Full coverage: Enterprise Ireland

Imelda Lambkin heads up the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, tasked with backing cutting-edge tech projects in Ireland. She talks to The Currency about the fund’s mission and its future.

At the end of an extraordinary week, Ireland’s largest and longest-established angel syndicate has voted to dissolve itself. What this means for the Irish start-up ecosystem, and HBAN, remains unclear.

Bloom Equity Nominee was used by angel investors to invest an estimated €100m in Irish start-ups through the Halo Business Angel Network. Members will vote on whether it should be discontinued. 

The big-four firm conducted an extensive review of the HBAN network, a process that took several months. But EI won't say what it concluded.

Issues raised in the 2022 Aquest report, seen by The Currency, were not circulated to new bidders during the tender process for the recent awarding of the three-year HBAN contract. EI says its won't comment on “operational arrangements.”

Eamonn Carey, a top investor and serial entrepreneur, has weighed in on Enterprise Ireland's approach to investing in high potential start-ups.

The State advisor to Irish companies and start-ups says it is aware of an "isolated incident" and that it is "currently investigating a phishing incident with information security partners".

For the first time in many years, companies supported by Enterprise Ireland lost more jobs than they created in 2020. Beyond the pandemic effect, it is time for the state agency to reassess its priorities away from traditional food production and into riskier innovation areas – as well as the domestic economy.

Harry Hughes has just steered the century-old Westport-based family business through the global dogfight for access to PPE while acquiring a stake in a footwear manufacturer in the eye of the pandemic storm. Yet he says companies should focus on something else: Brexit.

Sam Pearson set up his business in 2019. Since then he has sold sandwiches at Electric Picnic and made headlines with his battle with Insomnia. This piece details how he created his small business and why he decided to turn down a deal with the cafe chain.