investments. Almost one third of the selected companies were led by a woman in a key leadership role such as CEO, CTO or CSO. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth TD said: "Today's announcement is testament to the research and innovation capability of Irish companies and the vibrancy of the start-up and commercialisation eco-system. Collaboration between Higher Education, state agencies, investors, and business creates a pathway to success, and the government, through Enterprise Ireland, is committed to helping enterprises like Lios and CroíValve to realise their commercial potential. This announcement provides significant funding to support these companies to bring their innovations to the global market, and I wish both every success for the future." Jenny Melia, CEO Designate, Enterprise Ireland, said: "I'd like to congratulate Lios and CroíValve on their successful applications to the highly competitive EIC Accelerator programme. Both companies, working with the EIC, will be able to enhance their entrepreneurial capability and get the critical support required at this juncture in their development and scaling journey. It is particularly welcome to see that both projects have a female-inclusive leadership team which supports Enterprise Ireland's strategic ambition to increase the participation of women in entrepreneurship and business leadership." Lucy O'Keeffe, Co-Founder & CEO, CroíValve said: "Securing European Innovation Council (EIC) funding is very impactful in supporting full alignment of our novel technology with this complex patient population, along with expansion of clinical validation of our DUO System. There is a real unmet clinical need to provide a scalable treatment option for the heterogeneous patient population with tricuspi...

In this Mentor Moment, economist Stephen Kinsella joins Gary Fox to break down the patterns behind economic booms and busts - and why the seeds of the next crisis are often sown during the good times. Stephen explains the theory of financial instability, the role of credit, and how euphoria can quickly turn to fear. He also explores what could trigger Ireland's next major economic shock and how global forces shape our future. If you're a founder, investor, or simply curious about what's coming next, this is essential listening. To listen to the full episode with Stephen, look for episode 363.  ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Dean Klatt, the Australian founder of Seed Golf, who built a global direct-to-consumer golf brand… from Carlow. Dean shares the story of how he reverse-engineered premium golf balls, bootstrapped his way to international markets, and took on billion-dollar brands without a cent spent on advertising in the early days. From wind tunnels in rural Ireland to handwritten letters to YouTubers, this episode is a masterclass in strategic thinking, resourcefulness, and challenger brand building. If you're a founder aiming to disrupt a traditional industry or simply love a good “from zero to one” story, this is a must-listen. Show Notes In this episode, we cover: ⛳ The unconventional path from golf distributor in Australia to founder of Seed Golf in Ireland

Different paths. Shared ambition. Founders in conversation at StartUp Ballymun With the preparations complete, the twelfth edition of StartUp Ballymun takes place on Wednesday 25 June in Ballymun Civic Centre, Dublin 9. This year's event continues the tradition of supporting and encouraging entrepreneurship across Dublin's northside and beyond. StartUp Ballymun returns Find out more and book your ticket here StartUp Ballymun 2025 . Funded by Dublin City Council through its Ballymun Area Office, StartUp Ballymun has grown over the years into a valuable platform for entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners. The event is free to attend but pre-booking is essential. A local event with a clear purpose The heart of StartUp Ballymun is simple. It exists to give practical encouragement to people who are starting or growing their own businesses. This is not a conference for large companies or serial investors. The event is designed for founders at different stages, early-stage entrepreneurs, self-employed, family businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs and those considering their first steps into enterprise. It attracts people from Ballymun and the surrounding areas, as well as entrepreneurs from nearby Finglas, Santry, Glasnevin, Blanchardstown and across Dublin. For those who attend, StartUp Ballymun offers access to stories, advice and insights from business owners who have already taken the same journey. The 2025 theme: Innovation in Action Every year, the event builds around a theme. For 2025, the focus is on practical innovation. It is not about big theories or abstract ideas but how business owners are adapting to change, responding to challenges, and using new tools to improve what they do. Fireside conversation: Bobby Healy Alongside the usual panel, for the first time StartUp Ballymun will feature a fireside conversation with one of Ireland's best-known tech entrepreneurs. Bobby Healy, founder and CEO of Manna Drone Delivery, will join us to share his story. Bobby's work in autonomous drone technology has attracted international attention, but his earlier entrepreneurial journey, including building CarTrawler into a global platform, offers many insights for small business founders. For the audience, the fireside chat offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who has developed and led truly disruptive businesses, while staying firmly grounded in Irish enterprise. The speakers: entrepreneurs sharing real experiences At the centre of the event is the Panel of Entrepreneurs. This year, five Founders will take part, each giving a short talk about their business story. They will share how they started, the challenges they faced, the changes they made, and how they are now using innovation to grow. These are honest accounts of starting and running businesses, including the reality of setbacks and the constant process of adapting. The confirmed speakers this year include Edezima Onilanle of Mamashee, Kevin Murphy of 2GoCup , Sinéad Ryan from Little Fitness, Lucie Cunningham of The Homeshare and Eileen McHugh of Hair Together. Each of these businesses is actively trading and delivering services, employing staff, serving customers and responding to changing markets. Supported by local partners and agencies Dince 2016 StartUp Ballymun has been organised by Billy Linehan of Celtar Advisers and Liam Barry of Dublin City Council on behalf of the Ballymun Area Office of Dublin City Council. Dublin's longest running start-up event receives strong support from many local agencies and networks who promote entrepreneurship in the area. Each year, agencies such as LEO Dublin City, Enterprise Ireland and other partners assist with promoting the event and encouraging participation. The collective support ensures that StartUp Ballymun remains open, inclusive and free to attend. An open invitation to join us If you are a business owner, a founder, or someone simply curious about starting a business, StartUp Ballymun offers a fri...

