Under the Radar:Kristian O'Donovan has his wife Muireann to thank for the initial success of his company Flúirse, a Tralee-based education software company which designs and develops interactive media and software that is specifically aligned to the curriculums in primary schools.

"I was going to start off initially with a French language software product, but my wife, who is a primary school teacher, said 'why don't you do Irish? There is nothing out there for Irish and it will cover all of the classes from infants right up to sixth class whereas French would cover just the senior classes'."

So that's what he did and last year Flúirse launched its first CD-Rom ABC Anois aimed at the 3-7 age group which features interactive games, songs and activities, as well as covering the Irish alphabet and numbers along with more than 100 Irish curriculum-based words in a fun and interesting way.

The company has now sold its interactive titles to more than 200 schools around the country, but this initial success has led to the false impression that Flúirse specialises solely in Irish language interactive software.

"That is a common misconception," says O'Donovan.

"We are not an Irish language-based company. We were using ABC Anois more as a test product to see what the market was like out there, to see were parents interested in it, what teachers thought of it, what schools thought of it. And it's from that we are pushing out with newer products. Our vision is a lot broader than that."

That vision is to provide interactive media and software that is specifically aligned to all subject curriculums in the primary school cycle. It could be argued that O'Donovan has come to the market a bit late in that the e-learning space is already amply filled by the likes of Irish-based heavyweight HM Riverdeep.

"Riverdeep hasn't really concentrated on the Irish and UK markets," explains O'Donovan. "It is over in America. We are similar in a way but ours are curriculum aligned for the Irish education system. Once we have the online resources and education portal ready, we will be able to bring the same model to the UK."

O'Donovan says that Flúirse's products will be more than simple e-learning devices and the company is designing an online education portal that will be divided into three sections - one for teachers, one for children and one for parents to cover all subjects for infants up to sixth class.

"What we are trying to do is bridge the gap for parents, teachers and children," he says. "The teachers are helping the kids but a lot of the time the parents don't know what is happening and they're left out of the loop. By using this online education portal, we'll fix that link between all three."

O'Donovan's is a classic tale of the e-commerce world - a final year university project which he later developed from the bedroom of his home in Tralee.

When he was asked by an educational publishing company to do a demonstration CD-Rom, he called on his Roscommon-born friend Tomás Finneran, who was completing a master's in interactive media, to help him out for a few weeks. Two years later, Finneran is still in Tralee, having helped him set up Flúirse in February 2006.

For many in their mid-20s and fresh from college, starting a company from scratch would be a major achievement, but O'Donovan remains at ease about the venture.

"Either you like risk or you don't like risk," he says.

"I left college and I said there was no better time to start up this, chance it and see what happens. It spiralled from there.

"At the beginning we took criticism to heart. We saw the products as a reflection of ourselves, so all the criticism seemed personal. We quickly realised that the best way to learn is to accept the criticism. Now we operate by the mantra of expect criticism, seek criticism and use criticism."

The start-up was funded by Shannon Development, an employment grant from Kerry Enterprise Board and own funds. Proceeds from the sales of the Irish language products have been ploughed back into the business. The company is also offering a range of teacher summer courses in ICT which are fully approved by the Department of Education which is also generating cash while new products are being developed.

Enterprise Ireland has expressed an interest in investing in the company, according to O'Donovan, who adds that they are looking to raise funds through the Business Expansion Scheme later in the year.

O'Donovan says he was too busy developing the company ever to have doubts about its success.

"I kept on plugging away, especially because I knew the possibility of it."

On the Record

Name:Kristian O'Donovan.

Age:27.

From:Tralee, Co Kerry.

Family:Married to Muireann, with two children, Rian and Seodhla.

Education:A degree in computing and languages from the University of Limerick.

Most inspired by:Other entrepreneurs who put in the commitment and drive to set up own businesses.

Admires: Gaelic footballers who put in so much time and commitment during the year to train for very little financial reward. "It's amazing to think they train, year in and year out, in the dirt, muck and rain for the love of the sport."

Most likes to:play football and swim.

Favourite music:Interpol and Bob Dylan.

Favourite films: 12 Angry Menand Lost in Translation.

Favourite book: The E-Myth Revisited, a book on how to run your business.