Latest news with #EnterpriseIreland
Irish Post
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Post
Channelscaler: Merger of Galway's Channel Mechanics and US firm Allbound to create 50 new jobs
THE MERGER of Galway company Chanel Mechanics and US firm Allbound is set to create 50 new jobs. The two Partner Relationship Management (PRM) companies have united to form Channelscaler, which will help B2B companies grow partner revenue faster and more profitably. The rebrand marks a significant milestone, combining the strengths and expertise of both companies and representing a shared vision for the future of partner programme execution. Galway-based Minister Hildegarde Naughton welcomed the company's announcement to create an additional 50 highly-skilled positions to support market demand for its platform. "Galway's reputation for a highly-trained and skilled workforce continues to attract significant investment, as evidenced by Channelscaler's job announcement today," she said. "Having witnessed the company's incredible journey and seeing their ambitious growth plans, I have no doubt they will continue to put Galway on the map as the global leader in channel automation software." Empowering companies Founded in 2010, Channel Mechanics designed and developed channelIT, a cloud-based channel enablement platform delivered as a low-cost SaaS (Software as a Service) model. Atlanta-based Allbound was founded in 2014 and helps support all the stages of partner selling with automated and assisted prospect communication, deal registration and pipeline management. As Channelscaler, the company aims to deliver measurable return on investment by simplifying partner operations, accelerating indirect revenue and reducing cost of channel sales. According to global technology market analyst firm Canalys, global trade reached an all-time high of $33tn in 2024, with indirect revenue accounting for greater than 70 per cent of all purchases. Recognising this immense and growing opportunity, Channelscaler is dedicated to empowering companies that sell to, through and with partners to take advantage of this opportunity. 'A statement of intent' "Today marks a significant milestone as we go to market under a unified brand uniting two incredible companies," said Kenneth Fox, CEO of Channelscaler. "This isn't just a name change, it's a statement of intent. 'We're combining intuitive partner engagement with enterprise-grade automation to deliver what channel leaders need most: the platform, data, and insights to scale partner revenue — with confidence and clarity." Anne Lanigan, Divisional Manager for Technology & Services at Enterprise Ireland, welcomed the expansion and rebrand announcement. "Channelscaler's success and growth in the space of channel sales highlights Ireland's position as an international hub for innovation," she said. "As part of our new five-year strategy, Enterprise Ireland's ambition is to accelerate sustainable Irish business with globally focused businesses like Channelscaler becoming the primary driver of the economy. "Enterprise Ireland looks forward to working with the team to continue to support their growth ambitions as they expand their customer base internationally whilst continuing to create jobs here in Galway." See More: Channelscaler, Galway
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
EI's new CEO must think big to help domestic businesses scale to create next ‘Kerry Group or Smurfit'
It's all change at Enterprise Ireland . On Friday, it appointed Jenny Melia as its chief executive and one of her key tasks will be to implement its new five-year strategy, which has just been put into effect. A lot has changed since EI's last three-year plan, not least the return to the White House of Donald Trump and his threat to impose tariffs and other measures on the rest of the world. Suddenly, our pharma exports and the financial spin off they yield, are under major threat, along with billions in corporate tax revenues from Big Tech firms, which fund many of our essential day-to-day services. On Wednesday, EI chairman Michael Carey and interim CEO Kevin Sherry gave a presentation on the new strategy in Tokyo to 100-plus Irish business leaders who had travelled to the country as part of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme's CEO retreat. READ MORE 'It has an underlying ambition to ensure that indigenous Irish businesses, Irish exporting companies and international trading companies... that those businesses become the primary driving force of the Irish economy to provide a counterbalance for the great success of FDI [foreign direct investment] and the great work that the IDA do,' Carey said. Scaling is a potential 'game changer', he said, adding that the ambition is to establish a large fund (a mix of State resources and private sector money) that would allow it write larger cheques for companies with the ambition to become 'the next Kerry Group or Smurfit'. That step change in funding is a big gap in the system at the moment. EI's ambition is to seed the next generation of Irish multinationals. According to Carey, EI is the largest private equity investor in Europe, a fact previously unknown to Cantillon. Now is the time to build on that expertise. As an entrepreneur himself, Carey should be well placed to help EI deliver on its new strategy. When appointed in 2023, he was the first EI chairman to have been a client of the agency, and his biscuit manufacturer East Coast Bakehouse is itself trying to scale into markets outside Ireland.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Listen and learn: Enterprise Ireland hits the road for Irish start-ups in ‘Founders Listening Tour'
Their experience, resilience, and ambition form the backbone of Ireland's innovation economy. That's why Enterprise Ireland is currently hosting a Founders Listening Tour – a nationwide initiative designed to connect directly with entrepreneurs in every region. The goal is simple; to listen, learn, and ensure the right supports are in place to help Irish start-ups thrive globally. Enterprise Ireland's purpose is to 'Accelerate Sustainable Irish Business', and its ambition is to support Irish-owned exporting companies to make an even greater contribution to the Irish economy through international growth and by creating thousands of jobs in towns and communities around the country. Enterprise Ireland's recently published new strategy, 'Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025-2029)', sets out our four strategic objectives for the Irish enterprise base; Start, Compete, Scale and Connect. Over the course of this five-year strategy, Enterprise Ireland will continue to enhance the pipeline of innovative and scalable start-ups and support their long-term, sustainable growth ambitions, with a goal of helping 1,000 new start-ups between now