A team of researchers at Trinity College Dublin has received €500,000 in funding to develop an AI-enabled platform to help teachers create assessments and provide formative feedback to learners. The project is called Diotima and is supported by The Learnovate Centre, a global research and innovation centre in learning technology in Trinity College Dublin. Diotima began its partnership with Learnovate in February this year and is expected to spin out as a company in 2026. The €500,000 funding was granted under Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund, which supports third-level researchers to translate their research into innovative and commercially viable products, services and companies. Diotima supports teaching practice by using responsible AI to provide learners with feedback, leading to more and better assessments and improved learning outcomes for students, and a more manageable workload for teachers. The project was co-founded by Siobhan Ryan, a former secondary school teacher, biochemist and environmental scientist, and Jonathan Dempsey, an EdTech professional with both start-up and corporate experience. Associate Professor Ann Devitt, Head of the Trinity School of Education, and Carl Vogel, Professor of Computational Linguistics and Director of the Trinity Centre for Computing and Language Studies, are serving as co-principal investigators on the project. Diotima received the funding in February. Since then, the project leaders have established an education advisory group formed of representatives from post-primary and professional education organisations. The Enterprise Ireland funding has facilitated the hiring of two post-doctoral researchers. They are now leading AI research ahead of the launch of an initial version of the platform in September 2025. Diotima aims to conduct two major trials of the platform as they also seek investment. Co-founder Siobhan Ryan is Diotima's Learning Lead. After a 12-year career in the brewing industry with Diageo, Siobhan re-trained as a secondary school teacher before leaving the profession to develop the business case for a formative assessment and feedback platform. Her experience in the classroom made her realise that she could have a greater impact by leveraging AI to create a platform to support teachers in a safe, transparent, and empowering way. Her fellow co-founder Jonathan Dempsey is Commercial Lead at Diotima. He had been CEO of the Enterprise Ireland-backed EdTech firm Digitary, which is now part of multinational Instructure Inc. He held the role of Director of UK and Ireland for US education system provider Ellucian and Head of Education and Education Platforms for Europe with Indian multinational TCS. Jonathan has a wealth of experience at bringing education technologies to market. Learnovate Centre Director Nessa McEniff says: "We are delighted to have collaborated with the Diotima team to secure €500,000 investment from Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund. Diotima promises to develop into a revolutionary platform for learners in secondary schools and professional education organisations, delivering formative feedback and better outcomes overall. We look forward to supporting them further as they continue to develop the platform in the months ahead." Enterprise Ireland Head of Research, Innovation and Infrastructure Marina Donohoe says: "Enterprise Ireland is delighted to support Diotima under the Commercialisation Fund. We look forward to seeing them continue in their mission to transform teaching practice through AI enabled assessment and feedback. We believe that the combination of excellence in AI and in education from Trinity College, expertise in education technology from the Learnovate Centre and focus on compliance with the EU AI Act and other regulations will see the Diotima team make a global impact". Diotima Learning Lead and co-founder Siobhan Ryan says: "We're delighted to have received such a significant award from the Enterprise Ireland C...

In this bite-sized Mentor Moment, DC Cahalane shares how a late diagnosis of ADHD transformed his understanding of himself — and his work. From battling procrastination to embracing what he once saw as flaws, DC opens up about the mental health rollercoaster that led to a powerful realization: ADHD wasn't a limitation, it was a lens. He unpacks why traditional productivity hacks failed him, how understanding brain chemistry changed everything, and why every founder — diagnosed or not — should read Faster Than Normal.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets Anthony Gallagher - the man behind Petstop, Ireland's most successful independent pet retailer. From sweeping floors at Penneys to nearly selling his dot-com startup for $42 million (before it all collapsed), Anthony's story is packed with lessons on grit, resilience, and building something that lasts. He shares how he bounced back from financial ruin using pure hustle, delivered pet food himself during lockdowns, and quietly scaled Petstop to €40 million in annual revenue—all while competing head-to-head with global giants. This is a masterclass in staying the course, putting people first, and never underestimating the power of showing up - week after week, store after store. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

What do you do when your business is on the brink of collapse? For Gary Lavin, it meant getting in his car and personally selling into 3,500 stores in 18 months. In this raw and honest moment, Gary shares how fear became his biggest motivator, why most people skip the hard (but essential) work of selling, and how doubling your store count can double your business — if you're willing to do the legwork. This is a must-listen for any founder struggling to grow or hesitant to sell. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1  --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo

