Category: Irish Tech News

Glofox to Grow Headcount by 150 This Year

Glofox, one of the fastest growing fitness business management software platforms, today announced its plans to hire 150 new employees throughout 2022, bringing their headcount to 350. This follows on the back of continued strong growth with the team doubling in size to 200 in 2021. Glofox  serves 80 countries, supporting 17 languages and 40 currencies,with plans to invest more to support payments in the Middle East as well as explore how to better serve LATAM

The innovative platform provides powerful, easy to use software for studio operators and staff, a seamless and engaging multi-platform member experience, and network-wide management solutions for franchisors.

Glofox’s all-in-one platform replaces outdated and over complicated systems with a streamlined experience for members and staff alike. Built to address the intricacies that come with managing both independent fitness businesses and large fitness franchises, the platform delivers a powerful suite of tools to drive success and empower operators globally.

Glofox recently announced its partnership with Xponential Fitness, a curator of leading brands across a variety of verticals in boutique fitness including Club Pilates, Pure Barre, Rumble and CycleBar, to support its network of franchise partners as it expands into new markets beyond the United States.

Conor O’Loughlin, Glofox CEO said, “The hiring of 150 new roles as part of our continued expansion, is an exciting step as we continue to capture new global markets. Glofox employees will have significant opportunities to enhance their careers across a fast-growing and dynamic sector. Each member of the team will play a key role in further driving our commercial expansion or in the development of new industry leading solutions.”

Approximately 40% of the new roles will be in Research and Development, with the rest consisting of specialists to support customer success and growth as Glofox continues their strong growth and further develops their innovative software and customer offering.

Glofox is a fully remote company that takes pride in its employee satisfaction rate. The Founding team have made it a priority to ensure that their company is a healthy and enjoyable place to work, implementing regular pulse surveys as one method of measuring sentiment. The company hosts a wealth of employee benefits to drive wellbeing and balance, including Unlimited Annual Leave, monthly Mental Health half day Fridays, Gym and wellness stipends as well as Pawternity Leave (for people who’ve just welcomed a new pet into their home). These are just a few of the many initiatives Glofox employs to deliver care to its team. This has led to a collaborative environment driven by trust and a genuine shared passion for the company vision among its employees.

“The ability to successfully drive our vision forward is in the collective hands of our global team. Being totally remote allows us to welcome talented people from anywhere in the world, whilst our responsibility to support them to live healthy, well-balanced lives is something we consider to be crucial in creating an exceptional working environment” said Conor O’Loughlin, Glofox CEO.

Bord na Móna announces eight Irish scaleup companies for its Accelerate Green programme

Bord na Móna has today announced the eight companies which have been chosen to take part in Accelerate Green, the first  accelerator programme aimed at supporting early-stage companies leading the response to climate action and sustainability.

The new accelerator programme for sustainable business, Accelerate Green, is delivered by Resolve Partners and sponsored by Bord na Móna. It is the first accelerator of its kind in Ireland dedicated to supporting companies developing products and services based on green innovation. Accelerate Green will help the eight business leaders identify clear pathways to scaling their novel solutions, delivering measurable impact and supporting economic development.

The innovation and potential of Irish business can be seen in the different business models and focus of each of the companies selected. Real Leaf Farm, for example, has developed Ireland’s first 100% Hydroponic farm which grows salad vegetables 365 days a year, while Positive Carbon has enabled hotels and food service providers to develop waste reduction strategies through waste sensors and food detection AI.

The eight companies selected for the Accelerate Green programme are: EpiSensor, Borrisoleigh Bottling Ltd, CameraMatics, Positive Carbon, Real Leaf Farm, Automsoft, Go Eve and Jones Celtic Bioenergy Ltd (JCBE).

Speaking at the launch of Accelerate Green, Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna, said: “We are delighted to be announcing the eight companies that have been selected to take part in the Accelerate Green Programme. As a climate solutions company Bord na Móna is determined to help these companies deliver novel solutions to enable a low-carbon economy while delivering sustainable jobs.  Accelerate Green is an excellent opportunity for our eight selected companies to engage with key industry partners and gain potential financial investment.”

