Entrepreneurship Class Acts

JACK PIERSE

BBL 2013

In February 2022, Wayflyer, the start-up co-founded by Jack Pierse, who is also Chief Financial Officer, achieved unicorn status when its valuation exceeded $1 billion. In May 2022, the company secured a further $300 million in financing from J.P. Morgan. Wayflyer provides affordable unsecured loans and marketing analytics services to e-commerce companies, which are repaid through a percentage of future revenue. Pierse and his co-founder Aidan Corbett are finalists in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland Awards 2022, in the International category.

JIM JOYCE

MBA 1996

In December 2021 HealthBeacon, led by its co-founder and CEO Jim Joyce, raised €25 million in its IPO on the Euronext Growth Dublin market, valuing the company at €98 million. Founded in 2013, HealthBeacon develops solutions to help patients to adhere to injectable medications schedules more efficiently. Its core product consists of a small digital bin in which patients can dispose of their injector pens and syringes while keeping track of their adherence to medication regime.

DARAGH MURPHY

BCL 2010

In November 2021, it was announced that Imprint, the Fintech service co-founded and led by Daragh Murphy, had raised $38 million in Series A funding, bringing the total amount raised since its inception in 2020 to $53 million. Imprint is a payment and rewards provider that partners with businesses to provide branded rewards cards which may be used like standard debit cards. Bypassing traditional banks saves the business money while customers are rewarded with privileges and discounts.

DAVE WALSH

BComm 2013, MSc Marketing 2016

In May 2022, Mathison, the diversity hiring and retention platform co-founded and led by Dave Walsh, announced it had raised $25 million in Series A funding. Founded in 2019, Mathison provides a diversity, equality and inclusion operating system to enable organisations and businesses to accelerate their diverse hiring practices. The company has thus far worked with blue-chip employers such as Sonos, TripAdvisor, 23andMe, BMS, Sundance Film Festival and the World Economic Forum.

FELIX HEMMERLING

BComm 2018

In June 2021, it was announced that Kodehyve, a property technology start-up co-founded by Chairman and CEO Felix Hemmerling in 2020, had closed €1 million in funding from investors. The real estate collaboration platform enables real estate developers and agencies to manage and analyse projects through the digitalisation of real estate work ows. In 2022, it introduced an e-signature platform, allowing for instant signing of documentation that previously took weeks for con rmation.

ANDREA REYNOLDS

BA Economics 1993, HDipBS 1994

In June 2022, Swoop, the Fintech company co-founded by Andrea Reynolds, raised €6.3 million in Series A funding, taking its valuation to €30 million. Established in 2017, Swoop connects SMEs with sources of finance. With 75,000 businesses having used the platform to find over £500 million to date, the company has predicted a 450 per cent increase in revenue in 2022. Swoop partnered with major UK banks and distributed hundreds of millions in loans via a pandemic Bounce Back scheme.

AIMEE CONNOLLY

BComm International 2015

Founder and CEO of Sculpted By Aimee, Aimee Connolly won top prize in the Emerging Category at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2021. She established the cosmetics business in 2016, having worked as a freelance make-up artist prior to this. The business, which ships to 20 countries, is on track to achieve revenues of €8 million this year and is focused on replicating the success in Ireland in further international markets.

ADAM KEANE

BA Economics 2012, MSc Finance 2013

In December 2021, Adam Keane’s nursing home communications technology tool, Altra, won gold at the National Start-up Awards 2021 in the Social or Sustainable Startup category. Altra’s platform helps nursing and care homes provide meaningful, person-centred care for all residents. Altra is currently deployed in almost 150 nursing homes across the UK and Ireland.

ZEBULON PARSONS

MSc Supply Chain Management 2015

Zebulon Parsons is the founder of South Carolina-based company Bricolage Dynamics LLC, which converts glass waste into high-quality sand to be used for landscaping and construction. The company has raised over $250,000 and has serviced over 250 households, producing more than 25 tonnes of sand to date. Prior to founding Bricolage Dynamics, Parsons held various operational and logistical roles at companies in Melbourne and South Carolina.

