From left: Patrick O’Boyle, Luke Mackey and Deepak Baliga. Image: Kota
Irish founders that have made their way into this year’s list across multiple categories include Luke Mackey, Cian Donovan, Oisín McGrath and Dr Dale Whelehan.
Several Irish entrepreneurs have been recognised in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe ranking published today (9 April), including the founders of Kota (formerly Yonder), Akara Robotics, Galenband and 4 Day Week Global.
The annual Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list celebrates the achievements of 300 people under the age of 30 residing in Europe who have had an impact across a range of fields – from technology, healthcare and commerce to media, entertainment and social impact.
Luke Mackey, Deepak Baliga and Patrick O’Boyle, co-founders of employee benefits platform Kota, made it into the Technology section of the list. In a post on LinkedIn today, Mackey, who is also the company’s CEO, said that he was “pretty humbled” by the news.
“I’m not a big fan of lists or awards. They can be a distraction, and we go out of our way to avoid doing them. They’re not always a true reflection of a company’s success or impact or actually what matters when building something,” wrote Mackey, who previously founded food ordering app Bamboo.
“That said, celebrating wins is something I’m working on. To be included along with some of the companies we aspire to be in the same category is an incredible testament to the team and a strong reflection of their hard work. We must be doing something right. Back to work.”
Formerly known as Yonder, the former SiliconRepublic.com Start-up of the Week rebranded itself in October last year, when it also raised €5m in a seed round led by EQT Ventures.
Cian Donovan and Robbie Scott, co-founders of healthcare technology start-up Akara Robotics, were featured in the Science & Healthcare list, as was Oisín McGrath, co-founder of wearables medtech Galenband, another former Start-up of the Week.
Akara Robotics is the creator of Stevie, a social care robot designed to be an assistant in elder care facilities. The team behind Stevie worked closely with charities supporting the elderly and spent months in trial studies at senior care facilities in the UK and the US.
The Irish start-up also created a robot equipped with ultraviolet technology designed to eliminate bacteria and viruses with the aim of making disinfecting hospitals safer and faster.
Meanwhile, University of Galway spin-out Galenband is combining an upper-arm band with AI algorithms to monitor patients for atrial fibrillation, which is the most common deadly heart rhythm abnormality.
Galenband is a previous One to Watch Award winner at Enterprise Ireland’s Big Ideas showcase in 2020, when it also took home the Viewers’ Choice Award.
Cork native Dr Tara O’Driscoll, co-founder and chief technology officer of biotech start-up BoobyBiome, was also featured in the Science & Healthcare list. BoobyBiome is working to develop a formula supplement from breast milk that contains key microbiome species, aimed at priming the infant immune system.
Sanjay Abraham, co-founder of Dublin-headquartered health-tech Xpress Health, was also featured on the list under the Technology category. Xpress Health connects healthcare professionals (registered nurses in particular) with clinical facilities needing flexible shift coverage.
Dr Dale Whelehan, a behavioural scientist and CEO of 4 Day Week Global, is also a part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2024, under the Social Impact category. An alumnus of Trinity College Dublin, Whelehan and his company are on a mission to introducing a four-day work week for corporations in Europe.
“I started out my career in healthcare – and found my passion for wanting to improve the health and wellbeing of people,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “We’re only getting started in our work – with planned pilots in over 20 countries, across all continents. Our aim is to create a million new years of free time.”
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