The Hottest Startups in Dublin

Dublin has long been home to Big Tech's European outposts, drawn by low taxes and Ireland's position as the only English-speaking country in the European Union. Historically, however, this has negatively affected local startups: Big salaries and cushy positions at Big Tech companies made it difficult for smaller, nimbler companies to compete. That situation is finally changing: "Over the past few years, the culture has shifted away from Big Tech," says Nicola McClafferty, chair of the Irish Venture Capital Association and a partner in Molten Ventures, a venture capital firm operating in Ireland. "We're seeing more and more people and talent wanting to come out of those companies, and really thinking about joining earlier-stage and high-growth startups." That's in part down to Irish startup successes like communications platform Intercom and payments system Stripe, which have proven homegrown wins are possible.