Lizzy Hayashida

GRID Finance, a fintech company that helps SMEs access funding, has become the first Irish recipient of the new InvestEU capacity building financing product from the European Investment Fund (EIF). The company is led by Derek Foley Butler, FCA

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HEAnet will be hosting the Dublin Local Hub for the RIPE NCC Green Hackathon in December! ***** You can join the Hackathon here: https://lnkd.in/gFZeD_gb We'll explore innovative solutions for reducing the environmental impact of digital technologies, not only with a focus on Internet infrastructure but also on ideas of regenerative society and climate justice - and everything in between. We are looking for enthusiastic and critical thinkers in Green Tech. If you are a hacker, software developer, climate expert, network engineer, student, researcher, data scientist, designer, economist, sys-admin, philosopher, gardener, academic, or poet, who wants to create a sustainable future, then this event is for you! The https://lnkd.in/g_i97jxS takes place on 10-11 December 2024 in the following locations (based on geographical distance): Online (more than half of the participants!) Dublin Local Hub - hosted by HEAnet - 93/94 North Wall Quay, Dublin D01 V8Y6, Ireland In person in Amsterdam and other Local Hubs (Greece, Slovenia, UK, Serbia) Register here (please mention if joining a Local Hub): https://lnkd.in/g_i97jxS RIPE NCC hackathons are non-commercial and non-competitive. We focus on cooperation and openness - all the code produced is FLOSS, and all the results are published on public software repositories, wikis, and on blogs to help others further create, experiment, and develop ideas and tools.

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We're seeing some politicians, as we head into local and European elections, jump into a climate denial/deflection or delay camp. What's your best tactic for challenging the #climate pause button, given the stark reality of the recent ICCA climate change assessment for Ireland? How have you countered it in work or in your own conversations? What has worked for you to bring people into not just accepting the science and why we are acting but seeing their own role in it? #Climate #Ireland

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The end of the Accelerator Era Ireland’s state-backed tech accelerator, the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), has announced it will shut down in November 2025. Founded in 2006, the NDRC explained that the government has “concluded that the enterprise ecosystem has evolved significantly” and, as a result, will not extend the accelerator’s contract beyond next year. Until then, operations will continue as usual. This development signals a broader shift in the startup ecosystem. By 2025, I believe the traditional accelerator model will be largely outdated. A similar trend is likely in Italy, where, within the next two years, many of the 20+ accelerators launched under CDP Cassa Depositi e Prestiti's Rete Nazionale Acceleratori program will (quietly) close their doors (disclaimer: this is just my opinion). Why? - Accelerators (except a few ones) have proven to be often economically unsustainable, with limited funding and a reliance on corporate sponsors who may no longer see sufficient value in supporting them. - The startup ecosystems have evolved, favoring more targeted, flexible, and scalable models over the traditional accelerator approach (and with a larger need to focus on later stage funding rather than seed). The question is no longer whether this shift will happen, but how quickly the industry will adapt to a post-accelerator world. #startups #openinnovation #accelerators Mind the Bridge Isidro Laso Conor McGinn Phillip Mckenna Ernesto Ciorra Salvo Mizzi Gianluca Dettori

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Really encouraging to see that stakeholder interest and increased EU regulatory requirements are causing more companies to focus on embedding more sustainable practices in their business. Read our full report here: https://lnkd.in/eiGJ6AQn

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Are corporate Boards keeping pace with the development of AI? In a recent IoD Ireland survey over 1/3rd of companies surveyed are now citing AI as a key tool to improve effectiveness and drive business competitiveness but almost 70% of organisations do not have a board-approved AI policy. https://lnkd.in/eJn3dBwZ #IODIreland #TechGovernance #AI #AIRisk