Emphasising the commercial scalability that is at the heart of Accelerate Green, Alan Costello, Resolve Partners said; “it is significant to note that as a group, the eight participating companies, currently already employ over 120 people, and have raised over €20M in funding. This sharpens the programme’s focus, to support these companies in becoming the next leaders in their sectors, and to inspire and signpost other startups and scaleups across Ireland towards success.”

Over the course of the programme the eight companies will be brought through a series of deep learning and mentoring sessions and will engage with a broad array of speakers from enterprise and energy agencies, Irish corporates, research networks, investors, and successful business leaders. The programme will be delivered in person at a former Bord na Móna site in Boora, Co. Offaly.

The companies will also be able to avail of up to €20,000 of research funding with Irish university researchers. Following the completion of the programme the companies will participate in a leading industry conference, “Ireland Sustainable Future”, taking place in June, to coincide with the programme finish date

Kingspan Group releases its second annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme

Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and building solutions, has released its second annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate.

Highlights include a 4.3% reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and a 29% reduction in carbon intensity year-on-year, against a background of 42% total revenue growth for the period.

For the second year running, the Group has made absolute reductions towards its 2030 net zero carbon manufacturing goal. This is underpinned by a verified SBTi target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90% by 2030, from a 2020 base year.

Achieving this will require the decarbonisation of Kingspan’s energy sources and processes across its existing 198 manufacturing sites (up from 166 in 2020), while supporting newly acquired businesses to decarbonise as quickly as possible.

To accelerate the Group’s decarbonisation strategy, the report has announced the introduction of an internal carbon charge of €70 per tonne of CO2e, which will be implemented throughout the business in 2023.

The 2021 Planet Passionate report illustrates the positive progress made to date against the majority of the programme’s 12 measurable targets in carbon, energy, water and circularity. Notable achievements include:

  • Energy: An increase in the direct use of renewable energy from 19.5% to 26.1%, and an increase in the percentage of wholly-owned facilities with solar PV from 21.7% to 28.4%. The Group also achieved a 15% reduction in energy intensity[4] year-on-year.
  • Carbon: An increase in the percentage of zero emissions company funded cars from 11% to 29%.
  • Circularity: A reduction in company waste to landfill of 13%, as well as 843 million PET bottles recycled into our processes.
  • Water: The Group announced its second ocean cleanup project: a partnership with cleantech startup SeabinTM, to deploy their unique technology first in Sydney Harbour followed by LA later in 2022. This follows a three-year partnership with the ECOALF Foundation which works with a network of 2,000 artisan fishermen to remove around 150 tonnes of marine debris each year from the Mediterranean.

In addition, Kingspan’s science-based targets were updated in 2021 and are now in line with a 1.5°C future. Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C means that the world must achieve a 45% reduction in global CO2 emissions versus 2010 levels by 2030.

While Kingspan did not make progress in 2021 against its target to halve the product CO2e intensity from its primary supply partners by 2030, the report highlights ongoing collaboration with suppliers to this end.

Moreover, during the year Kingspan invested in H2 Green Steel, a company pioneering new production methods for lower-impact steel manufacturing using green hydrogen. Use of lower-emissions steel could help Kingspan reduce the embodied carbon of its insulated panel products by up to 45%.

The report also presents the impact of Kingspan products sold during 2021. The built environment is responsible for roughly 39% of global carbon emissions[6], and high-performance insulation is one of the most important ways to increase energy-efficiency in buildings. The insulation systems Kingspan sold during 2021 are projected to save 193 million tCO2e during their lifetime. That’s equivalent to the emissions from 42 million passenger vehicles in a year.

In addition, Kingspan announced a new initiative called Planet Passionate Communities, a programme that will support people and communities around the world. The report unveils the programme’s flagship project: a five-year partnership with GOAL, the international humanitarian response agency, to support them in their transformative work in areas of most need.

Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, said: “The climate crisis, the pandemic, and now recent global events all serve to concentrate the mind on the need to build a more resilient and equitable world while ensuring energy security. Planet Passionate is our contribution to a future that uses resources efficiently, protects the natural world and delivers high-performance, energy-efficient products and solutions to our customers and global communities.”