and 2029. Irish-owned companies supported by Enterprise Ireland are economic cornerstones in communities around the country, these businesses currently employ 234,454 people, and almost two-thirds of these roles are located outside of Dublin. The Founders Listening Tour takes in a number of locations around the country, and at these events we're hosting panel discussions and roundtable consultations with a cross-section of founders from companies of all sizes in multiple sectors. These conversations aim to identify challenges, evaluate existing supports and shape a stronger start-up ecosystem in this country. It kicked off in TU Dublin in early May, where companies from the capital got together to share thoughts on the entrepreneurship journey. Those presenting at the event included JustTip, a fully automated contactless tipping and gratuities system, and which has developed an artificial intelligence solution for market research companies. Since then, we've organised two more events. The first was held at Galway's Portershed, bringing together companies from the local innovation cluster. The panel featured local founders Emma Meehan of KinetikIQ (formerly Precision Sports Technology), which leverages AI to enhance training accuracy and reduce injury risk, and Brandon Blacoe of ByoWave, a company dedicated to making gaming more inclusive. Both speakers shared valuable insights and participated in one-on-one consultations. What we've learned from entrepreneurs so far is that funding and revenue generation continue to be key areas of focus Our most recent event took place at GreenTech HQ in Wexford, attracting participants from across the southeast region. The panel included Max Shannon from and Yvonne Jonson of Brand Builders. Upcoming events are slated for Axis BIC in Cork, AlphaInnovation in Donegal, and IMR Mullingar in Westmeath, with the series concluding at a stakeholder event in Dublin later this month. What we've learned from entrepreneurs so far is that funding and revenue generation continue to be key areas of focus for them, and they're always keen to have more ways to connect with investors and international customers. Along with getting the right contacts, it can also be a challenge for companies to know which support programmes and initiatives are right for them, and where to apply for them. Clarity and accessibility around these types of support is a critical priority for founders. Once complete, we intend to develop a roadmap of initiatives, focused on addressing the priorities shared by founders Founders are also keen to access mentorship opportunities with successful entrepreneurs, and to find the right talent and encourage people to join start-ups. Once complete, we intend to develop a roadmap of initiatives, focused on addressing the priorities shared by founders. By harnessing this real-world insight, we can better support our new startup strategy, through our network of 42 offices in Ireland and around the world. As the EU seeks to harmonise the European market as a great place to scale a business, we're also working with our colleagues in Brussels and elsewhere to ensure our programme of supports ties in with the European Start-Up and Scale-up Strategy. If you're an existing or aspiring founder with ideas for supports or other feedback to share, drop a line to StartupIreland@ or complete the Founders Listening Tour survey. Conor O'Donovan is Head of Start-ups and Entrepreneurship at Enterprise Ireland
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Enterprise Ireland names Jenny Melia as new chief executive
Enterprise Ireland has announced Jenny Melia as its new chief executive officer. Ms Melia, who has worked in the agency for 29 years, is currently an executive director of Enterprise Ireland, which includes the role of chief client officer. She will take up her new role as chief executive in July. Ms Melia will replace interim chief executive Kevin Sherry, who will return to his position as executive director in July. Ms Melia has worked with companies from all sectors, including food, industrial and technology, and has also worked with the High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Division, and the research and innovation team. 'I am looking forward to working with Jenny and her leadership team, as this Government continues to focus on supporting Irish exporters and indigenous SMEs. Irish-owned enterprises are critical to our economy, and we are committed to supporting this sector to continue to be agile, and to grow and scale both domestically and in international markets," said Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment, Peter Burke. Enterprise Ireland chair Michael Carey said Ms Melia has worked extensively and directly with its client companies. "She was also centrally involved in the design and implementation of the organisation's new client operating model, and Enterprise Ireland's new strategy, 'Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025-2029)'. She will bring this vast experience and leadership to her new role, and we look forward to working with her to achieve our long-term ambition, that exporting Irish companies will become the primary driver of the Irish economy.' Employment at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland rose to a record 234,454 earlier this year, and the organisation's new strategy sets out a number of ambitious targets for the Irish enterprise base, including plans to increase exports to €50bn by 2029.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Jenny Melia appointed CEO of Enterprise Ireland
Jenny Melia has held a number of senior roles during her career with EI. She is a graduate of UCD with a PhD in Chemistry. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke TD confirmed the appointment. 'I want to congratulate Jenny Melia on her appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Ireland. Jenny is a dedicated public servant, who has spent much of her career supporting and fostering the development of the Irish enterprise base through her impressive tenure with Enterprise Ireland, which spans almost three decades,' he said. The chairman of Enterprise Ireland, Michael Carey, said Jenny Melia was appointed after a highly competitive recruitment process. "She has an outstanding track record of providing clear vision and strategic leadership within the organisation, has established deep relationships working collaboratively with key stakeholders from across the ecosystem, and has worked extensively and directly with our client companies,' he said. Employment at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland rose to a record 234,454 earlier this year, and the organisation's new strategy sets out a number of ambitious targets for the Irish enterprise base, including plans to increase exports to €50bn by 2029.
