Bank of Ireland’s Startlab NYC wants seven more good Irish start-ups

21 Mar 2018

From left: Emma Killian, BriteBiz; Francesca McDonagh, Bank of Ireland; and Robert Kelly, Kong Digital. Image: Bank of Ireland

Does your start-up have what it takes to take a ‘byte’ out of the Big Apple? Bank of Ireland’s NYC Startlab wants to know.

Applications are now open for Bank of Ireland’s New York incubation space Startlab NYC, and the bank wants to identify seven start-ups intent on cracking the US.

Bank of Ireland became the first Irish bank to establish a start-up incubator in New York last year.

‘Having a professional and highly sought-after location to work from in a city of real growth potential is an invaluable support for Irish entrepreneurs’
– FRANCESCA MCDONAGH

Startlab NYC will offer seven scalable technology companies the opportunity to have access to a free incubation space in New York City for a 12-month period.

Last year, Bank of Ireland selected innovative Irish tech start-ups Deposify, Pulsate, Axonista, BriteBiz, Glofox, LogoGrab and Kong Digital to join Startlab NYC.

The past 12 months has seen significant growth in the US market for these Irish start-ups as well as valuable connections made.

Combined, the companies held 210 new business meetings and secured 54 new business deals with an estimated value of more than €10m.

Coming to America

Bank of Ireland’s Startlab NYC wants seven more good Irish start-ups

From left: Emma Killian, BriteBiz; Francesca McDonagh, Bank of Ireland; and Robert Kelly, Kong Digital. Image: Bank of Ireland

To apply for Startlab NYC, go to f6s.com/startlabnewyork and complete an application form before 20 April.

Selected teams will receive expert mentoring from Bank of Ireland’s dedicated innovation and corporate banking teams in Ireland and the US.

They will also be introduced to venture capital firms, state agencies and other relevant intermediaries in New York.

The decision to open Startlab NYC was taken in response to demand from Bank of Ireland business customers, and it represents the next step in the bank’s aim to foster entrepreneurship.

The incubator, specifically for scaling start-ups, is an extension of the existing Bank of Ireland Startlab and Workbench facilities already available in several locations in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

“At Bank of Ireland, we are focused on supporting our customers to thrive, and fostering a spirt of entrepreneurship,” the bank’s CEO, Francesca McDonagh, explained.

“Having a professional and highly sought-after location to work from in a city of real growth potential is an invaluable support for Irish entrepreneurs.

“Entering a new market can be a daunting experience for any start-up. Our team in New York, along with our enterprise and innovation team and sector specialists in Dublin, will give the seven successful companies all the support they need to scale their business, seek investment and grow Stateside.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com