Enterprise Ireland appoints new start-up ambassador


15 Feb 2012

Irish entrepreneur Paul Kenny will be helping to encourage overseas entrepreneurs to locate start-up businesses in Ireland as Enterprise Ireland’s new Start-up Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa.

This current appointment follows the appointment of entrepreneur Dylan Collins for the UK market last year.

Further start-up ambassadors will be appointed for key markets such as the US and China in the coming year, Enterprise Ireland said.

Kenny has many years of experience in the Middle East and North Africa region, and he will work with Enterprise Ireland to highlight Ireland and what it has to offer technology start-ups, such as availability of venture capital and seed funding, and an ecosystem for start-ups which includes mentoring, start-up incubators, export support, training and networking.

Kenny moved to the Middle East in late 2007 from Galway. He worked for companies in the region, including Jumeirah and Emirates Group. He subsequently set up Cobone.com, one of the largest e-commerce websites in the Middle East and North Africa. Kenny is also a mentor to several companies in the region.

Stimulating the flow of new start-ups and supporting their growth are at the core of Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for economic growth and job creation.