Saor Water has been named the overall winner of the 2025 Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards. Ryan Ormonde and Jonathan Hoffman, from Saor Water, were named as the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneurs of the Year at a ceremony in TUD Blanchardstown, Dublin, where they were presented with their prize by Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO, Enterprise Ireland. Ten cutting-edge innovations which address a range of global challenges were shortlisted for the final of the 44th annual Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards, and these included cutting-edge medtech devices, sustainable solutions and pioneering sports tech-focused innovations. The Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards is focused on supporting students to turn their smart ideas into commercial businesses, and aims to encourage and stimulate entrepreneurship by helping students take what are often their first steps towards commercial success. This annual initiative, which invites applications from third-level student innovators, is co-sponsored by Cruickshank, Grant Thornton and the Local Enterprise Offices. This year's overall winner, Saor Water, provides a bespoke canned water solution for brands who are seeking a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles. They offer custom-branded aluminium cans and a low-minimum order service, which includes design, compliance, and logistics, and they are already working with high-profile clients such as Mercedes-Benz and Sculpted by Aimee. As the overall winners of this year's competition, Technological University Dublin students Ryan Ormonde and Jonathan Hoffman have won a €10,000 prize, as well as mentoring supports from Enterprise Ireland experts and advisors, focused on supporting them to develop their products and explore new market opportunities. Other prizes presented at this year's ceremony, which was hosted in TUD on Friday, included; The Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 was presented to Max Crinion-Morgan for his innovation, RespÉire. The Grant Thornton High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 was presented to David Cashman for his company, The WellSchools Network. The Local Enterprise Office High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 was presented to Sean O'Sullivan for his product, Lion's Reign. The Enterprise Ireland Academic Award, recognising the contribution of a third-level project supervisor, was awarded to Dr Margaret Tynan from South East Technological University. The other six finalists from this year's competition also received a prize of €1,500 each from the Enterprise Ireland Merit Awards Fund. In addition, this year's winners will also benefit from comprehensive business advice and mentoring support from Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office, Intellectual Property consultancy and protection from Cruickshank and business plan development from Grant Thornton. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said: "The Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards is an important annual event that honours students who are delivering innovative solutions which have the potential to drive real and positive change in society. "At Enterprise Ireland, Irish entrepreneurs and businesses are at the heart of everything we do. They are economic cornerstones in communities across the country. Our key objective is to Accelerate Sustainable Irish Business so that, in time, exporting Irish companies can become the primary driver of our economy. Key to this is strengthening our pipeline of early-stage companies with global potential, such as these innovators we are honouring in this year's Student Entrepreneur Awards. These Awards are a powerful example of how we can foster ambition, innovation, and international success from the very beginning of the entrepreneurial journey. "I would like to congratulate all of the finalists in this year's competition. You are the leaders of tomorrow - we look forward to supporting your journey and wish you eve...

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Lorraine Heskin, the trailblazing founder of Gourmet Food Parlour, one of Ireland's most successful independent hospitality groups. Lorraine shares her journey from selling Irish foods on the streets of Manhattan to opening a tiny 25-seater café off a side street in Dun Laoghaire - without investors, key money, or a culinary background. She reveals how she grew a brand that now spans restaurants, catering, corporate hospitality, and even cross-country expansion, all while maintaining a fierce loyalty to her team, her customers, and her values. This conversation is a masterclass in brand-building, resilience, and trusting your instincts - especially when the world tells you otherwise. Whether you're in food, retail, or simply thinking about taking the leap to start your own business, Lorraine's story will light a fire under you. ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

In this Mentor Moment from Episode 365 with Laura Bonner, founder of The Muff Liquor Company, she opens up about the mental practices that keep her grounded in business and life. Laura shares her unapologetic belief in therapy, the importance of taking time to reset, and why legacy isn't about being a great business person—but a great person. It's a raw, real reflection on healing, perspective, and purpose from one of the most authentic voices we've featured. ---- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1    --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee ---

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary sits down with Rory King, the founder of Rory's Travel Club- a radically simple subscription business that's quietly revolutionising travel in Ireland and beyond. With no investors, no fancy app, and no startup playbook, Rory turned a €10 Facebook idea into a thriving travel club with over 200,000 members, a 10-person team, and a blueprint to reach one million users. From sleeping in his car outside Applegreen Petrol Station to traveling to Sri Lanka with his customers, Rory shares his unfiltered journey of hustle, honesty, and high-impact email marketing. If you've ever wondered how to build a profitable business without venture capital - or how to make email sexy again - this episode is your masterclass. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

In this Mentor Moment from episode 370, Nadia Adan shares how she left a high-paying corporate job in finance to launch her own car dealership, Ashford Motors, just before the pandemic. With grit, intuition, and a flair for social media, Nadia built a thriving business from scratch—even as others called her a "backstreet garage." This short episode is packed with powerful insights on betting on yourself, overcoming cultural expectations, and building a brand with both heart and hustle. ___________________ Visit my partners: Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee  

In this powerful episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets Sean Brett – the unstoppable founder behind Steeltech Sheds. From painting houses with no experience to dominating Galway's coal market and eventually building Ireland's leading steel shed business, Sean shares a rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey packed with grit, hustle, and heart. With no formal education beyond the age of 14 and a background shaped by dyslexia and adversity, Sean embodies the very essence of resilience. He opens up about cold calling his way to success, reinventing himself through personal development, and why not caring what others think is the greatest entrepreneurial mindset of all. This is a must-listen for anyone who's ever doubted themselves, questioned their path, or needed a reminder that the best businesses often start with zero resources and pure belief.

