Céad míle fáilte!

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the world’s largest fintech conference, the Singapore FinTech Festival. With over 66,000 attendees from 150+ countries and exhibition spaces that could rival spaceships, it was an incredible experience.

But little did I know, I would witness firsthand a genuinely historic event for the island of Ireland…

For the first time, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Invest Northern Ireland joined forces at the “Ireland Pavilion”, showcasing a unified front to promote the best of Irish and Northern Irish fintech solutions to a global audience.

This joint initiative, a first in the festival’s history, brought nine Enterprise Ireland and five Invest NI companies together alongside high-ranking politicians and leaders from the whole island, including Conor Murphy MLA from the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Mary Buckley, Executive Director of IDA Ireland, and Kieran Donoghue, CEO of Invest Northern Ireland.

Adding to the excitement, I had the pleasure of connecting with one of Ireland's most impressive entrepreneurs abroad: Joe Fitzsimons the CEO of Horizon Quantum Computing, based in Singapore. Meeting such pioneering entrepreneurs from Ireland and making a mark on the global stage was awesome. Check out our story about Joe’s achievements earlier this year here.

The 2024 Singapore FinTech Festival was a celebration of fintech and a testament to the strength of a united Irish business spirit, which I sincerely believe is a positive step for entrepreneurs and businesses on our island and beyond.

Now, let’s get down to business…here’s a sneak peek of what we have in store for you this week:

• Irish Scientist Shane Hegarty at the Helm of Biotech Success with Axonis Therapeutics' $115 Million Fundraising 🇺🇸

• Dubliner Lena Hennessy Steps into Key Role as COO of World’s Best Restaraunt 🇩🇰

• Vizrt Names Irish-born Vanessa Walmsley as New CCO 🇬🇧

• Irish Start-Up xWave Technologies Secures Major NHS Contract 🇬🇧

• We cover another 7 Irish-affiliated companies that raised a cool €35 million in funding in the last fortnight. 🚀

• Impress your friends with the latest Irish brain food stories. 🧠

Enjoy ☕️

Irish Scientist Shane Hegarty at the Helm of Biotech Success with Axonis Therapeutics' $115 Million Fundraising 🇺🇸

Irish neuroscientist Dr. Shane Hegarty, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Axonis Therapeutics has successfully raised $115 million Series A funding round. The funding, celebrated on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, will drive the development of innovative therapies for neurological disorders, focusing on restoring nervous system function and providing new hope to patients.

A proud graduate of University College Cork (UCC) and one of Ireland's brightest scientific minds, Shane’s journey from Ireland to the U.S. biotech scene is inspiring. His foundational research and education in UCC’s Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, coupled with early career support from the Irish Research Council and National University of Ireland, paved the way for his breakthrough work in neurological therapies.

Axonis’s latest financing will support the development of ANX-037, a promising drug candidate designed to restore central nervous system function, addressing conditions that have long remained underserved. "This Series A is not only a financial boost but a validation of the potential impact Axonis can have in treating neurological disorders," says Shane.

Shane’s career has been defined by academic excellence and dedication to advancing neuroscience. With a portfolio of 30+ peer-reviewed publications and prestigious awards such as the Neuroscience Ireland Early Career Investigator Award, he has consistently contributed to the field. He is well-placed to lead Axonis’s mission to bring novel neuromedicines to patients worldwide.

Dubliner Lena Hennessy Steps into Key Role as COO of World’s Best Restaraunt 🇩🇰

Irish-born Lena Hennessy has taken on the prestigious role of COO at Noma, the iconic three-Michelin Star restaurant in Copenhagen, helmed by Chef René Redzepi. Known globally for its groundbreaking approach to Nordic cuisine, Noma has been celebrated as the world’s best restaurant five times, most recently in 2021.

Lena’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as Noma undergoes a transformative phase, with her role also extending to Noma Projects, a new initiative launched in 2021 aimed at sharing the restaurant’s innovative culinary expertise and inspiring global audiences. As COO and acting CEO of Noma Projects, Lena will lead operational strategy and drive the restaurant's ambitious vision forward.

Hailing from Dublin, Lena brings a wealth of experience in finance and commercial strategy, most recently serving as Head of Strategy for Northern Europe at Dole. She holds a First Class Honours Degree & Masters from Sorbonne University, trained as a classical musician in Paris, and is a member of the Chartered Accountants of Ireland.

