Full coverage: Start-ups

The value negotiated by the Irish founders of gym software firm Glofox for its acquisition by US-based ABC Fitness is a remarkable achievement for a company forced to retrench by Covid-19 just two years ago. Yet it is only a step on the journey now sketched out for the business.

Most of Europe is not creating the right people who can build things. Meanwhile, the European government funding ecosystem is broken and following the wrong strategy. So, let’s not continue to kid ourselves that everything is okay.

The Carlow-based university spin-out harnessing bacteria to clean up polluted soils has just changed its name to Talam Biotech. Behind the scenes, the company has undergone a lot more than rebranding.

Barry O'Neill and his two brothers jettisoned corporate careers to launch a brewery. Less than a decade later, O Brother Brewing is exporting to nine countries and growing at 30% a year. The former banker talks strategy, missteps, and future expansion.

Peter Foley's at-home testing company is scaling at warp speed and became a unicorn last year. But just how did it reach such a hefty valuation so quickly, and what do we know about its underlying financial performance?

The Keep scheme is currently under review again. This time, however, the changes need to be wide-ranging and designed to ensure the scheme is simple and effective. And, unlike with the last review, the changes need to be implemented.

The Malahide-based cloud provider Ekco has bought a second leading Irish cybersecurity firm. It now employs 420 people in Europe, and has bigger growth plans.

Irish founders are facing a more benign funding market so far than their continental and North American counterparts. However, with international VC funds and tech darlings under strain, it remains unclear how long this will last.

Pharmapod’s assets were sold last year through a pre-pack receivership for around €1.5m. Now, creditors of the Irish software company are poised to wind up the remnants of the company.

Entrepreneur Pat Alley has spent three years fighting on multiple fronts. Yet his enthusiasm for Trifol, a potentially game-changing business that turns end-of-life plastic into wax, remains undimmed.