A delegation of 140 of Ireland's top entrepreneurs, including tech entrepreneurs Liam Dunne of Klearcom, Gareth Sheridan of Nutriband Inc., Alan Doyle of Aerlytix, Eddie Dillon of CreditLogic and Conor Buckley of Granite Digital, are this week travelling to Japan for the annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year CEO Retreat. Running from Monday 26th to Saturday 31st May, the retreat will see the entrepreneurs travel between Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto as they participate in a comprehensive programme of executive coaching, education and networking, while also experiencing Japan's vibrant culture and traditions. This year's retreat will visit sites of major business, academic and diplomatic importance across Japan. Key visits will include SoftBank Corporation HQ where the group will meet with SoftBank President Kunihiro Fujinaga and Executive Vice President Daichi Nozaki, a 'Mini MBA' experience at Hitotsubashi University, delivered by leading Japanese academics Professor Yoshinori Fujikawa and Professor Hiroshi Ono, and Ireland House Tokyo, the centre of Ireland's diplomatic relations in Japan, where the group will meet with Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, Damien Cole. Later in the week, the group will immerse themselves in Japanese culture in Kyoto before concluding with a visit to the World Expo in Osaka. Japan is the world's fourth largest economy with enduring strengths in areas including innovation, technology, automotive and manufacturing. The existing trade relationship between Ireland and Japan is strong, with Japan positioned as Ireland's second-largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of the entrepreneurs travelling to Japan are already conducting business there, while others are seeking to expand their markets. The delegation includes this year's 24 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists as well as programme alumni representing a broad spectrum of industries and representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Julius Baer International. Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, said: "The CEO retreat is one of the highlights of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme and this year we are taking the biggest ever cohort of entrepreneurs on the retreat to Japan, for what will be Ireland's largest annual unofficial trade mission. Supported by Enterprise Ireland, Invest NI, and Julius Baer, our 140 entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to meet with local business leaders, academics and experts while also experiencing Japan's vibrant culture and traditions. "Japan is renowned as an innovative leader across various industries, including manufacturing, electronics, automotive and robotics, with world-class Japanese companies such as Sony, Honda, and Yamaha. It is a country rich in opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to expand beyond traditional markets and into the wider Asia-Pacific region, an area which continues to move from strength to strength. This retreat is an opportunity for Irish entrepreneurs to delve deeper into new market opportunities in Japan and expand their knowledge of business and trade in the region. "More broadly, our CEO Retreat is designed to enable entrepreneurs to have the space to step back, engage with their peers and think differently, to embrace new ideas and to push themselves even further. The retreat is also an opportunity for entrepreneurs to deepen business relationships with fellow participants, often leading to fruitful collaborations, which is a core element of the Entrepreneur Of The Year programme. We hope the retreat will inspire and energise our entrepreneurs and may even be the spark that ignites some great new and exciting business possibilities for this talented group of business leaders." Since its inception, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland community has grown into a tight-knit network of 650 alumni who harness each other's wealth of experience, with three-quarters (75%) conducting business with one another. Together, the ...

The nine (9) start-ups selected to participate in the second 6-month AI Ecosystem Accelerator Programme, which is being delivered by NovaUCD and CeADAR, Ireland's Centre for AI, at University College Dublin (UCD), have been announced today. The participating start-ups are; Ailtir, Leapifai, NestiFi, PacSana, Reactable AI, Run Audit, TrojanTrack, UniDoodle and UnitMode. See start-up profiles below. The focus of the programme, which has just commenced, is to support a cohort of entrepreneurs who are developing disruptive AI solutions in sectors including; advertising, construction, content creation, cybersecurity, education, finance, healthcare and sportstech, for a global market. The AI Ecosystem Accelerator Programme is funded through the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) framework, a Europe-wide initiative with funding of €700 million from both the European Commission and the Governments of member states. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, through Enterprise Ireland, is leading on the EDIH programme for Ireland. Michelle Doyle, Senior Manager, Strategic Innovation Partnerships, NovaUCD, said, "I would like to congratulate the nine start-ups which have been selected, following a very competitive selection process, to participate in our second AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme. Over the next few months, we will be supporting this dynamic cohort of Irish start-ups and entrepreneurs who are focused on using AI technologies to deliver a range of disruptive products and services, for the benefit of society, not only here in Ireland, but on a global stage. I wish them every success over the coming 6-months." Targeted supports for participants over the next 6-months include guidance from CeADAR's AI experts, and experienced commercial mentors, along with workshops on value proposition, scaling and investor readiness. Participants will also have access to collaborative co-working space at NovaUCD with the opportunity to connect with successful AI entrepreneurs, start-ups, corporates, investors and access to skilled interns. Dr Ricardo Simon Carbajo, Director of Innovation and Development, CeADAR, said, "The AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme is one of the key services of CeADAR's European Digital Innovation Hub programme. The CeADAR and NovaUCD teams look forward to supporting the participating entrepreneurs, who are leveraging the power of AI, through our knowledge, expertise and networks, as they accelerate their start-ups to the next stage of their entrepreneurial journeys." Among the eleven (11) start-ups which completed the inaugural programme in 2024 were, Customs Window Technologies, a RegTech start-up co-founded by Brian Murphy and Johnny Dunne and Wrksense, an AI-driven HR tech start-up transforming high-volume recruitment co-founded by Andrew Connolly and Ruaidhrí McDonnell. The 2025 AI Ecosystem Accelerator Programme will end with a showcase event in October.

In this bite-sized Mentor Moment from Episode 384, David Jelly, founder of Property Bridges, joins Gary Fox to dissect two of Ireland's biggest challenges: why people aren't investing — despite sitting on billions in cash — and why startups struggle to retain talent in a post-COVID world. From cultural mindsets to broken incentives, David gets honest about what needs to change. Whether you're a founder, investor, or just trying to make sense of Ireland's economic contradictions, this moment will provide some useful food for thought on investing in Ireland, and how to shape your team in our hybrid working world.  ------ Visit my partners:  Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland  Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE  Nostra: https://bit.ly/nostraee

