Meet the Irish entrepreneur tackling one of the biggest challenges in the food industry.

In this edition of our Founder Focus series, we delve into the inspiring journey of Dylan McDonnell, the CEO and Founder of Foodini, a groundbreaking solution revolutionising how people with dietary needs navigate the culinary world.

Hailing from the picturesque landscapes of Kerry, Ireland, Dylan's struggle navigating dining out with coeliac disease, having been diagnosed at 10 years old, ignited a passion to address a global challenge: dining out with dietary restrictions. Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect:

📖 From law to entrepreneurship – How Dylan transitioned from a successful legal career to founding a game-changing food tech startup.

🚀 Scaling success – How Foodini was launched in Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly grew to over 100,000 users.

💰 Securing investment – Dylan shares how backing from global VC funds and angel investors propelled Foodini forward.

🌎 Breaking into the US market – With a growing team of 15 and a newly appointed Co-Founder in California, Dylan provides insight into expanding internationally and the challenges of scaling.

As always, if you or someone you know can help Dylan on his journey, be sure to reach out to him.

Enjoy ☕️

Dylan McDonnell Snapshot 🤳

From Kerry to Sydney to Los Angeles – what has your journey been like as an Irish entrepreneur expanding a business globally?

I’m from Killarney, to be specific. I’m very much a proud Kerry man. My background was originally in the legal world. I worked as a lawyer for one of the corporate law firms in Dublin, which took me to Australia.

Honestly, at the time, it was a lifestyle move. I was going to spend a year or two in Sydney, live near Bondi, and enjoy the lifestyle. But while I was there, I had the idea for Foodini, and suddenly, the easy lifestyle I had hoped for dissolved into the 24/7 world of being an entrepreneur.

You studied law and built a successful legal career before founding Foodini. What made you leap from law to entrepreneurship, and did your legal background help launch a start-up?

Yeah, plenty of risk-averse lawyers are out there, but I wouldn’t put myself in that bucket. My parents are entrepreneurs, so maybe it was just something I absorbed growing up. I’d say I’m an educated risk-taker. I didn’t just quit my legal job overnight; I spent months working on Foodini while still practising law. That experience was invaluable.

My legal background helped in many ways—time management, handling pressure, and saving on legal fees! I still handle a lot of our legal work myself, except for complex matters requiring specialised advice."

Your personal experience with coeliac disease inspired the idea for Foodini. Can you share how your dining-out challenges inspired the app?

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease at 10 years old, but I had been sick for a few years before that. It wasn’t well known back then. Over the years, I realised how difficult it was to find safe food. I thought, why can’t I find a sandwich in Sydney? Why do restaurant staff often give wrong information, leaving me sick for a week?

I wasn’t alone—people with different allergies, intolerances, or dietary preferences shared my frustrations. The demand was bigger than I expected. In the US alone, 33 million people have been diagnosed with food allergies, not including dietary preferences like vegan or keto. There was a real need for a solution.

Foodini has rapidly grown to a user base of over 100,000 and secured investment from major VCs. What has been the key to this rapid success?

We’ve pivoted a few times, always refining the model. The consumer need is clear, but getting restaurants to provide accurate data and integrate with us has been challenging. We've also expanded into other areas, like online ordering.

Since launch, Foodini has raised $3 million from a range of institutional and private investors, including Untapped Ventures; GFR Fund, Antler and others.

One major factor in securing this investment has been the team—I have two amazing co-founders, Timo in Sydney and Erica in the US. Investors don’t just back ideas; they back teams who can execute. Another factor is vision—especially in the US, investors want to see that you’re thinking big. You must show them a pathway to massive scale and 100X returns.

You recently expanded Foodini’s operations to the US, appointing a Co-Founder in California. What challenges have you faced in scaling the business internationally, and what lessons have you learned from expanding into a new market?

Interestingly, both my co-founders started as advisors. Initially, I could do it all myself, but I quickly realised the importance of having great people around me. Teemo and Erica transitioned from advisors to full-time co-founders, allowing us to work together before fully committing.

The move to the US was all about opportunity—the scale here is far greater than in Australia. The venture funding landscape is also much more favourable, with a greater appetite for high-growth companies. However, one of the biggest challenges has been navigating the complexities of the US market. Unlike Australia, the US operates more like 50 countries, each with unique laws, taxes, and business environments. Understanding these differences has been a crucial learning experience.

Another key learning is the importance of personal relationships in the US. Deals often happen in person, requiring significant travel and face-to-face meetings. This has meant a lot of time spent at trade shows, networking events, and investor meetings, but the effort has paid off in securing partnerships and funding."

Your vision includes expanding into Europe and Ireland. How do you see Foodini evolving over the next few years, and what markets excite you the most?

Right now, we are super focused on nailing our value proposition and scaling within specific markets. The US is 50 different countries, so there's a massive opportunity here alone. Our solution has global application, and we could technically expand into multiple countries tomorrow, but from a resource and focus perspective, it wouldn’t make sense just yet.

However, Ireland has the highest rate of coeliac disease per capita in the world, so our solution is needed there. For the next few years, our priority remains Australia and the US, with potential API integrations with more prominent tech companies that could allow us to expand without setting up entire operations in new markets.

In terms of evolution, we now provide our service not just at restaurants, hotels and casinos but also at stadiums and sporting events - we ran a great project with the Australian Open team over Christmas and are looking forward to doing more in that space:

As an Irish entrepreneur, do you feel connected to the Irish business community abroad? Have there been any Irish networks or mentors that have supported your journey?

I genuinely believe that being Irish gives you an unfair business advantage. It opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. In Australia, I noticed this immediately through the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce, where people like Scott Hayes, Alan Hickey, and Gary Cobain (check out Gary’s founder focus below) were incredibly supportive. 

They introduced me to key contacts, offered mentorship, and genuinely wanted to help, which made a massive difference in my journey. This is even more potent in the US because there are not just Irish expats but also Irish Americans, many of whom still feel a deep connection to Ireland and want to support Irish entrepreneurs.

I’ve seen this firsthand in LA. A few friends there introduced me to their tech-world contacts, and I also joined the local GAA team (LA Cougars GAA), which had around 40 Irish members.

Within months, I had an entirely new network that opened up opportunities. My advice to any Irish entrepreneur abroad is simple: find the local Irish community. They will help you in ways you can’t imagine, saving you months of effort in making the right connections.

Startups require resilience and adaptability. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received that has helped you navigate the startup journey?

Coming from a legal background, where everything is black and white, I initially wanted things to be perfect before releasing them. But startups need to get feedback, test, and iterate quickly.

The sooner you can validate your idea with real users, the better. Waiting too long and striving for perfection can slow down growth. Whenever we launch new features or products, we focus on getting them out fast and learning from our users rather than trying to make everything flawless from day one.

Finally, what does being an Irish founder abroad mean to you?

I’m incredibly proud to be Irish. No matter where I go, that identity stays with me. It’s incredible to see how people respond to the Irish—our reputation precedes us in the best possible way. I still consider Foodini an Irish company in many ways.

Maybe one day we’ll have an office in Ireland, but for now, I’m just proud to be an Irish entrepreneur making an impact globally.

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