Full coverage: Start-ups

From the interpretation of satellite data to software assisting astronauts on SpaceX flights, Irish companies are increasingly present in orbit. Beyond the thrill of space exploration, its exacting standards propel these technology businesses towards new markets.

ECI Energy was spun out of an established family business on the northside of Dublin. Acutrace is a six-year-old prop-tech company tackling inefficiencies in commercial buildings. The two firms have just tied the knot.

With Unilever Ventures, Jan Harley backed billion-euro businesses including Instacart and Gousto. He talks about a career in venture capital, the future of groceries, AI and why he went full-time with the fast-growing Irish start-up Buymie.

Ten years ago, Dublin student Ronan McGovern left for MIT on a Fulbright scholarship. He has just returned to Ireland after selling his start-up to a leading engineering multinational.

Established as a small-scale insect farming experiment five years ago, the agri-tech startup now ships biofertiliser by the pallet and has just hired its first chief financial officer.

Deirdre McGettrick thought her past life working in banking would eventually lead her to a CFO or CEO role, but she never expected to create her own business. Her love of interior design made her re-think this career path and she now runs the UK’s largest home furnishing and comparison website, Ufurnish.com.

David Walsh believes he can emulate the success he enjoyed with Netwatch with his new business, HaloCare. He talks about regional development, driving innovation and why the government needs to ban personal guarantees and reform CGT.

A network of four regional start-up support hubs will take over the State-sponsored accelerator programme. From geographic reach to extended timelines, they promise to do more with less and target one key metric for the indigenous tech scene: jobs.

Having raised another €1.6m for his second start-up Kinzen, Mark Little talks about combining machine and human brainpower to tackle online misinformation, becoming a leader at Twitter and his thoughts on public service journalism.

Wayflyer is growing quickly by financing small to mid-sized e-commerce companies. Last month, QED Investors, which has backed 13 unicorns to date, invested in the Irish company. Is Wayflyer a $1 billion business of the future?