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Dear all, TechIreland's Startup Funding Review 2024 Edition was out recently. - #StartupFunding dropped from €1.3B (2022) to €847M (2023) - A record 403 Irish companies fundraised, up from 279 (2022) - <€5M rounds up from 224 (2022) to 271 (2023) - >€5M rounds down from 47 (2022) to 28 (2023); total deal-value down 50% - Sectors: Energy (€377M), Health (€275M), FinTech (169M) - 140 Co's from Regions outside Dublin raised a total €222M - 35 NI Co's raised a record €117M - Female Founder Funding dropped from €234M (2022) to €93M (2023) - Irish women-founded startups No.1 in Europe for # of rounds per capita Thanks to our expert contributors for making the report. Key comments; - Reflects international funding environment that saw 38% drop - John O'Dea - 2022 2023 worst years since.. ; seeing the start of a bottoms-up recovery - Brian Caulfield - Depsite challenges, record # of startups raised funding - Ireland Strategic Investment Fund - The Irish ecosystem continues to produce balanced teams, good ideas - Donnchadh Cullinan - Public funding.. instrumental.. for startups - Shane O'Hanlon - Ireland's fall in VC largely in line with European levels - Orla Browne - Strong regional showings in Cork and Galway - Ian Browne - must correct.. the lack of locally sourced scaling finance - Sarah-Jane Larkin - robust M&A activity characterised by high value M&A deals - Fergal McAleavey - we were fortunate to have existing investors willing to follow-on - Chris Murphy - Invest Northern Ireland's Founder Lab accelerator widely anticipated - Drew O'Sullivan Enterprise Ireland <>IDA Ireland<> InterTradeIreland <>Google Paddy Flynn Sheila Harte Shauna Kenny Tom Early Patrick O' Regan Aoife Morrin Helen McBreen Faye Walsh Drouillard Damien McConville Philipp Maucher Juliet Tennent Ed O'Riordan Dealroom.co Irish Venture Capital & Private Equity Association NDRC HBAN Bluedrop Medical EY

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Big week for Ireland's AI opportunity - part 2: addressing the Oireachtas Enterprise Committee on AI and Irish businesses. On Wednesday I was invited to speak to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the impact of AI on businesses. It was a great discussion during which I was able to highlight the research we've commissioned on the economic opportunity from generative AI, Google's partnerships to help SMEs and workers skill up for the AI era, and our support for developing AI talent from under-represented communities. I was impressed by the serious and thoughtful questioning from members, who clearly genuinely care about getting Ireland ready for the AI era across all dimensions. One of the initiatives I mentioned is this short course, Google AI Essentials. Any business or worker looking to take the first steps with Generative AI can sign up for 15 hours of self-paced online learning, including practical exercises which will bring to life how AI could be useful for your work: https://lnkd.in/eWNuEXUm

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📉 The Closure of the NDRC: A Step Back for Irish Startups? It’s deeply concerning to hear that the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) is set to close next year. For years, the NDRC has been a cornerstone of Ireland’s startup ecosystem, providing early-stage startups with critical funding, mentorship, and resources to innovate and grow. At a time when global competition for tech investment is fiercer than ever, this decision risks undermining Ireland’s reputation as a hub for innovation. International investors need confidence that Ireland supports its startups and fosters a strong pipeline of innovation. This move feels particularly short-sighted given the potential threats to Ireland’s economy, such as the possibility of tariffs on Irish exports under a Trump presidency. Now more than ever, Ireland should be reinforcing its commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation, not pulling back. The NDRC has played a vital role in fostering a vibrant tech ecosystem and ensuring Irish startups can compete on a global scale. Its closure risks creating a significant gap in early-stage support, just when we need to double down on promoting Ireland as a leader in innovation. If we’re serious about safeguarding Ireland’s future economy, we must urgently reconsider decisions like this and ensure we’re investing in our greatest assets: our people, talent, and ideas. What are your thoughts? How do we ensure the Irish startup sector remains strong in the face of these challenges? https://lnkd.in/g4FDrDBM National Digital Research Centre to close next year as contract ends