In a recent interview with Oliver Callan on RTÉ, Lena shared insights into her unexpected journey to Noma. Initially approached by a recruiter, she hadn’t envisioned herself in the restaurant industry. But a coffee meeting with Chef Redzepi changed everything, leading her to step into this role at what she describes as “one of the most exciting junctures” in Noma’s history.

🔊 Listen to her interview on RTÉ: RTÉ Interview.

Vizrt Names Irish-born Vanessa Walmsley as New CCO 🇬🇧

Vizrt, a real-time graphics and live production technology leader, has appointed Vanessa Walmsley as COO. A University of Limerick alumna, Walmsley steps into her new role after serving as Vizrt’s Global Head of Customer Success. In her new position, Vanessa will lead Vizrt’s commercial teams, working to align the company’s strategies even more closely with the needs of its clients, partners, and users.

Vizrt is known for redefining visual storytelling across news, sports, broadcast, education, and more. Its technology powers billions of video stories daily through major global media outlets, including BBC, CNN, NBC, and ESPN, as well as organizations like NASA and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Backed by Nordic Capital and operating in over 40 countries, Vizrt looks forward to Vanessa’s leadership in bringing its technology to a broader audience, supporting everyone from broadcasters to live streamers and podcasters.

With Vanessa at the helm, Vizrt’s future is bright for transforming video production and storytelling.

Irish Start-Up xWave Technologies Secures Major NHS Contract 🇬🇧

xWave Technologies, a Dublin-based health tech start-up led by CEO Mitchell O'Gorman, has won a competitive contract to supply its cutting-edge clinical decision support (CDS) software to eight NHS Trusts in northeast England, serving over 3 million patients. This win marks a significant milestone for xWave as it continues to expand its reach in the UK market.

The company’s proprietary technology helps GPs access the proper diagnostic tests at the right time, a vital step in reducing patient waiting lists and alleviating pressure on health services.

Under Mitchell O'Gorman’s leadership since 2020, xWave has rapidly scaled, achieving €500,000 in annual recurring revenue this year alone. A Dublin City University alum with a background in international marketing, O'Gorman reflects on the journey so far: “It’s been an incredible ride—startup highs and lows, shared laughs, and the support of amazing people. And we’re only getting started.”

💰 That money was just resting in my account…

A massive congratulations to the other 8 Irish-affiliated businesses that have achieved an impressive total of over €100 million in recent fundraising victories 🥂

📊 Customs Window, a Dublin-based company providing a comprehensive solution for the entire customs declaration process, raises €800k to help roll out their system to new customers in the UK.

💉 SynOx Therapeutics, a biotech innovator in cancer therapies, raised $92 million to advance emactuzumab, a promising treatment for Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumour.

🧬 Ovagen, the Mayo-based biotech behind the world’s first germ-free eggs for vaccine development has raised €2m in a Series A equity investment round led by the Western Development Commission.

⚡ GridBeyond, a leader in AI-powered energy management, raised $7.8 million to supports efforts to provide advanced grid services.

🏡 The Freebird Club, a travel and homestay platform for seniors, was awarded €500,000. The funding will support the platform’s expansion and help build a community-oriented travel network for seniors worldwide.

💸 Payslip, a fintech platform for payroll management based in Mayo, closed a €1.5 million round to improve its artificial intelligence capability.

📚 Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering, an autonomous marine drone startup, has raised $2m in pre-seed funding. The San Francisco-based firm was founded in 2023 by Irish engineers Will O'Brien and Colm O'Brien.

📊 Dataships, a start-up that helps businesses navigate the complexities of national email marketing laws and use them to drive compliant list growth and increased revenue, has raised €500,000.

🧠 Brain Food

Here is your quick serving of Irish Insights-related wins, trends, events, media and resources that we think you’ll enjoy digesting 🍽️:

📉 How Trump's Presidency poses the 'biggest near-term risk' to the Irish economy. READ HERE

🦄 Nearly Half of US Unicorn Founders Were Born Outside the US. Ireland has 10. READ HERE

💸 Stripe has a Bridge to crypto. READ HERE

🏆 Enterprise Ireland Announces Founder of the Year. READ HERE

🤖 Open AI purchases chat.com URL for an incredible 15 million. READ HERE

🍺 How the first Guinness on Friday tastes:

eamonjohn

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