Entrepreneurial hub Guinness Enterprise Centre has announced a series of new routes for Irish start-ups to expand into the UK.
Through a network of partnerships with innovation hubs across the UK, the Guinness Enterprise Centre will provide start-ups in Ireland with the supports needed to enter the country’s biggest export market.
The GEC expects this strategic network to grow to 20 innovation hubs by the end of 2027.
For many Irish-founded businesses, the UK is a natural first export market due to the short travel distance, cultural similarities to Ireland, common language and its familiar business ecosystem.
About half of the revenues generated by GEC resident companies are through exports. But the scale of the UK can be daunting for start-ups who often lack the networks and budget to successfully expand by themselves.
The GEC has already established partnerships with SISTER, Manchester’s innovation district; Central Tech Liverpool; and CodeBase in Scotland. These hubs will give founders access to local networks, workspace, universities and practical market-entry support as they explore opportunities across the UK.
The agreements are reciprocal and UK-based start-ups can now use the GEC as a landing point in Ireland and connect into the Irish business and innovation ecosystem.
Over the last 25 years, the GEC has supported more than 1,500 start-ups. Its 160 resident businesses generated a combined turnover of €140m last year, including €73m in exports.
Scaling and international expansion will be a focus of the GEC’s 25th anniversary Startup to Scale Conference next Wednesday, 7 October.
Niamh Collins, Centre Director at Guinness Enterprise Centre, said that when start-ups scale into new markets, they often do not know where to begin.
“The UK is a natural next market for many Irish companies, but international expansion is a significant undertaking for a start-up. By partnering with established hubs on the ground, we can reduce some of those barriers and give founders a much stronger starting point,” she said.
“Our conference is about the practicalities of scaling a start-up. We want founders to hear from people who have scaled businesses themselves, understand what investors are looking for and learn about the supports and networks that can help them growm” she said.
“The partnerships we are building across the UK are part of that same approach. We are creating connections that founders can actually use – and opening doors to some of the strongest regional innovation ecosystems in our nearest international market,” she added.
