We launched our virtual hub in March of last year. Ten months in, here are some of the key things we’ve learned so far. From our base in Kerry, we’re seeing something remarkable take shape – a community that disregards geographical barriers and creates opportunities for innovators across the country.
As our CEO Liam Cronin says ‘It no longer makes a difference if you are building your company from Killorglin or Stillorgan, you no longer have to be based in a city in order to network, get access to top-tier mentoring and scale your business.’
While we provide the structure through mentorship programs and resources, it’s the connections between members that truly drive innovation. We’ve had members working in everything from fintech to logistics, AI to HR, construction to cybersecurity, digital signage to recruitment, (with a little metaverse thrown in for good measure) and they are all happy to connect and share their learnings with other hub members. The industries may vary widely but the core challenges stay the same. These organic relationships are reshaping what’s possible in Irish innovation.
Our mentoring slots have produced some particularly rewarding moments. There’s something powerful about watching experienced business leaders share hard-won insights with emerging entrepreneurs. These conversations go beyond basic advice – they’re about navigating real challenges and finding practical solutions. Our Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Hugh Reynolds (former Apple executive and founder of Havok and Swrve) has been particularly sought after, as have Jamie Heaslip (strategic growth lead for Stripe in Ireland), and Rose O’Sullivan (Strategic Finance Manager at Fexco) among others.
We’ve seen some impressive successes along the way. Take Beam, for instance. One of the winners of the Mortgage Innovation Challenge in 2023 (which RDI hub ran with Delta Partners and Bank of Ireland, designed to stimulate innovation in the provision of mortgages in Ireland) they’ve transformed the conveyancing process into something more efficient and user-friendly and are rapidly scaling. Then there’s Graphite Note, who completed the Huawei/Dogpatch Labs international scale-up programme in 2022 to expand their AI platform’s reach and make low code machine learning insights more accessible to businesses, while raising €1.2M last year in the process.
What really matters to us is the impact these successes have on Ireland’s broader business landscape. Every new job created and every innovative solution developed strengthens our commitment to the fact that amazing things can happen with the right supports.
For those considering joining our community, we offer more than just networking opportunities. Our members gain access to one-on-one coaching sessions, potential funding connections, and a supportive network of fellow innovators. The membership fee is modest, especially considering the doors it can open.
We’re always interested in hearing from entrepreneurs about their challenges and aspirations. If you’re building something innovative in Ireland, we’d be keen to explore how our community might help support your journey. We’re always open to new members.
Check out https://rdihub.com/membership-virtual/ or reach out to our Business Development Manager Megan Daly Tyrrell at megan.dalytyrrell@rdihub.com