Bianca Wong, Head of Sustainability of Kingspan Group, said: “Delivering a programme of this scale against a background of rapid business growth takes huge effort and determination and I would like to thank and commend the incredible efforts of our people across the world to achieve positive progress against the majority of our targets for the second year in a row.”

View the full version of Kingspan’s Planet Passionate Sustainability Report at:

https://viewer.ipaper.io/kingspan/pp-report-2022/planet-passionate-report-2021/

U.S Health tech company Signify Health to create 125 jobs in Galway

Signify Health  a leading U.S. value-based healthcare platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide healthcare provider networks, today announced the opening of a new technology centre that is expected to create more than 125 new technology innovation roles in Galway during the next two years.

The technology centre – which will be located in Galway City – will drive technology innovation for Signify Health as it changes how U.S. healthcare is paid for and delivered so that people can enjoy more healthy, happy days at home.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said: “I’m really pleased Signify Health has chosen Galway City for its new Technology Centre. It’s a real boost to the city and will create over 125 new jobs by 2024. This investment is a testament to all Galway has to offer and the company can expect to draw from a deep pool of talent and expertise when recruiting for these new jobs. I wish the Signify Health team the very best in this exciting new chapter.”

Founded in 2017, Signify Health is a technology-enabled services company whose mission is to lead  the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system to one that aligns payors, providers and patients to achieve the best health outcomes for individuals.  Signify Health currently employs more than 2,000 people in the U.S., and has a national mobile network of approximately 10,000 credentialed physicians and nurse practitioners.

“The team at our Galway technology centre will be designing solutions that solve some of U.S. healthcare’s most difficult and elusive problems,” said Josh Builder, Chief Technology Officer, Signify Health. “Our success will depend on being able to apply a diverse set of experiences to the challenges we face in enabling a patient-centric, cloud-based environment that brings healthcare wherever health happens. We know first-hand that Ireland is home to professionals who not only have the experience we need, but who are energised by opportunities to make a meaningful difference in healthcare, and we are excited to now also call the West of Ireland home.”

For its first phase of recruiting, Signify Health is seeking candidates to fill a range of roles in product management and software engineering as well as scrum masters.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “Today’s announcement by Signify Health is a significant one for Ireland’s growing InsureTech sector and is an endorsement of the high quality of talent available in Galway and the West Region.  This announcement is an exemplar of IDA Ireland’s continued commitment to winning jobs and investment in regional locations.  I wish Signify Health every success with this investment.”

 To explore career opportunities at Signify Health’s new technology centre go to signifyhealth.com/ireland

Safecility’s ‘Safeblock’ Project to Use Satellite Technology To Transform Building Safety and Monitoring

Dublin-based Safecility, an Internet of Things (IoT) specialist startup that focuses on smart and safer buildings, has been chosen by the European Space Agency’s Space Solutions Programme to demonstrate a new blockchain-based database for building safety. Currently, building safety is managed on paper or spreadsheets and has yet to adopt the transformative change that digital technology can bring.  The project, Safeblock, starting in Q1 2022 will address this challenge through sensors, geolocation and distributed ledger technology (blockchain), providing timely, accurate and transparent information for a range of stakeholders.

Safecility will demonstrate a database capable of verifying legally-required safety data collected from smart sensors in buildings and publishing it to a secure database that cannot be manipulated. The data will make use of the GNSS  (Global Navigation Satellite System) derived positioning data  to authenticate the data entries.

Safeblock supports trust by offering a standard for transparent and immutable data from devices in buildings and making a database directly available to key stakeholders, such as owners, tenants and regulators. Safeblock addresses key issues internationally around building safety, trust and compliance and the Safeblock standard will support more trusted sharing of information, better safety enforcement and support moves to introduce a Golden Thread for building safety.

