Dublin is truly a great place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to are not aware of the local resources that are available to help them.
With applications for the Dublin Founder Institute soon coming to a close, we are excited to release the Ireland Startup Ecosystem Canvas! It was developed by the Dublin Founder Institute and local leaders Dave Connolly, Ed Emmanuel, John O'dea, Neal O'Gorman.
We spent about 20 hours doing this research, but this is just the first draft. More input is needed, so please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document and it will be considered for the next update.
If you are looking to launch a company in Ireland, then apply to the Dublin Founder Institute today.
In addition to the above infographic and the collaborative Google document, you can also see the full list of resources below:
Startup Stages
There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.
1. Idea Stage
This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.
- Inspire
- Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)
- Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)
- Educate
- Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspirate, like 1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, Startup Founder 101, etc).
- Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)
- Validate
- Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching, like CoFoundersLab, FounderDating, and entrepreneur networking groups and events, “find a cofounder XXX”)
- Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)
2. Launch Stage
In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.
- Start
- Establish: Law firms & banks for startups
- AIB
- A&L Goodbody
- Arthur Cox
- Bank of Ireland
- Eversheds Sutherland
- Fire Financial services Ltd.
- Flynn O'Driscoll Business Lawyers
- HSBC Ireland
- LK Shields
- Mason Hayes & Curran
- Matheson
- McCullagh Wall Solicitors
- Microfinance Ireland
- Moran and Ryan Law Firm
- Philip Lee Solicitors
- Reilly & Co. Solicitors
- Ulster Bank
- William J. Brennan and Co. Solicitors
- Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure)
- Bank of Ireland Workbench
- Blick Studios
- Boxworks
- Cluster
- CoCreate
- CoWork@GEC
- Coworkinn
- Digital Hub
- DOCentre
- Dogpatch Labs
- DoSpace Dublin
- Element78
- FlexHuddle
- Fumbally Exchange
- Glandore
- Harbour View
- Helping Networks
- HQTralee
- Iconic Offices
- Ludgate Hub
- New Work Junction
- Ocean Office Share
- Office Suites
- Plus10
- Portershed
- Republic of Work
- Studio 9
- SuperPixel Labs
- tcube Dublin
- The Bank Building
- The Building Block
- The Cube @ Galway Technology Centre
- The Hub Newry
- WabiSabi
- Develop
- Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups. (search “startup accounting”, “startup book-keeping”, “headhunters”, “software development”
- Alan Keane & Co. Accountants
- BJK Accountants
- Brightwater
- Buckley Kiely and Co.
- Charles P Crowley & Co
- CodeFirst
- Cpl Resources
- DBASS Chartered Accountants
- DeCare Systems Ireland
- Dovetail
- Eirtight Technology
- Engine Lab Software
- Fenero
- Grogan Ryan Accountants
- HST Solutions
- Hugh McCarthy & Associates
- Irish Recruiter
- Liam Burns and Co.
- Manus Brady Chartered Accountants
- Martinsen Mayer
- Matrix Internet
- McInerney Saunders
- O'Mahony Donnelly
- O'Rourke Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors
- Sigmar Recruitment
- Software Design
- Square1
- TalentHub
- XTech Staffing
- Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS, Startup Next, etc)
- CorkBIC
- DIT Hothouse
- Dublin BIC
- Guinness Enterprise Centre
- IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Programme
- Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
- Institute of Technology Tallaght
- Invent DCU
- ITCarlow Enterprise & Research Incubation Campus
- NCI Business Incubation Centre
- Nexus Innovation Centre
- NovaUCD
- Rubicon Centre
- Southeast BIC
- Startup Next Dublin
- Synergy Centre
- The Gravity Hub
- WestBIC
- Launch
- Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)
- Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)
3. Growth Stage
Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.
- Recognition
- Investor Networking: Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors vs. angels, venture capital associations, )
- Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses, major local or regional publications with a business section)
- Funding
- Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors (search AngelList, Gust, Crunchbase)
- Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond
- Growth
- Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale, “human resources”, “local office space”)
- Adare HRM
- Bespoke Serviced Offices
- Brian J Pierce Insurance
- Chill Insurance
- Compass Insurance
- Crotty Insurance
- Daft
- EmpowerHR
- FBD Insurance
- Forde HR Solutions
- Glennon Insurance Brokers
- Graphite
- Gumtree
- InsightHR
- Instant Offices
- Link Business Centre
- Lisney
- Martin Insurance
- McCarthy Insurance Group
- O'Leary Insurances
- Property.ie
- Regus
- Search Office Space
- The HR Company
- The HR Department
- Tom Smyth & Associates
- Voltedge
- Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale, including KPMG, PWC, mature company accelerators, etc.)
4. Success Stories
Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.
- Ask.fm
- Beutifi
- Cohort
- CurrencyFair
- Deposify
- Farmflo
- Hostelworld
- Indeed
- Inflazome
- Intercom
- Movidius
- NewsWhip
- Pointy
- Rubicoin
- Soundwave
- Stripe
- Sybase
- Teamwork
- Trustev
- Voxpro
Supporters
To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.
1. Evangelists
Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies. (i.e. Local leaders who have taken a leadership position, speak at a lot of startup events, mentor all the programs, etc. Unless you are doing a very nascent market, >90% of these people should have entrepreneurial experience)
- Amy Neale
- Ben Hurley
- Brian Caulfield
- David Scanlon
- Elaine Coughlan
- Frank Walsh
- Gerry Macken
- Joan Mulvihill
- John Breslin
- John Dennehy
- Julie Sinnamon
- Neal O'Gorman
- Niamh Bushnell
- Patrick Walsh
- Russell Banks
- Val Cummins
2. Government
Public organizations that facilitate local economic development (ex. Start with the chamber of commerce, “Invest in XXX”, “Economic Ministry of XXX” , “Innovation”, R&D, etc)
- Cork Chamber
- Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
- Dublin City Council
- Dublin Commissioner for Startups
- Enterprise Ireland
- Investors & Entrepreneurs - Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Ireland
- Local Enterprise Office
- Local Enterprise Office - DLR
- Local Enterprise Office - Dublin City
- Local Enterprise Office - Fingal
- South Dublin - Local Enterprise Office
3. Talent
Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.
- Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)
- Athlone Institute of Technology
- Cork Institute of Technology
- Dublin Business School
- Dublin City University
- Dublin Institute of Technology
- Dundalk Institute of Technology
- Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
- Institute of Technology Carlow
- Limerick Institute of Technology
- Maynooth University
- National College of Ireland
- National University of Ireland Galway
- Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
- University College Cork
- University College Dublin
- University of Limerick
- Waterford Institute of Technology
- Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices, “major technology companies in XX”)
This community resource was created by the Founder Institute, the world’s premier pre-seed startup accelerator. If you are building a company in Istanbul, learn more at http://FI.co.
The Startup Ecosystem Canvas project seeks to provide local entrepreneurs with a clear list of resources for every stage of their startup journey, and outline a basic framework for communities to map their ecosystem.
If you have any comments on this canvas, pleave contribute to this collaborative Google document. While we spent about 20 hours on this research, it is definitely a work in progress so we want your feedback!
