Amazon Web Services has officially launched its ‘Startup Loft’ at one of its office premises in Dublin. The AWS Startup Loft, located on Charlemont Street in D2, is equipped with open seating, phone booths, WiFi and coffee. The company said the facility regularly hosts talks with venture capital, legal and accounting firms. Weekly meeting are organised for startups to engage with an AWS solution architect or account manager for ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions on topics such as technology roadmap, architecture guidance or cost optimisation. Dara Calleary, Minister of State in the Department of Enter ..read more

The Maldron Hotel in Oranmore, Co Galway has been sold to a private investor, according to Savills Ireland. The hotel will continue to be leased and operated by Dalata Hotels following the sale. Located off the N18, the four star hotel which has 113 rooms, has benefitted from visitors to Galway city and the nearby tourist attractions of the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. The sale of the hotel to the private investor was handled by Tom Barrett, Director of Hotels & Leisure at Savills Ireland, the property advisory firm. Dessie Kilkenny of CBRE Ireland represented the purchaser. Commenting ..read more

Retail sales volumes rose in February 2023 by 0.7% on the previous month, and were 3.6% higher than in February 2022, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show. The largest monthly increases were recorded in bars/pubs, up 4.7%, hardware, paints and glass, up 2.5%, and motor trades, up 1.7%. The highest monthly decreases were in furniture and lighting, down 11.4%, and books, newspapers and stationery, down 5.0%. Overall, the value of retail sales was 1.8% higher in February 2023 than in January 2023, and was 11.1% higher than a year earlier – a reflection of the strong inflatio ..read more

Stryve, a cybersecurity firm based in Carlow, has acquired a majority stake in SureDatum, an Irish fintech company, for an undisclosed sum. Based in Arklow, Co Wicklow, SureDatum was founded by its CEO Gordon Jenkinson in 2018. Since then, the company has invested over €1m in developing a no-code digital transformation platform. The fintech platform technology includes Anti-Money Laundering (AML), automating operational processes and Know Your Customer compliance capabilities. Its customers have included AIB Merchant Services, eir, Irish Aviation Authority and a number of local authorities. S ..read more

Pinergy, the smart energy supply company, has acquired Acutrace, an energy and utilities measurement solutions provider for an undisclosed sum. Acutrace is a software and systems integration provider whose primary business measures energy consumption by companies in Ireland and the UK. The company’s platform identifies where and when energy is being consumed or wasted, enabling corrective measures to be introduced. Acutrace, based in Dublin, was founded in 2015 and employs seven people and has monitors c.600 commercial premises. Pinergy said the acquisition of Acutrace is part of its expansio ..read more

The Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) invested a record €33m in 78 Irish start-ups on the island of Ireland in 2022, according to the organisation's annual review. The joint venture between Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland promotes business angel investment by developing business angel investment syndicates. HBAN said c.300 HBAN angel investors made 699 individual investments in a total of 86 deals. This was up on the 71 deals in prior year.   HBAN said one-third of the deals were investments in either female-led or female-founded companies, while 23% of the deals closed had HBA ..read more

The Innovation Exchange, an initiative of Skillnet Ireland, has partnered with the Research Development Innovation Hub (RDI) in Killorglin, Co Kerry to help connect companies facing digital transformation challenges with technology solution providers. RDI Hub, part of Fexco’s Innovation division, is a centre for digital innovation with a focus on the digitisation, ideation and commercialisation of innovation and research in the digital, AI, data and related technologies sectors. Seven companies have signed up for the initiative, including pharma manufacturer Astellas, and five local SMEs – Ga ..read more

The Government and IDA Ireland have welcomed plans by pharma multinational Eli Lilly to increase its investment at its new biologics drug substance manufacturing facility in Limerick to nearly $1bn – a doubling of the previously announced investment. Construction of the new 500,000 sq ft manufacturing facility is currently underway at the IDA’s Business Park in Raheen. The plant is expected to employ c.300 people in engineering, scientific and operational roles. The new facility will employ the latest biologics manufacturing technology to produce active ingredients for life changing treatment ..read more

Beaming chef Ahmet Dede's award of a second Michelin star last night was his second major celebration of the past week - after his daughter's first birthday. The second star for his eatery - Dede at the Customs House, in Baltimore, West Cork - comes just two years after it first gained recognition from the Michelin guide, confirming its status as a 'destination' restaurant. Turkish-born Ahmet said: "This is the longest thing I have waited for, I have had a baby, one year old, it was just her birthday. It's just amazing. You just wait so long, the build-up for months and months, and week after ..read more

Almost one in three veterinary practice owners are considering selling their practice in the next 12 months, according to new research from advisory firm HLB Ireland. The survey of veterinary practices found that 30% of owners were mulling a sale with work-life balance demands proving to be a significant challenge for both practice owners and their teams. HLB Ireland, which began surveying veterinary practices in 2019, found that the pace of consolidation in the sector had accelerated over recent years due to higher valuations, staff shortages, rising costs and the age demographic of practice ..read more