This is REAL - This is the 2016 Entrepreneur Experience
02 December, 2015
The call went out today for Startups and Entrepreneurs to apply for the 2016 Entrepreneur Experience®. This 24 hour event is a unique opportunity for 24 Emerging Entrepreneurs to gain unparalleled access and advice from 24 of Ireland’s most successful Business leaders. The 6th Entrepreneur Experience® is taking place in Ballymaloe on the 15th and 16th April 2016.
Pictured at the 2016 Entrepreneur Experience® in Dublin were Michael O'Connor, AxisBIC; Colette Sexton, Sunday Business Post; Fionnuala Wall, AxisBIC; Pete Smyth, Broadlake; Darren Daly, ByrneWallace; Tom Lyons, Sunday Business Post and Gerry Prizeman, Bank of Ireland
(Photo: Maura Hickey, courtesy of The Sunday Business Post)
View Coverage in the Sunday Business Post our Media Partner
Over the past five years the Entrepreneur Experience® has gone from strength to strength.
- Over 120 Emerging Entrepreneurs including Start-ups; Investor ready companies and scaling companies have participated from over 10 countries
- Over 60 Seasoned Entrepreneurs have participated; including Jim Barry, Barry Group; Larry Bass, Scrrentime ShinAwil; Liam Casey, PCH; Sean O’Sullivan, SOSVentures; Terry Fox, Cupprint; Grainne Kelly, Bubblebum; Bill Liao; David McKernan, Java Republic; Pádraig Ó Céidigh, AerArann; Peaches Kemp, itsa bagel… and Eleanor McEvoy, Budget Telecom.
- Of the 60 Seasoned Entrepreneurs, the top 20 have an average turnover of €54m and their average number of employees is 400
- 26 Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start-ups (HPSUs) have been approved
- 43 companies have subsequently raised investment
- Over €24.6m has been raised by the 43 companies who have raised investment
- Entrepreneurs have come from across the globe including, UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Chile, Rwanda, the US and all over Ireland, including Dublin, Derry, Galway, Meath, Limerick, Waterford, Kerry, Clare and Cork!
Speaking at the launch, Michael O’Connor, CEO, AxisBIC said “Over the past five years the Experience has grown to be a life and game changing event. It has assisted 26 High Performing Startups in getting Enterprise Ireland HPSU approval and 43 companies have raised €24.6m.”
Also speaking at the launch Pete Smyth, CEO, Broadlake; Captain of the 2016 Entrepreneur Experience©said “This is real, 24 of Ireland’s leading Entrepreneurs giving their time to help the next generation of Entrepreneurs. The event has become one of the key pillars supporting Irish Entrepreneurship in recent years. It’s high impact and not for the fainthearted.”
Current partners with AxisBIC for this event are Bank of Ireland, EY, Sunday Business Post, and ByrneWallace.
The 2016 Entrepreneur Experience® will take place over 24 hours, from Friday the 15th to Saturday 16th of April 2016 at Ballymaloe Co. Cork.