From left: Minister Dara Calleary and Mike Beary. Image: AWS
The AWS Startup Loft gives Irish start-ups a chance to meet other founders, investors and AWS experts to grow their business quicker.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched a new start-up hub in one of its Dublin offices to support local early-stage companies looking for co-working spaces in Ireland.
The AWS Startup Loft is open to start-ups for free and offers everything from open seating and phone booths to WiFi and coffee to help founders and entrepreneurs work and network. It will also regularly hold talks with venture capitals, legal and accounting firms and AWS experts.
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary, TD launched the hub today (28 March) at the AWS Dublin office in Charlemont Street, calling it an important addition to the entrepreneur and start-up ecosystem in Ireland.
“This space and others like it play a vital role by supporting early-stage and start-up companies test out their ideas, pitch for investment, and build their networks,” Calleary said.
“I’m pleased to support the launch today which will complement the range of government supports and schemes available through our enterprise agencies, including the Local Enterprise Office network and Enterprise Ireland, to help Irish start-ups scale up, grow, and succeed.”
Mike Beary, who is the country manager for AWS Ireland, said that the latest hub will establish an “ideal forum” for early-stage companies to meet other founders, interact with investors and discuss how to take their businesses to the next level.
“At AWS, one of our leadership principles is to ‘think big’. Here in Dublin, we want to enable a culture of ‘thinking big’ by providing some of Ireland’s brightest entrepreneurs with a space for their ideas to grow,” Beary said.
One of the Irish start-ups already based at the hub is Vyra, a previous Start-up of the Week which helps organisations shift their employees’ attitude to climate action through accessible learning and a gaming-led approach.
Vyra co-founder Eoin Le Masney said the space has been a “game-changer” for the company.
“We have met some fantastic founders, solved problems with solutions architects and even used the space to pitch to mentors and investors,” Le Masney said.
“AWS Startup Loft is always creating value through events and regular check-ins, and I know that in the future we will reference the AWS start-up hub as a key ingredient in our early-stage success.”
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