Guinness Enterprise Centre companies raise €22.5m

More than 160 start-ups based at Liberties superhub

Trade

Niamh Collins, Guinness Enterprise Centre

Companies based at not-for-profit Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) have collectively raised €22.5 million in funding last year. The funding represents another year of high-impact start-up growth and innovation being achieved by its resident companies.

The five-storey GEC, in Dublin’s Liberties, is home to 160 of Ireland’s most-promising start-ups and their more than 750 employees. Some of the business services provided to resident companies include access to funding sources, mentoring, pro bono advisory services and support for grant applications. In addition, they benefit from university partnerships, which give founders access to MBA business executives in 50 top worldwide business universities.

Fundraising rounds for resident companies in 2024 varied from €25,000 to €8 million. Investment came from a combination of sources including venture capital firms, private investors and government grants.

GEC resident companies who celebrated fundraising success last year included ExamFly, a company providing engaging online training for professional exams, which last year raised €1.5 million. Other GEC resident fundraising successes included Urban Fox (€8 million), Mobility Mojo (€4.2 million), Advise (€1.8 million), Move Ahead (€1.5 million) and Quiz Wizards (€350,000).

Niamh Collins, centre director, GEC (pictured), said: “It is hugely rewarding that the GEC can provide an ecosystem for so many of our resident companies to achieve fundraising success. This is particularly impressive given that smaller investment rounds were generally fewer in 2024 than they were the previous year*. External investment isn’t just about capital; it provides validation and adds substantial weight to a company.

“At GEC, we are home to Ireland’s largest start-up campus, making us one of Ireland’s most important pieces of economic infrastructure. As a non-profit, we have the same shared goal as all of our resident companies: their success. This is what drives us forward and we are committed to getting as many start-ups through our doors as possible to give them the best foundation for scaling and long-term growth. We have built a world-class space with a low barrier to entry, providing below market rates for scalable office rental and no long-term commitments required.”

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