A company who has created an AI patient care system that can eliminate inefficiencies in patient appointments has taken the top prize at the National Enterprise Awards. SPRYT is a virtual assistant that can liaise directly with patients on appointments via simple SMS communications to ensure appointment completion and can effectively reallocate appointments in real-time to eliminate no shows and doctor and consultant wastage. The company was set up by Neill Dunwoody and Daragh Donohoe in 2022, supported by Local Enterprise Office Monaghan, and pilots of the company's ASA tool with the NHS have seen a 160% increase in appointment conversion rates. They have also seen a 260% increase in patient engagement using this tool, while removing 80-90% of the administration around appointments. The Awards, which are an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices to celebrate the best small businesses in Ireland, were held at the Round Room in the Mansion House in Dublin in what is their 25th year. Alan Dillon,T.D., Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail ,announced this year's winners in front of representatives from the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities and small businesses from across the country at the event. Announcing the award winners at the Mansion House Minister Dillon said, "The National Enterprise Awards are a celebration of the innovation, resilience, and ambition that define Ireland's business community. Each year, the calibre of finalists continues to rise, reflecting the extraordinary talent and determination of entrepreneurs across the country. These businesses are not only creating jobs - they are shaping the future of our local economies and communities. "Tonight's winners represent the very best of what Irish enterprise has to offer, and we remain committed to supporting them as they grow, compete, and thrive on both a national and global stage. These businesses are at the core of every town, village and community and are vital to our economy. We will ensure businesses continue to get the support they need to grow, prosper, and remain competitive," Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, said; "The National Enterprise Awards are a celebration of the very best of what Irish enterprise has to offer. It highlights those companies who are primed to take those next steps and scale up into international markets and it also highlights excellence in key areas of business development such as digitalisation, sustainability and exporting. "We will no doubt see the winners here go on to do great things over the coming years but for every business that has made it to this point, it is validation that they have created an outstanding business. Entrepreneurship is the road less taken but we have to encourage more people to take that leap, and show them the benefits it can bring. "We have some amazing people across the country and many have started businesses that are taking on the world. Look at some of our previous winners like Pestle & Mortar, Bevcraft and Advanced Cosmetics. As the Local Enterprise Offices we will continue to encourage and support great ideas and new businesses because we have the entrepreneurs to make amazing global companies." There were several other category winners announced on the night. Innovation Award The winner of the Innovation Award was MoneySherpa, supported by Local Enterprise Office Louth. Moneysherpa provide a complete home buying service including mortgages, surveys, and conveyancing in one place and also provide software to the property industry to integrate the home buying journey. Best Export Award The winner of the Best Export Award was Seabound Engineering, supported by Local Enterprise Office Donegal. Seabound Engineering is Ireland's only SCMS-certified aluminium shipyard, specialising in custom-built vessels for the aquaculture, inshore and offshore fishing, and marine sectors, including Ireland's largest aluminium ...

In this inspiring episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan—the powerhouse duo behind Ella & Jo, one of Ireland's fastest-growing beauty brands. From a single product and two simultaneous pregnancies to a global business stocked in Boots, Dunnes Stores and over 400 pharmacies, their story is anything but ordinary. Charlene and Niamh open up about how they built Ella & Jo from the West of Ireland, how they define success on their own terms, and why authenticity, connection, and community are at the heart of everything they do. Whether you're a solo founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or building a business while juggling parenthood—this episode will leave you fired up, grounded, and full of ideas. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

Clients of the Local Enterprise Offices will get the chance to showcase their businesses to over 100,000 visitors for the first time this June Bank Holiday weekend as they take part in the Local Enterprise Village at Bloom 2025. The Village has been a mainstay of the Ploughing Championships, giving small businesses the chance to put themselves in front of thousands of potential new customers, and it is now setting up at Bloom in the Phoenix Park from 29th May to 2nd June. As part of the pilot, eight businesses from across the country will take part in the event this time, and that includes a Creative Showcase by three hand-chosen Dublin clients within the Local Enterprise Village that will be located in the Retail Marquee alongside more well-known and recognised brands. Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, said, "This is a first-time opportunity for clients of the Local Enterprise Offices to experience the benefits of being at Bloom across the weekend. With over 100,000 visitors expected at the event, this is significant exposure for these small businesses to showcase their products to a massive audience, and we're delighted to give them this platform. "We have given small businesses this chance at the Ploughing Championships for many years and see the benefits it brings from making sales and generating leads, to just building awareness and learning from other businesses on site. Bloom is always a brilliant event on the calendar,r and this year we're delighted to be involved to showcase some of the best of what the Local Enterprise Offices have been supporting from across the country." The Local Enterprise Village at Bloom is just one of several initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women's Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 75,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information, see www.LocalEnterprise.ie. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with John Purdy, co-founder of Ergo and a seasoned leader who has helped shape the Irish tech landscape over the past three decades. From launching Ergo in 1993 with just a handful of people to scaling it into one of Ireland's top IT services companies, John shares the highs, the hard decisions, and the philosophies that guided him through it all. John shares a rare behind-the-scenes look at how he scaled Ergo without external investment and spun out an eventual unicorn, Fenergo, along the way. He opens up about the emotional and strategic decision to step away as CEO after 28 years, and what he's doing now to give back—both to founders and to causes close to his heart. If you're building a business or figuring out what comes after success, this is the playbook. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

