Two men stand side by side looking down at the camera while holding phones that show the CleverCards app in action.
Kealan Lennon and Minister Simon Coveney. Image: Fergal Philips

CleverCards creates new roles as it hits a new milestone

13 Dec 2023

The digital payments platform, which launched in 2022, is expanding its workforce in its head office in Dublin.

Irish payments start-up CleverCards is creating 35 new positions in Sandyford as it announces it has opened 350,000 accounts. The roles will be in sales and marketing, software development, and legal and compliance.

The milestone announcement was made today during a visit with Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney, TD. “In a testament to Ireland’s thriving start-up ecosystem, success stories like CleverCards continue to inspire growth,” said Coveney.

“It is refreshing to see Irish enterprises such as CleverCards leading the charge in advancing digital payments across Europe, positioning Ireland as a pioneer in payments-related development and innovation.”

The CleverCards platform allows businesses to send a prepaid digital Mastercard via email or WhatsApp to the Apple, Samsung or Google Pay wallet in the phone of the recipient. This could allow a company to provide a digital gift card to an employee or refund a customer.

The fintech said more than 5,000 Irish businesses have sent its digital Mastercards to their employees and customers for tax-free benefits, payouts and expenses. In 2021, the company closed a €10m funding round and announced plans to acquire Italian expense management company ExpendiaSmart.

Making Ireland a fintech leader

Founder and chief executive, Kealan Lennon, said he is particularly proud of what the company has achieved in the last year.

“From facilitating tax-free benefits for hundreds of thousands of employees to streamlining the administration processes of over 5,000 businesses across Ireland, CleverCards continues to embody the essence of innovation and financial empowerment,” he said.

“I’d like to thank the Government for its support, enabling employers to provide CleverCards to employees tax-free under the small benefit exemption. I look forward to further successes, pushing the boundaries of digital innovation and making Ireland a global fintech leader.”

The start-up also appointed former Meta payments head, Gaurav Khurana, to the role of senior vice-president of marketing in April 2023.

CleverCards has also received support from Enterprise Ireland. Karen Cohalan, who manages fintech, financial and business services at Enterprise Ireland said the growth of the company has been driven by its agility and innovation.

“We look forward to working with Kealan and his expanded team in the future to support CleverCards’ ambitious plans to compete and win in international markets while continuing to create jobs here in Ireland.”

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Jenny Darmody
By Jenny Darmody

Jenny Darmody became the editor of Silicon Republic in 2023, having worked as the deputy editor since February 2020. When she’s not writing about the science and tech industry, she’s writing short stories and attempting novels. She continuously buys more books than she can read in a lifetime and pretty stationery is her kryptonite. She also believes seagulls to be the root of all evil and her baking is the stuff of legends.

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