Safecility already develop and sell their smart building sensors for emergency lighting and fire safety across the UK and Ireland. The company offers a platform to manage compliance testing and reporting to customers. With ESA support, the company will offer Safeblock so building safety data can be shared among all parties in a trusted way. The startup has already been shortlisted for five  awards including the UK’s Housing Digital Innovation award for its technology and ambition.

The two year project is rolling out in Q1 2022 and supports Safecility’s vision to support safer communities through technology. It also underlines the importance of research, development and innovation to the startup’s success and represents another vote of confidence in the IoT sector in Ireland.

Speaking about the announcement of the contract, Safecility CEO Cian O’Flaherty said “We are delighted to continue our work with the  ESA’s Space Solutions programme on Safeblock. They have supported this project since its inception and are a fantastic resource for companies with innovative ideas for services using space data and technology. Safeblock will fundamentally change how building safety is managed and improve transparency, trust and safety in buildings. Technology has a crucial role to play in ensuring ongoing safety of buildings to the standards we all want. We see Safeblock as a key tool in the regulator’s toolbox to keep owners, tenants and occupants informed and safe. It can address global challenges with a simple, truthful record of building safety built on sensors that report in real time. In the same way we have come to expect a BER (building energy rating) for any property, a BSR (building safety rating) is now becoming possible.”

“Since 2018 Safecility has been awarded more than €550,000 in Research, Development and Innovation contracts”, he continued, “this has enabled the company to increase staff and contribute to the development of a vibrant Irish Internet of Things startup community. With the support of the ESA, Safeblock will now recruit additional roles in development and engineering. This project cements Safecility’s reputation as leading global innovators in the field of smart, safe buildings.”

Rita Rinaldo, Head of Projects and Studies Implementation Division at ESA added “Through the Business Applications and Space Solutions programme we support start-ups and new-entrants to the space sector such as Safecility to develop, test, and scale-up their business proposition. Safeblock is an excellent demonstration of the innovative utilization of GNSS, IoT and digital technologies applied to the housing sector. It will contribute to solve the urgent issued around building safety faced by tenants, occupants and regulators, delivering a standard to be used internationally.” 

Welcoming the announcement, Gearoid Mooney, from Enterprise Ireland said:

“Safecility is an ambitious, innovative company that is changing how we monitor and report on the critical issue of building safety. The European Space Agency contract will support Safecility to combine the most advanced satellite positioning technology into its building safety management platform leading to safer living environments for building occupants and tenants.

 “Safecility is one of a number of Irish start-up companies use space-based solutions to develop commercial market opportunities.  This access to transformative technology is  supported by the Government’s investment in the European Space Agency.

Square Loyalty And Square Marketing Launch For Irish Businesses

Square has announced two new products in Ireland to help businesses grow their sales and engage their customers with just a few clicks. The two pieces of software, Square Marketing and Square Loyalty, are now available as separate subscriptions for Irish businesses of all types and sizes.

Square Marketing helps businesses reach customers at the right time and all in one place. The tool allows businesses to create, send, and track email marketing campaigns in minutes – from one-time email campaigns to personalised automations – expanding customer reach and helping sellers gain key business insights with analytics.

Businesses can now also build a loyalty program in minutes with the launch of Square Loyalty. This new to market tool can help turn one-time visitors into regulars and increase repeat visits. It’s easy to set up a customised loyalty program that rewards customers both in-store and online.

“Square Loyalty has allowed us to introduce a new way of turning one-time-visits into repeat customers,” said Jonathan Hughes, Founder of Shoe Lane Coffee – one of the first businesses to use Square Loyalty in Ireland. “As the tool works both in-store and online, our customers have the flexibility to redeem their points any way that suits them, with the process being straight-forward and streamlined for us at the same time. We’re now looking to roll out Square Loyalty across all three of our coffee shops, meaning our customers have the choice of where they want to spend and collect their points.”

This double-product launch aims to further level the playing field for businesses, as it provides all sellers with easy-to-use, powerful marketing tools that have typically only been accessible to big businesses. Along with Square products already available to Irish sellers like Square Point of Sale, Square Online, and Digital Gift Cards, Square provides a whole suite of customer capability products that enable sellers to manage the entire consumer lifecycle in one place.