Google, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO), has today announced Lahinch Surf Shop as the overall winner of this year's You're the Business competition. Situated on the picturesque prom in Lahinch Co Clare, the family-founded business was selected for its innovative use of digital tools to grow and evolve its operations. As the top winner, Lahinch Surf Shop will receive a truly unique prize: a custom AI-powered advertising campaign developed by Google AI in collaboration with a team of AI experts. You're the Business programme In addition to the overall winner, 23 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across Ireland, spanning a range of industries from print studios and food producers to bespoke cabinet makers have been awarded an exclusive, money-can't-buy prize as part of the You're the Business campaign. Those selected will receive a digital support package from Google which includes a one-year Google Workspace Business subscription with access to AI-powered tools like Gemini Advanced and NotebookLM and a one-to-one consultation from Google experts on how to get the best out of Google Workspace. Winners will also receive a You're the Business trophy and digital assets and are invited to attend a dedicated Winners event in Google's EMEA HQ in Dublin. Speaking about the competition Eileesh Buckley, co-owner of Lahinch Surf Shop in Clare said: "It's an incredible honour to be recognised as part of the You're the Business campaign. At Lahinch Surf Shop, we've always believed in leveraging the power of digital tools to connect with our customers in meaningful ways. Being selected for this bespoke AI-powered advertising campaign is an exciting step forward, and we're really looking forward to working with Google's team to take our digital presence to the next level." Cera Ward, Managing Director, Large Customer Solutions, Google Ireland said: "SMEs comprise 90% of all enterprises in Ireland. Businesses like Lahinch Surf Shop and all those we are celebrating today are an integral part of the economy generating employment and providing services across the country. Through You're the Business we want to help founders leverage a range of digital tools, including AI, to help them reach their growth potential. We've been proud to partner with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices in the delivery of the programme and I want to congratulate all the winners announced today." Delivered by Google in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office, You're the Business is an online platform offering digital training and tools to businesses in Ireland free of charge. Now in its third year, the initiative has taken on a new AI-focus with the online platform offering new training modules where users can explore AI tools and learn how AI can help them prepare for the future. The competition element rewards businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to digital at different stages of their journey. Entrants were asked to submit a written entry telling their story around how they've utilised or enhanced digital skills in order to help their business grow or succeed online. Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, said; "The role of digital in the evolution and growth of any SME has never been so keenly felt than over the past number of years. Giving them access to Google's in-depth expertise through the You're the Business programme is a fantastic step to help these companies maximise their online presence. This programme along with the suite of online supports through the Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland to help businesses digitise, is helping give them a competitive advantage both here and internationally. Congratulations to all the winners today and we look forward to continuing to support them as they grow over the coming years." For further information on the winners and the You're The Business initiative, please visit...

A student entrepreneur saving 1,000kg of e-waste every year building his own gaming PCs was the winner of the Student Enterprise of the Year winning the senior category at the awards that took place in Mullingar. Jack Cannon, a senior student at Clonkeen College in Dun Laoghaire, built his first PC at the age of 11 with the help of his brother. He set up Cannon PC at part of the Local Enterprise Offices' Student Enterprise Programme and so far, has achieved sales of almost €40,000. Cannon builds upcycled high speed gaming PCs from old PCs being disposed of in office clear outs and for general sale online. Upcycling project wins student enterprise award There were also top awards handed out in the Intermediate and Junior categories. Suet & Song, a business set up by Michael O'Keeffe from St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny, creates high-quality, nutrient rich suet cakes for birds during the colder months and it took home the top prize in the Intermediate Category. In the Junior category a device that helps hikers and farmers cross electric fencing easily won the top award. Bumblebees is a business set up by Antonia O'Looney, Sophie Gilard, Guiliana Keane and Katelyn Murtagh from Drumshanbo Vocational School in Leitrim. Their WASP (Wire Anti Shock Protector) product is a device that enables people to push down the electric fence without receiving a shock, enabling them to cross safely. The inaugural Student Enterprise Programme Alumni Award was presented to Fenu Health. Set up by sisters Kate and Annie Madden for the Student Enterprise Programme in 2016, the company creates supplements for equine health and their customers include five royal families. The 23rd Student Enterprise Programme National Finals saw 85 businesses from across the country shortlisted in three main categories. The Local Enterprise Office initiative, supported by Enterprise Ireland and local authorities, commenced last September in secondary schools nationwide with over 30,000 students taking part this year. The event was hosted by broadcasters Rick O'Shea and Louise Cantillon and they were joined during the ceremony by Peter Burke, T.D. Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment as they announced the winners across the three main categories on the day. The initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, has seen over 450,000 take part in the programme since it began 23 years ago. Gareth Evans, Chair of the Local Enterprise Office's Enterprise Education Committee, said; "It's been another hugely successful year for the Student Enterprise Programme. Last year we had over 30,000 participants and we will hit that again this year. So, the appetite for student entrepreneurs is growing and that is no doubt down to seeing the amazing young entrepreneurs this country is producing. We've had some excellent winners here today and going on previous successes they will go on to do great things. A great example today was our Alumni Winner, Fenu Health, who are now an outstanding Irish business trading internationally. Today is just the start for these winners and finalists. The skills and lessons they have learned through the process will stand by them for life and we're excited to see where their businesses go from here and the new ones they start-up in the future." The National Final students, who competed across Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories were challenged with creating, setting up and running their own business, which must show sales of their service or product. The judging panel included business owners and representatives from enterprise agencies and associated bodies. The Student Enterprise Programme is open to students of all ages at secondary level, with three separate categories - Junior (1st year), Intermediate (2nd and 3rd year) and Senior (4th, 5th and 6th year, LVA, LCA and Youth Outreach). The Student Enterprise of the Y...