JOHN MC KENNA

BE Civil Engineering 1993

In May 2022, Sees.ai, the remote drone piloting software start-up co-founded and led by John McKenna, received a €117,000 equity investment from Boeing. The start-up joined the company’s UK start-up accelerator, Aerospace Xelerated, in January. It also joined a trial with Britain’s National Grid to automate the inspection of electricity pylons. The start-up is one of only ten organisations in the Civil Aviation Authority regulatory sandbox programme alongside companies such as Amazon and Boeing.

ALISON DARCY

BA Psychology 1999, MLitt Psychology 2005, PhD Psychology 2007

Woebot, the mental health chatbot company founded by Dr Alison Darcy, secured $9.5 million in funding from the pharmaceutical giant Bayer, in March 2022. The company had previously raised $90 million in July 2021. Woebot is an AI-powered relational agent for mental health that acts as a therapeutic chatbot using an innovative, evidence-based approach to cognitive behavioural therapy, in order to create a therapeutic bond with its users.

STEPHEN O’DWYER

BE Biomedical Engineering 2021

In April 2022, Stephen O’Dwyer, the founder of TrojanTrack, was named one of PwC Sport for Business 30 under 30. Founded in 2021, TrojanTrack is a technology app that uses motion-tracking software to detect early signs of gait issues or injuries in horses, providing an alternative to more invasive diagnostics. In 2021, the company was awarded the Best Impact on Sport award at SportX, a pre-accelerator for sports business ideas.

JOHN FLYNN & DEBBIE RENNICK

BSc Physics and Mathematics 1990 & BCL 1989

Act Venture Capital, led by Managing Partner John Flynn and General Partner Debbie Rennick, launched a €140 million fund to target early-stage technology companies, in June 2022. This is its sixth and largest fund to date, bringing total capital raised by the firm to over €600 million. The company intends to target 35 companies with the fund, investing up to €10 millon into any one company, with a focus on companies prioritising sustainable growth and diversity.

COLUM LYONS

BComm 2003 In March 2022,

ID-Pal, led by founder and CEO Colum Lyons, won the Irish Times Innovation Award in the IT & Fintech category. ID-Pal is an automated identity verification software tool that provides for simple, secure and convenient identity verification in less than 60 seconds. In May 2022, the company launched in the UK. Prior to launching ID-Pal, Co. Mayo-born Lyons worked as a stockbroker. The company has just raised €7 million in Series A funding.

JACK PIERSE

JIM JOYCE

DARAGH MURPHY

DAVE WALSH

FELIX HEMMERLING

ANDREA REYNOLDS

AIMEE CONNOLLY

ADAM KEANE

ZEBULON PARSONS

JOHN MC KENNA

ALISON DARCY

STEPHEN O’DWYER

JOHN FLYNN & DEBBIE RENNICK

COLUM LYONS

JACK PIERSE

BBL 2013

JIM JOYCE

MBA 1996

DARAGH MURPHY

BCL 2010

DAVE WALSH

BComm 2013, MSc Marketing 2016

FELIX HEMMERLING

BComm 2018

ANDREA REYNOLDS

BA Economics 1993, HDipBS 1994

AIMEE CONNOLLY

BComm International 2015

ADAM KEANE

BA Economics 2012, MSc Finance 2013

ZEBULON PARSONS

MSc Supply Chain Management 2015

JOHN MC KENNA

BE Civil Engineering 1993

ALISON DARCY

BA Psychology 1999, MLitt Psychology 2005, PhD Psychology 2007

STEPHEN O’DWYER

BE Biomedical Engineering 2021

JOHN FLYNN & DEBBIE RENNICK

BSc Physics and Mathematics 1990 & BCL 1989

COLUM LYONS

BComm 2003 In March 2022,

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