“Square is helping its sellers bring more value to their customers by expanding the ecosystem of products and services in Ireland,” said Saumil Mehta, General Manager of Customers and Square Point of Sale. “Sellers are increasingly turning to Square as the one-stop-shop to run every part of their business, from payments and online commerce to inventory, team management, loyalty programs and more. We’re excited to help sellers run and grow their business with the addition of these new tools that enable them to retain and re-engage their customers.”

Data from Square’s email marketing platform shows a 25% average increase in spend by customers who redeem email coupons. Square Marketing key features include:

  • Drive buyer engagement & ROI – Square Marketing offers businesses a powerful tool to help grow their customer base, drive repeat visits, and increase buyer spend.
  • Plan ahead, automate, and send – Businesses can schedule or immediately send emails to customers by leveraging Square Marketing’s automation capabilities, saving them time and effort.
  • Measure campaign results – Real-time tracking is available in the Square Marketing Dashboard around active campaigns, open and click through rates, as well as attributable sales.

Square’s global data shows that customers who enroll in a Square Loyalty rewards programme are twice as likely to be repeat customers. Key features include:

  • Drive visits and sales – Businesses can encourage repeat customers through the implementation of a loyalty program.
  • Omnichannel integration – Square Loyalty is built into businesses point-of-sale and website meaning businesses can reward customers wherever they choose to purchase, whether that’s in-store or online.

“It’s been a challenging couple of years for businesses and it’s more important than ever for sellers to stand out from competitors and see the impact on their business,” said Stephen Smythe, Head of EU Marketing at Square. “We’re coming up to one year since launching in Ireland and have seen great demand for products like Square Loyalty and Square Marketing from our sellers – we’re delighted to be launching them into such an innovative and entrepreneurial market.” 

To find out more about Square Marketing businesses can visit: https://squareup.com/ie/en/software/marketing and for Square Loyalty: https://squareup.com/ie/en/software/loyalty

Survey shows IT sector is determined to go green but 65% of businesses have not yet measured their carbon footprint

DataSolutions, the specialist distributor of innovative IT and security solutions, today announces the results of recent research which found that while the majority of tech companies have plans to either reduce their carbon emissions or become carbon neutral, a large proportion have not yet measured their footprint.

The study involved signatories of Techies Go Green – a collective of IT organisations committed to becoming more sustainable – found that 82% have firm plans to reduce their carbon emissions and 78% have plans to become carbon neutral.

In fact, 39% of respondents said they will be carbon neutral by the end of 2022 and a further 43% expect to be by 2025. However, almost two thirds (65%) have not yet measured their carbon footprint.

Despite the fact that a large proportion have not yet measured their carbon footprint, the research did find that companies are taking steps to be greener. Eighty-eight per cent currently recycle the e-waste they produce and three quarters (75%) of IT leaders would consider buying refurbished IT equipment.

Some 48% of respondents have employee incentives to encourage them to reduce their commute and travel, and over half (51%) are using a green energy provider. Of the 49% that don’t currently use a green energy provider, 77% would consider changing to same.

Furthermore, 59% of tech companies have an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy in place and 55% have a dedicated internal resource responsible for sustainability.

The findings come as Techies Go Green, co-established by DataSolutions, reaches 180 members. The movement, which will be celebrating its one-year anniversary in March, aims to increase its membership to 300 signatories by the end of 2022.

Michael O’Hara, Group Managing Director of DataSolutions and Co-Founder of Techies Go Green, said: “Sustainability is undoubtedly a crucial focus for IT leaders in 2022 and our research demonstrates its ever-growing importance in the world of business. But while organisations are starting to recognise and realise how crucial going green is, this appreciation needs to translate into consistent action.

“It is certainly positive to see companies review and reassess how they operate – for example, the use of green energy providers among Techies Go Green signatories increased 14% compared to six months previously. And it’s even more encouraging to see that dedicated resources are being put in place to progress sustainability efforts.

