It all really began on an ivory-coloured leather couch in Manders Terrace. It was in that five-bedroom house in Ranelagh in Dublin 6 that a corporate structure was put in place to hold what is today described by Forbes magazine as “the best technology conference on the planet”. Irish entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave had founded the event called the Web Summit in 2009. In June 2010, Cosgrave invited his school friend from Glenstal Abbey, David Kelly, to join the company. Kelly had been working in financial services with Citigroup but, in the depth of the financial crash, jobs for recent graduates…

Read on for just €1

For a limited time, get your first month for €1 and unlock full access to The Currency and The Wall Street Journal – two premium memberships, one subscription.

Subscribe

Cancel at any time.

Are you already a member? .