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Heads up for Irish friends: On Tuesday 21st January I'll be giving an online talk and doing a Q&A on the key technology and geopolitical forces shaping tech in Ireland in the next three years. It's for members of IRDG Innovation Network. It will be ... spicy! Not your usual blah blah corporate press release or rehash of a consulting firm's cut and paste report. So join me for what I hope will be an invigorating and informative discussion of what's really coming down the pipe. "2025-2028 will be years of transformative technological change and profound geopolitical and economic shifts. We cannot predict the future, but we can anticipate some of the biggest changes hurtling towards us and try to identify their opportunities as well as risks. This session will outline five key forces shaping technology markets and opportunities in the next three years." https://lnkd.in/e4sk7EXD

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🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 I am delighted to be featured in today's Irish Times, where I had the opportunity to discuss the impactful work we are doing at ConnectGreen. Our mission is to support businesses on there journey to get to net zero. Our SaaS carbon accounting platform also helps businesses in meeting their CSRDs and CSDDD obligations through our innovative solution. We bring the innovator economy to local farmers and landholders by connecting them with companies seeking to purchase guaranteed, certified, and verified carbon and biodiversity assets. Together with our partners, we are creating sustainable solutions that drive meaningful environmental change and help businesses achieve their sustainability goals. Read more about our journey and how we can help your business reach its sustainability targets in the Irish Times article. 🌱🌍 #Sustainability #CarbonCredits #Biodiversity #ConnectGreen #CSRD #CSDDD #IrishTimes #ClimateAction #SustainableBusiness

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Interesting insights from EY's Eoin O'Reilly on discussion of AI during the Irish general election campaign. While AI has not often featured in the debate, it is covered in the manifestos of the major parties and a number of common themes have emerged. Beyond the election, however, AI is going to have an increasingly significant impact on our economy and society in the next five years and beyond. No matter the outcome on Friday, the future won't wait.

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Need funding to turn your vision into reality? Check out these 9 ways to secure funding for your startup! From angel investors to grants, we've got you covered ⤵️ https://ow.ly/Qu2y50Tri7r

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Last week, The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland launched the results of its quarterly FDI Insights survey. This survey highlights the views of members on Ireland as an investment and growth location. Key findings of AmCham’s FDI Insights survey include: - 97% of respondents said that Ireland is competitive when compared to other advanced global economies. - 56% said they expect the number of employees in the Irish operations of their organisation to increase over the next 12 months. - 9 in 10 said their corporate headquarters have a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location. - 40% said housing is the most important challenge for Ireland to overcome for their company to invest and expand here. 19% identified cost competitiveness as the most important challenge with 12% saying skills shortage was the number one challenge. - 52% of respondents said Ireland’s highly educated and skilled talent pool is its main competitive advantage. Full detail on the key findings from this survey are available here: https://lnkd.in/e2ZVJUcT

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On the topic of what is an Entrepreneur in Residence and what might they do...

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With the news this morning that 2024 will be the planet's first year of warming above 1.5C (compared to pre-industrial levels) and therefore showing the alarming acceleration of climate change impacts - I'm sharing the letter I wrote to the The Irish Times this week, post the Valencia's deadly floods, but before the re-elected of a profoundly anti climate action leader in USA, about why we need to make climate action an election issue in Ireland's November 29th general election. I've popped it into Medium so everyone can access ( although given the news from USA I'd be encouraging people to pay and support for journalism - we've never needed investigative and informed reporting more). Also seeing within a day the triumphant spread of climate denial posts from US - history tells us when we get close to real transformative change you see those who feel they have vested interests, profits, positions, status to lose digging in deeper to protect those self-interests over the long-term good of all. It's important we keep amplifying the facts, the science and connecting with people's lived experience, particularly what we're seeing in extreme events like in Valencia this last week - and challenging the corporate and political spin that there is time to delay. We're out of time. https://lnkd.in/ed9cWzWJ Here's the Irish Times link : https://lnkd.in/eY8FjhkY

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