“Taking such practical steps is the key to turning the aim of carbon neutrality into a reality. However, companies need to look at the bigger picture and understand where they are starting from in order to identify the changes which will help to bring about widespread change. It is only through education and collaboration, enabled by communities like Techies Go Green, that we can hope to have a real and lasting impact on the global battle against climate change.”

Philip McMichael, founder and CEO of Vyta, a Techies Goes Green signatory, said: “Real, exciting change is happening across the technology sector in Ireland and the UK. Our largest enterprises are joining forces on a mission that is not only the right thing to do, but is something that creates more opportunities for them as businesses, too. At Vyta, we are first-hand witnesses of this. We are helping companies to take simple steps, such as recycling old IT equipment or purchasing high-spec refurbished IT assets, to get them on the road to carbon neutrality.

“Techies Go Green is playing a vital role in driving meaningful change in our industry. We are delighted to be joining an increasing number of environmentally-conscious businesses on this journey as we pave the way towards a better future for our planet.”

The Performance Corporation presents the ground breaking Live and Virtual Reality (VR) experience Emperor 101 at SXSW 11-14 March 2022

Award-winning theatrical innovators The Performance Corporation will present their cutting edge experience Emperor 101 at the world famous tech/arts festival, first presented at Dublin Theatre Festival 2021. The production allows live performers to interact with audiences in Live Virtual Reality (VR) and explore the explosion of online conspiracy theories, and the parallel rise of far-right extremism. For this presentation, the performers will be in 2 separate countries, the server that supports the tech in another, and the audience in headsets in Austin.

This ground-breaking production, is at the cutting edge of an emerging crossover between theatre and Virtual Reality. The Performance Corporation is one of the first theatre companies in the world to design and build a bespoke virtual world in which to stage a Live VR experience. In this VR space, live actors and audience inhabit avatars that allow them to interact and speak to each other in real time.

Speaking about the production, Artistic Director of The Performance Corporation Jo Mangan said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be part of what we believe is a new departure for theatre. I believe that by creating this kind of live and interactive performance in a specially designed virtual space, we can open up a huge array of new possibilities. We’re lucky to have an amazing team working on Emperor 101 to create this completely new experience for theatre audience and thrilled to be taking it to the prestigious SXSW with the support of Culture Ireland.”

The Performance Corporation believes plays like Emperor 101 have huge potential, and plan to further develop this digital genre in the future. The company envisages future live VR productions that would be available to audience members in locations across the world simultaneously, opening up new theatrical frontiers.

In the play, we meet a notorious conspiracy theorist who has built a Virtual Reality space to induct recruits to her organisation. She wants her country to go back to the past, but her own traumatic history is threatening to destroy the movement she has built.

Emperor 101 immerses the audience in an alternate world that reflects the mind and motivations of a conspiracy theorist. In a time when the very notion of truth or facts is called into question, the innovative use of VR reflects the multiple realities or ‘bubbles’ we live in. The piece riffs on influences from ancient mythology to Alice in Wonderland, and asks if rejection of the ‘mainstream’ is a product of fear, or the ultimate act of self-empowerment in a complex world.

Emperor 101 begins with an intimate in person interaction with a live performer. The audience then puts on a Virtual Reality headset and is led through a series of interactive environments. Here they experience live interaction with performer avatars. The story explores the inner life of a high profile conspiracy theorist as she struggles with a personal tragedy that has turned the world upside down.

Company

Cast: Caitríona Ní Mhurchú and Karl Quinn

Directed by Jo Mangan

Script Tom Swift

Design Leon Butler and Peter Power

VR Producer Camille Donegan

Immersive Media Studio RETinIZE

Produced by The Performance Corporation

Esri celebrates female political representation this International Women’s Day with interactive map

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2022, digital mapping specialist Esri Ireland has created a map which recognises female representation in national parliaments across the world. The map charts current figures (World Bank 2020) and compares these to data from 1997.

According to the figures, Ireland’s national parliament comprises 23% female representation, which has almost doubled compared to just 12% in 1997.

Rwanda currently tops the list as the country with the highest female political representation at 61%, followed by Cuba at 53% and the United Arab Emirates at 50%. Mexico (48%) and New Zealand (48%) round out the top five.

See more here