Learning Pool is fastest growing tech company in NI


17 Oct 2011

Paul McElvaney and Mary McKenna, Learning Pool founders

Based in Derry, online learning company Learning Pool has become Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing technology company, according to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50, as well as being ranked 26th overall in the UK.

Focused on the public services sector, Learning Pool is going into the Irish competition on 21 October.  Its co-founder, Paul McElvaney, attributes the company’s growth to its ability to recruit well.

“We have spent a lot of time in the past five years recruiting and building our team of high performing people.  They are the engine behind Learning Pool and the key reason for our continued growth and success now and into the future.”

Co-founder Mary McKenna said the company had brought several first-of-their-kind products to the market since it started five years ago.

“In a period of substantial fiscal tightening our customers are coming back to us again and again to help them make savings and improve their organisations and we see great potential for sustained growth well into the future.”

Learning Pool has grown completely organically over the past five years, with funding purely from its founders.

“Growing a bootstrapped start-up without external investment is a real challenge. However, having reached this point in our journey, the future for Learning Pool is incredibly bright with a competitive cost base, well respected brand and products that are fit for purpose for what our customers need,” said McElvaney.