We’ve all been there. You’ve decided to save that 20% on your flight to Spain, confident that the extra 5kg of baggage won’t be detected at Ryanair check-in, only to curse yourself when you've inevitably forked out the €50 fine, and you swear to yourself - “I'll never fly with the f**kers again!”

Well, it turns out this just isn’t an Irish thing; millions upon millions of travellers across the globe have gone through this process, only to come back like a young Oliver Twist looking for some tasty seconds again and again:

This common occurrence goes a long way toward explaining how Ryanair has just landed the title of the world’s largest airline by market cap. According to company values compiled by Companies Market Cap, an online stock market tool, Ryanair’s value has surpassed that of Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines, two of the major US carriers. The company has a market capitalization of $29.63 billion—an incredible achievement for the Irish aviation industry.

One key to this success story is their innovative and engaging marketing strategy, especially on their socials. Ryanair has used self-deprecating humour to connect with passengers and build a distinct brand identity:

The strategy has been an incredible hit with younger flyers, often headed by their charismatic leader, Micheal O’Leary, who once famously floated the idea that Ryanair would charge passengers for using the bathroom.

We salute Ryanair's achievement as an Irish airline dominating a global market segment and will enjoy cursing them the next time I spend €10 on a warm tin of coke.

This Weeks Dispatch 📖

We have some incredible stories of Irish innovation across four continents including a mega exit for the Irish startup ecosystem:

• Founder Focus 🔎 - Ryan O'Hare, CEO, Australia & APAC, Keypath Education 🇦🇺

• Akara Expands: Irish Startup Brings UV Tech to Hospitals Across Europe 🇪🇺

• Cubic Telecom Connects with SoftBank Group in Mega Merger 🇯🇵

• From Ireland to Australia: Bridget Loudon's Remarkable Journey to the Top 🇦🇺

• Gophr Revolutionises UK Christmas Deliveries 🇬🇧

Enjoy! ☕

Founder Focus 🔎

Ryan O'Hare, CEO, Australia & APAC, Keypath Education

Ryan hails from Newcastle, County Down leads one of Asia’s fastest-growing education businesses.

Graduating from Ulster University before moving to Australia, Ryan was named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' in 2019 at the Australian Irish Business Awards. Here is his and Keypath’s story:

Company Description📝

We’re a leading global EdTech company that partners with Universities and education institutions to deliver market-led, online higher education programs. Our university partner programs attract students looking to upskill or reskill to prepare for the future of work in an increasingly knowledge-based economy facing significant skills shortages, particularly in areas such as Healthcare.

We have over 700 Keypathers located around the world, and we support over 40 Universities to deliver over 200 degree programs online to tens of thousands of students worldwide.

Company Location 🗺️ 

We have locations and employees all around the world, but our Australian HQ is in Melbourne. That said we’re now largely a remote-first business as a result of COVID, and are very fortunate to say we have employees currently living in every State and territory in Australia.

Company Stage 🚀 

We were listed as a public company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in 2021.

Company Origin🧑‍🍳

Our Australian business was founded in early 2014 (approaching our 10th anniversary soon!) from humble beginnings (my kitchen desk). Within 6 months we’d signed our first University partner in Australia and started hiring people from there.

We moved into our first office space in late 2014 and began recruiting students for our first university partner programs in early 2015. Fast-forward to today and we are the largest business of our kind in Australia servicing ¼ of the Universities in Australia with over 300 employees.

What Does it Mean to be an Irish Founder Abroad? ☘️

A lot. I’m an immensely fortunate and proud Irish-Australian, and trace everything I’ve achieved back to the attributes that bind both countries; great relationships and friendly, welcoming people along with a supportive, have-a-go nature.

If it was possible, what's one bit of advice you would tell yourself when you first emigrated?✈️

Pick your AFL team wisely. You’re either set for a lifetime of misery or joy. In my case with Essendon, it’s unfortunately been the latter.

Side note:

The feedback and interest in the incredible founder stories have been awesome - I’m so glad you are enjoying reading the stories as much as I enjoy putting them together.

With this in mind, I will be extending the format to go deeper into Irish Founders across the globe, which will go out fortnightly as a stand-alone post.

Akara Expands: Irish Startup Brings UV Tech to Hospitals Across Europe 🌍

Irish startup Akara Robotics is revolutionizing hospital hygiene with its UV-wielding robots, adding a sci-fi touch to the fight against pathogens. These autonomous bots efficiently map rooms, eradicate pathogens with ultraviolet light, and reduce cleaning downtime by a factor of seven.

Founded at Trinity College Dublin, Akara recently obtained a CE safety label, paving the way for its first UK hospital customer in Cornwall. This achievement comes on the heels of the announcement of a pilot partnership with Tartu University Hospital, Estonia’s largest healthcare provider, aiming to implement software technology with the hospital’s infection control team.

Akara's origin is quite intriguing; they've been bootstrapping since receiving a 2.4 million euro funding from the European Innovation Council through its highly competitive and prestigious accelerator program in 2021.