Patrick Cronin of University of Limerick spin-out Oscil, was presented with the Big Ideas Award at Enterprise Ireland's Start-Up Day 2025 in the Aviva Stadium. Oscil was one of six investor-ready potential spin-outs that had three minutes to pitch their new technology solutions to a 600 strong audience made up of representatives from the Irish Start-up ecosystem including VCs and other funders, State support agencies & professional and financial services. The award was presented to Patrick Cronin, for the outstanding pitch of the day. Oscil which is an Enterprise Ireland commercialisation funded project approaching spin-out, is an innovative deep tech technology operating at the intersection of Edge-AI and powder processing, initially targeting the pharmaceutical and dairy sectors. They haves developed a proprietary, ATEX-compliant sensor and edge-AI solution that enables real-time, in-line analysis of powder flow - addressing critical issues like sensor fouling, yield loss, and process downtime. As part of the Big Ideas award, Oscil will travel to the US to participate in UC Berkeley's Venture Connectivity Program. Tara Dalton of University of Limerick spin-out TANGO received the Big Ideas runner-up award on the day. Start-Up Day 2025 hosted the 'Class of 2024' High Potential Start-Up companies that Enterprise Ireland invested in during 2024. The event also played host to technology-based companies with origins deep rooted in groundbreaking research. In 2024, 34 companies were supported through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme with 25 companies spun out of third level institutions. Presenting the award, Michael Carey, Chairman, Enterprise Ireland said, "The Big Ideas pitching element and awards at Start-Up Day provides a platform to showcase Enterprise Ireland's commercialisation funded research approaching start-up status, with significant potential for success. The event also highlights the accomplishments of our national technology transfer system, the high calibre of research commercialisation activity within Ireland, and the significant impact these companies will have to help solve huge global challenges. I wish to congratulate both Oscil and TANGO on their achievements to date and wish them every success for the future." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Keilidh Cashell — one of Ireland's most recognisable beauty creators turned entrepreneur and founder of Kash Beauty. With over 2 million followers on TikTok and a loyal global audience, Keilidh opens up about what it really takes to build a brand in the public eye. From creating makeup looks in her bedroom to leading a business stocked internationally, Keilidh shares the highs, the challenges, and the moments where she questioned it all. She talks burnout, stepping back from content creation to become a better CEO, and learning how to lead a team while staying true to her creative core. This is an unfiltered look at the business behind the brand — and the mindset shift required to scale beyond just being the face of it. Whether you're a content creator dreaming of launching your own product or a founder navigating what growth actually feels like, this one is a must-listen. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

Enterprise Ireland, the government agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish companies in global markets, invested €27.6 million in Irish start-ups and supported a total of 157 start-up companies in 2024. Investment was provided through Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) and Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) programmes. The results were announced at Enterprise Ireland's annual Start-Up Day Conference in Dublin with over 600 delegates in attendance to include the 'Class of 2024' Enterprise Ireland supported Start-Up companies and the wider Start-Up ecosystem including investors, state agencies and start-up accelerators. Start-ups supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2024 include: • 90 High Potential Start-Up's (HPSU) with high growth potential - start-up businesses with the potential to create 10 jobs and €1 million in sales within three years of starting up • 69 Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) investments which inject critical early-stage funding into new businesses • 63 of the companies supported were based outside of Dublin • 45 women-led start-up companies were approved investment • 13 HPSUs emerged from academic research • 25 companies were spun out of third level institutions • 34 companies were supported through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme. 2024 marked the final year of Enterprise Ireland's three-year strategy 'Leading in a Changing World 2022 -2024' and in that period there were a total of 266 HPSUs and 213 Pre-Seed Start Fund approvals with half of the companies based outside of Dublin. During that time period over €78 million was invested in these start-up companies. Enterprise Ireland's Start-Up Day also includes a pitching element, featuring top university (pre) spin-out ventures emerging from Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund. These teams will pitch their visionary concepts, competing for an award and the prestigious opportunity to participate in UC Berkeley's Venture Connectivity Program. Opening Enterprise Ireland's Start-Up Day in Dublin today, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD, said: "Today is about celebrating the spirit of Irish entrepreneurship. The strong pipeline of innovative start-ups emerging over the last three years demonstrates the extraordinary resilience and business ambition of Irish-founded start-up teams, particularly against the backdrop of a challenging global economic period. This government, through Enterprise Ireland, will continue to provide funding, mentorship, market access and tailored programmes as the stepping stones for success. Start-ups are critical to our economic future, our global reputation and our societal progress and we remain fully committed to fostering an environment where innovation flourishes, and where every entrepreneur has the tools needed to thrive and succeed." Looking forward, enhancing the pipeline of innovative and scalable start-ups is a key objective of Enterprise Irelands new strategy, 'Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally, with a target set to support 1,000 new start-ups over the five-year period, from 2025 to 2029. Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO, Enterprise Ireland said, "Start-up Day 2025 is a celebration of Ireland's strong and dynamic start-up community and the Start-Up class of 2024 have and will continue to play a significant role in contributing to the vibrancy of Ireland's start-up ecosystem. A key objective in our new strategy is to Accelerate Sustainable Irish Business so that in time exporting Irish companies will become the primary driver of the Irish economy. "As part of our plan, Enterprise Ireland is undertaking a dedicated consultation process by engaging with the start-up ecosystem on the supports available for early-stage companies in Ireland. This aims to strengthen our pipeline of early-stage companies with the potential to scale internationally, furthering Ireland's position as a global leader in entrepreneurship and innovation." See more stories here.

CyberQuest, a joint venture between Data Edge, REIM Training Solutions, and CJHNetwork, is pleased to announce a free, one-hour cybersecurity webinar for Irish SMEs. NIS2 & cybersecurity - What Irish SMEs need to know now This interactive online event is specifically designed for SME leaders, IT decision-makers, and business owners seeking to improve their cybersecurity posture while navigating the upcoming NIS2 directive. Why attend? Learn about real-life cyberattacks and vulnerabilities experienced by Irish SMEs. Get clarity on the NIS2 directive and whether it applies to your business. Discover how to access funding and Enterprise Ireland grants to support your cybersecurity initiatives. Explore free and affordable tools other SMEs are using to protect their networks. Ask your questions directly in an interactive session with experts. Speaker panel: Eimear Murphy, Founder & Director, REIM Training Solutions Sandra Richardson, Director of Training, REIM Training Solutions Colm Hyland, Owner, CJHNetwork Omer Mukhtar, Cybersecurity Specialist, Data Edge "Cybersecurity often gets sidelined in busy SMEs, especially when business owners wear multiple hats," says Eimear Murphy. "This session is about making cybersecurity manageable and showing that you don't need to be an expert to protect your business." Sandra Richardson adds: "We want to break NIS2 down into something understandable and actionable. It's about giving SMEs the tools, support, and confidence to act." Colm Hyland will share insights on aligning cybersecurity strategies with business goals while working within the real-world constraints of SME life. Omer Mukhtar offers an industry-wide perspective, drawing on his strong background in defensive security. Cybersecurity doesn't have to be complicated and in this session, Omer will share practical insights from recent cyber reviews using tools like CyberScope and Link-Live, offering actionable steps any business can take to reduce cyber risk using the right tools and methodology. Participants will also have the opportunity to book a no-cost cybersecurity review to identify risks in their infrastructure. Register now: https://reimtrainingsolutions.com/cyberquest-webinar/ See more stories here.

