Speed dating for entrepreneurs: start-ups get ready to schmooze in Dublin

20 Aug 2013

'Blackrock Dolmen' (1987) sculpture by the acclaimed Irish bronze-casting sculptor Rowan Gillespie with the church St. John the Baptist in the background. The statue resides in Blackrock village. Image via Wikimedia Commons

If you happen to be in Dublin next Tuesday evening, and are thinking of getting involved in one of the many digital start-ups beavering away on the island of Ireland at the minute, there’s an event happening in Blackrock to help connect start-ups with potential co-founders, and those thinking of setting up new ventures, as well as developers, business heads and marketers.

Event co-organiser John Muldoon says there are still some places left at the free meet-up.

Lucey HQ, the new office in Blackrock, Co Dublin, that Lucey Technology has just transited to, will be the setting for the 27 August event.

Dubbed ‘Job Dating’, the event is part of the First Tuesday monthly meet-up series that is generally held in a hostelry in Dublin City to connect start-ups with industry and IT experts.

Next week’s event is set to have a bit of a creative twist, however.

Speed dating for self-starters

Muldoon, who himself is the co-founder of the early stage med-tech start-up Sicknosis.com, told Siliconrepublic.com that the affair will be akin to a “job dating” event, whereby aspiring co-founders and entrepreneurs can interview and grill each other.

As of this morning, 33 start-ups have already signed up for next week’s fusion of minds.

Muldoon said that many of these start-ups are looking for co-founders, while it is probable that one or two of the registered ventures are in hiring mode.

So where do these ventures hail from? “They are generally Dublin-based start-ups,” he said.

Get ready to mingle with new ventures

Muldoon said there are still places left for developers, business brains and those with sales and marketing skills to register and come along to Blackrock.

As well as Muldoon, the two other co-organisers of the Job Dating event are Darren Mulvihill, who is head of seed investing at the Lucey Fund; and Kevin Loaec, an entrepreneur who operates a mobile payments start-up in Dublin. Apparently, Loaec was frustrated by the challenge in sourcing a team while building his venture, so that’s why he was interested in helping to run this event.

33 start-ups are looking to talk to people, and vice-versa

Muldoon said that the 33 places were booked by young companies looking for help and creative expertise to fill in the gaps in their ventures.

The organisers have divided the companies into three groups.

While some of the start-ups will be hiring, others will be looking for co-founders to help them build a team and build their product or service.

The start-ups are at various stages of development. For example, some of the companies are still very young and it could be awhile before they start trading. Others will be looking to hire.

Equity stake?

The one stipend for start-ups who are attending next week’s event is that any new hire they potentially take on will have to get an equity stake in the venture they will be pouring their energies into to help it grow.

“The only rule for participating companies is that an equity stake must be offered,” he said, but how that is vested is entirely up to the business.

The ‘Job Dating’ meet-up will kick off at 6.30pm. Those interested in attending can register online.

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

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