{"id":1129,"date":"2017-01-02T18:25:25","date_gmt":"2017-01-02T18:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.startupblink.com\/blog\/?p=1129"},"modified":"2023-10-24T17:55:26","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T17:55:26","slug":"galway-startup-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupblink.com\/blog\/galway-startup-ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"Galway Startup Ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Galway<\/h1>\n

Click here to view Galway’s Startup Ecosystem Dashboard<\/a><\/h5>\n

Introduction to Galway Startup Ecosystem<\/h1>\n

To set the scene for Galway\u2019s vibrant startup ecosystem, one needs to appreciate Galway\u2019s geographic, cultural and business landscape. Galway is located in the West of Ireland, approximately a two-hour drive (200 km) from the capital, Dublin. The population in the greater Galway hinterland exceeds 250,000 people, making it the island of Ireland\u2019s fourth largest center of the population after Dublin, Belfast, and Cork. For many Irish and international visitors, Galway is synonymous with the Galway Horse Races.\u00a0 In StartupBlink’s 2019 report<\/a><\/strong>, Galway is ranked 3rd in Ireland and 227th globally.\u00a0 For over 100 years, the Galway Races has gone from strength to strength with now in excess of 150,000 people attending the week-long festival every July. Recognised as the greatest midsummer festival in Ireland, the \u2018Races\u2019 is known for attracting people from all walks of life with a broad appeal beyond traditional race goers. Complemented by other cultural experiences such as the Galway International Arts Festival, it is indicative of the standards of excellence that Galway strives for – recognised recently with the city\u2019s designation as the European Capital of Culture 2020.<\/p>\n

Galway was named as the top microcity in Europe<\/a> in 2014\/2015 by the Financial Times fDi magazine (for cities less than 100,000 people). We are also the world\u2019s friendliest city<\/a> according to Travel & Leisure Magazine.<\/p>\n

\"Galway<\/p>\n

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has played a significant role in the development of Galway\u2019s business landscape. Since the 1960s, companies in sectors such as medtech and life sciences, ICT, food and engineering to include: Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Fidelity Investments, SAP, Cisco, Avaya, Aviva, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Valeo Vision Systems and many more have operated successfully in Galway. The importance of this multinational base was that is laid the foundation for the development of a vibrant indigenous sub-supply and logistics sector.<\/p>\n

Galway is Ireland\u2019s medtech capital, with a third of Ireland\u2019s medtech workforce<\/a> in one of Europe\u2019s<\/a> if not the world\u2019s top medtech hubs, with a density of companies and medtech research institutes only rivaled by Minnesota<\/a>. Just take a look at the Galway Tech Map<\/a> and Galway Medtech Map<\/a> and you\u2019ll get a good overview of the companies based here.<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, Ireland has attracted a new wave of global brands such as Facebook, Apple, and Google to base key European operations here. Galway has also benefited from this trend. 100 jobs<\/a> were recently announced by Australian hotel cloud giant SiteMinder. Like Dublin and Cork, this has boosted the startup ecosystem as personnel emerge with key skills gained at these multinationals.<\/p>\n

Galway\u2019s Startup Success Stories<\/h2>\n

There are 16,381 enterprises in Galway. Over 250 employ over 50 people, with the majority, 14,900, employing less than 10 people. Established international businesses which were founded and are headquartered in Galway include Chanelle, Aerogen, Supermacs, JFC, CF Energy, and SSL Logistics. Other companies such as financial services firm Fintrax (sold for \u20ac170 million, and subsequently valued at \u20ac0.5 billion), fleet management leader Celtrak, and medical devices manufacturers Creganna (acquired for \u20ac821 million) and Creagh Medical (acquired for \u20ac30 million) were established in Galway before their multi-million euro acquisitions. Current international growth focused startup businesses include: Channel Mechanics, Game Golf, Altocloud, Nua Naturals, Hillwalk Tours, Solaris Tea, Ex Ordo, PiP Payments, OnePageCRM, VT Networks (based in DCU Aplha now), DiaNia Technologies, and Bluedrop Medical.<\/p>\n

Some of Galway\u2019s award-winning businesses include:<\/strong><\/p>\n