Accenture launches Dublin FinTech Innovation Lab for start-ups

9 Oct 2014

Kevin Sherry, Enterprise Ireland; Alastair Blair, country managing director, Accenture Ireland; Niamh Bushnell Dublin's commissioner for start-ups; and Andrew Desmond, Accenture Ireland.

Accenture has today launched its FinTech Innovation lab in Dublin in a bid to encourage entrepreneurs to accelerate technology innovation within the financial services industry.

The company have said that their new 12-week programme will look to offer early-stage companies the opportunity to develop their product or proposition while receiving mentorship from senior executives already well-established in the financial services and technology industries.

With companies involved in the project including AIB, Bank of Ireland, Citi, FEXCO, Google, PayPal, State Street, Realex Payments and Ulster Bank, the programme will finish with an ‘investor day’ where pitches from the entrepreneurs in Dublin, as well as their lab in London, to an audience of the gathered venture capitalists and financial industry executives.

To be accepted, entrepreneurs must have a beta version of their technology available, and be able to show the senior-level executives how their technology would have a meaningful impact on the company’s growth prospects.

Speaking of the importance of labs such as these, Dublin’s first commissioner for start-ups, Niamh Bushnell, said: “When I took up the role last month I commented on the need to create more excitement and energy around Dublin’s start-up scene.

“The FinTech Innovation Lab is exactly the kind of initiative I had in mind, and it’s fantastic to see one of the country’s leading multinationals creating a forum to bring together entrepreneurs, private industry and government. It’s only through this type of joint approach that we will be able to create a reputation for Dublin as a great start-up city.”

Accenture is a Silicon Republic Featured Employer, comprised of top tech companies that are hiring now.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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