The company boasts a high-profile technical founding team of Niamh Donnelly, Conor McGinn, Cian Donovan, and Eamonn Bourke.

McGinn was featured on the MIT Technology Review's Next Generation of 35 Innovators Under 35 list and holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever recipient of the Engineers Ireland Excellence Award for Innovation.

Meanwhile, Donnelly received the prestigious EU Women Innovators Prize from the European Commission and was recognized by Silicon Republic as one of the "20 women doing fascinating work in AI, machine learning, and data science."

With such an innovative product and team, further global announcements are anticipated in 2024. 🚀

H/T 🎩: Business Post

Cubic Telecom Connects with SoftBank Group in Mega Merger 🇯🇵

The Irish telecom company has secured a major win, with the Japanese tech giant investing a whopping €473 million for a 51% stake, valuing the company at over €900 million.

HQ'd in Dublin the business offers a software-based solution that allows vehicles to seamlessly connect to mobile networks in any country. Their ingenious SIM cards keep over 17 million vehicles across 190 countries and regions humming, with clients like Audi, Volkswagen, Rakuten, and John Deere relying on their tech. 🚗

Founded by serial Irish entrepreneur Pat Phelan in 2005 and currently led by Barry Napier and Shane Sorohan, the leadership plans to leverage the investment to further develop its technology and expand its reach.

They're already connecting 450,000 new vehicles each month, and with orders in the pipeline, that number is set to "exponentially" grow over the next five years.

Napier, who will remain on the board, highlights SoftBank's ability to unlock doors in Asia as a key driver of the partnership:

Congratulations to the Cubic team for this phenomenal achievement! This landmark deal serves as a blueprint for the Irish startup community to conquer the world stage. 🌍

H/T 🎩: Techcrunch

From Ireland to Australia: Bridget Loudon's Remarkable Journey to the Top 🇦🇺

Australia has become a hotbed for Irish founders making waves down under, none more so than Bridget Loudon. From the Wild Atlantic Way to being recognised for leading the fastest-growing female-led tech company in Australia in recent weeks, Loudon's story is a testament to entrepreneurial spirit and determination.

Born in Adelaide in 1988 to a stockbroker and a chemistry teacher Loudon's early years were marked by a move to Feakle, County Clare. Her father's venture into sheep farming brought her to the quaint village of 1000, setting the stage for a journey that would eventually lead her to the top echelons of the Australian business community via the University of Galway.

Fast forward to her return to Australia, where Loudon had a stint at Bain consulting where she was introduced to Emily Yue, with whom she would co-found Expert360 in 2013. This eBay-like platform quickly became ANZ’s #1 Skilled Talent Network, connecting employers with independent contractors across various fields.

Expert360's success has soared, The platform raised a significant $12 million in Series C funding in 2020. Just last month Loudon was recognised for leading the fastest-growing female-led tech company over $50M and placing Expert360 12th overall in the Deloitte Tech Fast50.

But Loudon's journey doesn't end with Expert360. Recently, at the age of 32, she achieved a milestone by becoming the youngest independent director of an ASX top 200 company—joining the Telstra board. Her fresh perspective is set to bring a unique touch to the telecommunications giant's board, adding another chapter to her already illustrious career.

Bridget Loudon's story is a testament to the global impact of Irish entrepreneurs. Having achieved so much at a young age, it’s undoubtedly just the start. 🚀

H/T 🎩: Expert360

Gophr Revolutionises UK Christmas Deliveries 🇬🇧

Gophr, the cutting-edge logistics automation platform founded by Irish entrepreneur Seb Robert, is taking the lead in ensuring smooth Christmas deliveries across the UK. Specializing in B2B same-day courier services, Gophr collaborates with diverse business sectors, boasting renowned clients such as M&S, HelloFresh, Boots, and Farfetch.

The team are gearing up for an 80% increase (vs daily average) in delivery journeys on Thursday, 21 December, marking the last realistic day for deliveries before Christmas day.

Seb shared insights into the annual Christmas panic, stating, "Every year we say to ourselves that we won’t leave our Christmas prep to the last minute, and yet every year there is that sense of panic." He highlighted the challenges faced by the nation, including premium delivery slots, busy travel routes, and dwindling delivery options.

Seb moved to London 18 years ago to get into the music industry after graduating from Ulster University in 2004 and spent a significant amount of time studying digital music transformation. This led him to identify logistics as having extremely poor digital processes and customer satisfaction. From this, the idea of Gophr was born in August 2014.

HQ'd in London, the business has grown to 79 employees. Notably, Gophr has garnered significant support from investors, securing $6.9 million in funding to date. The last funding round, a Series A round, closed on Feb 22, 2021.

Good luck to the Gophr team for their pivotal role in powering British Christmas deliveries! 🎅🎁

H/T 🎩: Talking Retail

If you enjoy our newsletters or see a story about someone you know? Share it with your friends and family - It’s the best way to help us grow 🚀

Have we missed something? Got some feedback? Get in touch:

• 🦤 Find us on Twitter

• 👔 Holler on LinkedIn:

• 💌 Ping an Email

• 🖱️ Check out our Website