CeADAR, Ireland's Centre for AI, will visit Kerry next month to host an information and networking event for companies and public sector organisations aiming to transform their operations with Artificial Intelligence. The technology hub is offering the free event as part of its EDIH for AI Programme, an initiative to provide data science expertise and resources to support start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and public sector organisations, as they seek to digitalise their operations in pursuit of greater productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability. The event will take place at the RDI Hub in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, on Thursday, May 1, from 1pm until 2pm. Attendees will hear how organisations can access CeADAR's fully funded EDIH for AI services, including digital maturity assessments and advisory services, specialist training and upskilling, and prototype development and testing. Speakers will outline a range of case studies across sectors that illustrate outcomes from past collaborations, while the event will also provide an opportunity for attendees to meet with CeADAR's data science team to discuss their specific business needs and understand how AI can be used to respond to those challenges. The EDIH is a €700m European initiative comprising more than 150 tech hubs across 30 countries. CeADAR's selection as the EDIH for AI in Ireland came with an initial funding boost of €6 million over three years. The award is jointly supported by the EU and the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. CeADAR CEO John Lonsdale will be attending the event along with EDIH Programme Manager Laura Plunkett and other EDIH staff. EDIH Programme Manager Laura Plunkett says: "We're delighted to collaborate with the RDI Hub in Killorglin on this event, and look forward to hosting start-ups, SMEs and PSOs for an afternoon of information sharing and networking. Events such as this are vital to our mission, to empower Irish organisations to explore and experiment with AI and drive digital transformation in Ireland." CeADAR CEO John Lonsdale says: "EDIH for AI events such as this hosted at the RDI Hub on May 1 provide Irish enterprise and public sector workers with the information and contacts necessary to transform their operations. While innovations in technology are making domestic and international business more competitive than ever before, they also provide significant opportunities for start-ups and SMEs to scale quickly, and for public sector organisations to streamline their processes to maximise their efficiency. CeADAR is delighted to be playing a central role in this mission, and we look forward to hosting more EDIH for AI events in the future." RDI Hub CEO Liam Cronin says: "We are proud to welcome CeADAR to the RDI Hub on Thursday May 1 and we are looking forward to the insights and case studies on how AI can enhance performance, strategy, and engagement. The RDI Hub has a strong connection with AI, fostering a collaborative environment where entrepreneurs and innovators can harness cutting-edge technology to drive progress in various sectors. Our mission is to position the South West of Ireland as a global leader in technology and innovation, and the collaboration with CeADAR is testament to that vision." See more stories here.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Gareth Sheridan, the relentless founder and CEO of Nutriband Inc — a pharmaceutical company tackling one of the most controversial issues in modern medicine: opioid misuse. What started as a college thesis and a dining room stacked with questionable Chinese vitamin patches has since become a NASDAQ-listed company pioneering safer drug delivery systems.   Gareth walks us through his raw, rollercoaster journey — from painting houses to fund his dream, to being duped in a million-dollar pump-and-dump scheme, and how he clawed his way back to ring the NASDAQ bell on October 1st with $6.6 million in fresh funding.   If you're an entrepreneur with ambition (and a high pain tolerance), this episode will teach you about resilience, smart capital strategy, and how to build billion-dollar businesses the hard way — brick by brick, and patch by patch.  

Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO of Enterprise Ireland, on the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs that have come into effect.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Pádraig Ó Céidigh, a name synonymous with Irish entrepreneurship and business leadership. Best known for founding and scaling Aer Arann, one of Ireland's leading regional airlines, Pádraig shares his journey from humble beginnings to building an airline—despite having no aviation experience.   He reveals the key moments that defined his career: remortgaging his house to buy an airline, negotiating with Aer Lingus, securing multimillion-dollar aircraft deals, and eventually selling his business. Beyond aviation, he opens up about the personal cost of success, his near-death experience, and the philosophy that guides his life today.   If you're an entrepreneur, this episode will change how you think about risk, vision, and what it really means to build a business with purpose.  

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Richard Fitzgerald, the founder of Augustus Media, an award-winning modern media company in the UAE and KSA, publishers of Lovin Dubai, Lovin Saudi, and Smashi TV. With a background in media and advertising since 2006, Richard worked at agencies in Ireland, England, and the UAE before building a regional social media department at Mindshare MENA and later becoming Managing Director of a creative technology start-up. In 2015, he launched Augustus Media, a ‘new media' company that has since expanded across the Middle East, winning Best SME Company at the 2018 MENA EFFIE Awards. Today, Augustus operates Lovin brands in multiple cities, including Dubai, Saudi, Bahrain, Cairo, Riyadh, and Sharjah, and in 2019, they added ODEUM, a dedicated content studio, to their growing media empire. Richard reveals the strategies he used to scale his media brands, the challenges of monetising digital media, and why he believes traditional media is broken. If you're building a content brand or looking to scale your business in a competitive market, this is a must-listen!