💡 Strategy, Strategy, more Strategy

💌 Céad míle fáilte!

It’s that time of year again! The other half has flown up from Sydney to the Gold Coast for a conference and he’s crashing at mine. Between beach walks, BBQs, and chasing kids around the yard, we’re sneaking in a cheeky strategy chat (apologies to anyone currently checking if their radiator still works).

The past few weeks have been incredible, with our biggest subscriber growth yet for this time of year, so the timing couldn’t be better for a bit of planning.

Massive shoutout to our newest recruits, Eoghan and Conor, who’ve been a huge part of that momentum. I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re buzzing for the year ahead. At this rate, we might need to fly the lads over next year. 🏄

⏳ Today’s edition is a 4 minute read. ⏩ In a rush? Here's your cheat sheet:

• Twice the glory: Akara AI named on TIME’s Best Inventions (again).

• Digital Irish Tech Week 2025 agenda is live, showcasing Irish innovation in the big apple.

• Irish rocketships: 8 Irish startups join Sifted’s Euro Fastest-Growing list.

• Identity done right: eID Easy makes identity checks as simple as Netflix logins.

• Fresh funding: DevAlly and Meta-Flux raise a combined €3.8M.

• Homecoming win: Foodhub relocates HQ to Ireland, adding 35 jobs.

• SaaStock 2025 spotlight: Big week for Irish founders including one L.A. based founder who bagged $1M and a big win on stage.

Let’s dive in 🌊

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LATEST UPDATES
News From Abroad ✈️

🇺🇸 Two Times, Do Do, Do Do: Akara Robotics’ health sensor just landed on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025… again! That’s twice since 2019. Co-founder and CTO Niamh Donnelly says it’s “just as special” the second time around. The Akara AI Sensor uses thermal imaging to monitor hospital activity. In short, it helps doctors and nurses work more efficiently and spend more time saving lives.

🇺🇸 Digital Irish Tech Week NYC 2025 agenda is live, showcasing Irish innovation on a global stage. Expect lightning pitches, investor panels, and sessions like The Ultimate Irish Founder Journey and The AI Advantage featuring leaders such as Eoin Duane (Insight Partners), David Hoctor (TikTok), Mike Hanrahan and Alan Merriman (Elkstone). Full agenda here 👉 irishtechweek.com and check out this awesome promo video to get you exicted.

🇪🇺 Irish Startups join Euro rocketship: 8 Irish firms landed on Sifted’s 250 Fastest Growing Startups in Europe list and not just for showing up with pitch decks. We're talking serious scale: Holafly hit $500M revenue, Nory snagged $37M for AI-run restaurants, and CleverCards is sprinting globally with 350K+ accounts. Check out the full list here to see who else made the cut.

🇪🇪 From Tallinn to Tipperary (kind of): Estonian-founded startup eID Easy, led by Irishman Maoiliosa O'Culachain, just closed a €1.3 million oversubscribed seed round led by Cork-based DeepIE Ventures. Now officially redomiciled to Ireland the company’s mission is to make digital identity as easy as logging into Netflix replacing slow paper-based processes with one secure API for verified e-signatures and identity checks across the globe.

Back Home 🏠

• Dublin Startups DevAlly (€2M) and Meta-Flux (€1.8M) raise pre-seed rounds to scale accessibility tech and AI-Driven Drug Development

• Foodhub is relocating its HQ to Ireland and creating 35 new jobs across senior tech, sales, and customer service roles.

• SaaStock Dublin 2025 wrapped up this week, drawing 4,500+ SaaS leaders to the RDS. Among the standouts was David Walsh, founder and CEO of Limelight, who scored $1 million in funding and a win at the event. Big moment for an Irish founder killing it abroad. More on David in the next section 👇

EXTRA INSIGHTS
From Dublin to Los Angeles, founder David Walsh shines bright with ‘Limelight’

David Walsh is an Irish founder who's traded the rugby pitch for the fast-paced world of tech startups in Los Angeles.

From selling watches with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders to raising $30 million for his HR tech startup, David's journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

✂️ Here are a few snippets from our interview:

Living abroad: “A three-month visa to New York turned into five years, then LA. Ireland’s still home though.”

The spark: “Posting daily on LinkedIn opened my eyes to the B2B creator world. That’s how Limelight started.”

The leap: “We pivoted from Bundle to Limelight in six weeks, over Christmas. By January, it was live.”

Winning trust: “I was upfront with investors. Transparency earns respect and they backed the change.”

Growth: “Over 450 brands and 380 creators already using the platform and we’re just getting started.”

Abroad advantage: “Being Irish in the U.S. helps you connect fast. It stands out.”

Advice: “Start now. Move fast. If you’re not a bit embarrassed by your first product, you launched too late.”

👉 FULL INTERVIEW: David Walsh - CEO & Founder of Limelight

[We first featured David’s story last year but it’s one we still think about. If you missed it then, it’s worth your time now.]

🧠 BRAIN FOOD
“Making shit up at the end”, CleverCards’, a $16B EV story, and Irish fans strike again

💬 Quote: “We're just making shit up at the end" Cian Mcloughlin, Founder and CEO of Trinity on what really causes B2B deals to fall apart and why most sellers and sales leaders will never hear the full story.

💼 Job: Furthr is hiring a Programme Delivery Facilitator to lead dynamic, hands-on workshops for startups and scaling entrepreneurs.

☘️ Tool: CleverCards is a Dublin based digital card platform used by both individuals and companies for instant prepaid and gifting solutions.

🎧 Pod: RJ Scaringe joins John Collison on The Cheeky Pint Podcast to share how he built his $16 billion EV company, Rivian, from scratch and the lessons along the way.

🤔 That’s Interesting: The 40 jobs 'most at risk' from AI - and 40 it can't touch

😊 Good news: Irish soccer fans lit up Lisbon this week with an epic sing-song that showed, once again, why they’re the best supporters in the world. Pure spirit, craic, and love for the game..

🫨 Viral Moment: Good dryin’ day at the Cliffs of Moher this week:

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