Dublin’s startup scene is going from strength to strength, with many of these small ventures holding the potential to become global successes.

live

Meet a Dubliner – Chris Flack, UnPlug

I used to work in very tech heavy jobs, consulting with big tech companies like Capgemini and Avnet. Back then I was one of the first people amongst my peers to get an iPhone and iPad for use with work. I enjoyed the luxury of being able to follow up on emails from the comfort of my home and get the updates about ongoing projects instantly; but after a while realised that overuse of tech was having a serious impact on my productivity and wellbeing. As the borders between ‘at work’ and being ‘off’ began to vanish I started having issues with sleep and my relationships as I spent too much time online. I needed a change so badly that I decided to move sectors just to

theo and jack kirwan wear jeans and white t-shirts sitting side by side in a polytunnel

invest

Starting up Sprout & Co.

There are literally hundreds of young entrepreneurs launching their startups in Dublin, hoping to climb the precarious ladder in the tech, food and pharma sectors. Many of these companies will go on to achieve greatness; some will be quietly successful; others will become well-known names across the globe. Others, sadly, will perish under the immense pressure of starting a company from scratch. Dublin.ie caught up with one of the city’s successful startup founders, Jack Kirwan – pi

Fenu Health - A thriving, multi-award winning equine health business with a worldwide customer base founded by the Madden sisters at Loreto College, Dublin. Image: Annie and Kate Madden.

study

Fenu Health: From School Room to Startup

Secondary school is a time to hang out with your friends, do some study and grow as a person. But two teenage sisters at Loreto College on Stephen’s Green in Dublin have also found the time to found and develop Fenu Health, a thriving, multi-award winning equine health business with a worldwide customer base. Annie and Kate Madden, aged 15 and 16, are the eldest of four children. Annie is in third year and Kate is in fifth year. They live in Summerhill, Co Meath, with their parents and younger brother and sister. “We grew up with horses for sport, not business, and we’ve been riding since we

three colourful tubs of nobó ice-cream sit on a wooden table

invest

How Dublin Works: Nobó ice-cream

Dublin company Nobó launched its ‘Frozen Goodness’ dairy-free and gluten-free ice-cream almost ten years ago. Since then, it’s won a bunch of prestigious awards and is distributed nationwide. You’ll also find it in stores across the UK, at a handful of Canadian markets and in Kibsons in Dubai. A few years into their startup journey, Dublin.ie spoke to the husband and wife team behind the Nobó brand – Rachel and Brian Nolan. Here’s what they had to say about their startup experience. Innovating an age-old cuisine Nobó isn’t just a marketing gimmick. Its recipes are a real innovation. “Definitely, it is in terms of the ing

sean bryan of cut & sew sit on a barber chair with his arms folded

work

Cutting A Fine Figure: The success of Cut & Sew

Barbershop culture is on the rise in Dublin. Barbershops are becoming cultural hotspots. Places you can go not only for a haircut, but for music, design or even a whiskey. By taking the best of New York’s barbershops and adding a touch of creativity and an Irish welcome, Sean Bryan of Cut & Sew has built his business from one chair in the basement of a record shop to four stores around Dublin city. And he isn’t finished yet. Dublin.ie caught up with Sean to hear about the story behind his success. Starting Cut & Sew barbers Sean left school after third year and started a carpentry apprenticeship. However, that didn’t work out, so he turned his h

Salvatore Fanara and Rosanna Fiorenza of travelling languages

invest

Talking business with Travelling Languages

Creating an immersive English language course Travelling Languages is a Dublin-based language school, which helps English and Italian language learners quickly improve their proficiency. By combining lessons with tourist activities, Travelling Languages creates a completely immersive language programme. These experiences help students master the language and enjoy unique experiences. We chatted with founders Salvatore Fanara and Rosanna Fiorenza about starting their innovative business. But first, romance. From Turin to Dublin He was an engineer from southern Sicily. She was a banker from Turin. It was 2006. “We met in Turin a few weeks

UCD logo.

study

NovaUCD: Cool Ideas, Hot Tech

It’s an economic truth, universally acknowledged, that innovation is at the core of most successful businesses. Being innovative, however, is easier said than done. That’s why incubation centres are so necessary. Ireland proudly boasts nine university incubation centres, six university bio incubation centres and 15 Institute of Technology incubation centres. And they all contribute to making Dublin one of the world’s most exciting locations for both research and development – and in which to

Invest Categories