Business

Scale Ireland to host fourth regional Start-up Summit in Athlone

New survey for start-ups has also been opened

From left: Elaine Negi, head of communications & engagement, Bord na Móna; Carol Gibbons, head of entrepreneurship, regions & local enterprise, Enterprise Ireland; Vanessa Hartley, VP, head of Google, Ireland; Nick Ashmore, director, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund; Martina Fitzgerald, CEO, Scale Ireland; Brian Caulfield, chair, Scale Ireland.
From left: Elaine Negi, head of communications & engagement, Bord na Móna; Carol Gibbons, head of entrepreneurship, regions & local enterprise, Enterprise Ireland; Vanessa Hartley, VP, head of Google, Ireland; Nick Ashmore, director, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund; Martina Fitzgerald, CEO, Scale Ireland; Brian Caulfield, chair, Scale Ireland.
Ciara O'Brien
Tue Jan 28 2025 - 12:06

Scale Ireland is set to hold its next regional Startup Summit at the end of March, with Athlone chosen as the venue for the event.

Among the regional-based start-ups and scaling companies featured at the event will be Zinkworks, Mersus Technologies, GreyScout, IDASO and Scopey.

The event is being held with the support of Google, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), Enterprise Ireland, Bord na Móna, Atlantic Bridge, Research Ireland and Technological University of the Shannon.

“Given the significant global changes taking place, the new government needs to ensure that regional innovation and entrepreneurship are prioritised,” said Scale Ireland chief executive Martina Fitzgerald. “We need to ensure the indigenous tech sector is further supported as a driver of our future economic growth.”

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There are more than 2,000 indigenous tech start-up and scaling companies in Ireland, employing more than 45,000 people here.

Scale Ireland, which represents tech companies in Ireland and has more than 800 members, has also opened its latest State of Start-ups Survey, gathering the views of founders and business leaders on the key issues affecting them, including the availability of capital, the potential of AI, staffing and skill needs, and regulatory issues. The results will be published in conjunction with the summit.

Chair of Scale Ireland Brian Caulfield said getting feedback from founders across the country on the key issues and the challenges they are facing was crucial, and the summit and survey would help ensure greater understanding.

“Given the current environment, we have also included further questions on AI this year, while access to capital is expected to remain a key concern as well as better supports for employee share ownership,” he said.

This is the fourth Regional Start-up Summit held by the group. The first was launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Cork in 2022, with the event being held in Galway and Limerick in the past couple of years.

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Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist

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