At Future Human 2022, Enterprise Ireland's Jenny Melia discussed how Irish start-ups have come a long way since Stripe and Intercom.

Having been with Enterprise Ireland for more than a quarter of a century, Jenny Melia has seen the country’s start-up community change and evolve like few others.

Ireland is very different from the country it was when big players such as Stripe and Intercom first started off, the technology and services manager said at Future Human in May.

“The ambition levels are definitely there, and companies tell us about accessible role models,” she said, citing Irish tech unicorns such as Wayflyer and LetsGetChecked. “They can see the Intercoms, they can see the Stripes, and there is that concept of ‘if you can see it, you can be it.’”

Irish tech companies are also giving back to the ecosystem.

“I think Irish entrepreneurs are very good at that … in terms of people throwing the ladder down,” Melia said. “But it’s not all one-way traffic. The more established companies are learning from the younger companies as well.”

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Words by Vish Gain