400 new tech jobs announced at IDA fringe event to Web Summit

New jobs are in eight tech firm in Dublin, Galway and Cork across a number of sectors, including social media, software development and digital marketing

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Richard Bruton Minister for Jobs  in National History Museum Dublin at a high-growth IDA companies event taking place on the fringes of the Web Summit . Photograph: Fergal Phillips
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Richard Bruton Minister for Jobs in National History Museum Dublin at a high-growth IDA companies event taking place on the fringes of the Web Summit . Photograph: Fergal Phillips

Eight technology firms yesterday announced 400 new jobs in Dublin, Galway and Cork, across a number of sectors including social media, software development, and digital marketing.

The companies creating the new jobs are digital marketing firm N3 Results, social media company Sprout Social, infrastructure provider SimpliVity, online learning marketplace Udemy, software firm hedgeGuard, connectivity provider Perseus Telecom, and communications firms SNP Communications and Boomerang Pharmaceutical.

The firms from North America and Europe will create the new positions in Cork, Dublin and Galway over the next three years.

N3 aims to create 100 at least 100 knowledge-based jobs in Dublin, while Sprout Social hopes to hire 85 employees in the capital.

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SimpliVity plans to recruit 70 employees in Corkm over a three-year period.

Udemy will create 50 jobs in Dublin's digital hub, Boomerang Pharmaceutical is creating 25 jobs, as is SNP Communications and Hedgeguard.

HedgeGuard founder Imad Warde said the company was establishing its international headquarters and development centre in Ireland, adding that is easier to raise venture capital funding in Ireland.

"We are fundraising which is tough to do in France…We'd like to attract American money…France has a bad image from anglo-saxon investors. The business environment is thought to be harsh," Mr Warde said.

High-speed global connectivity provider Perseus Telecom is creating 25 jobs in Galway.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton said Ireland is increasingly seen as a hub for international start-ups and fast-growing emegering businesses.

IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan said 100 high growth global companies have set up in Ireland since 2010.

Announcing the jobs Taoiseach Enda Kenny joked: “congratulations on your new found fame around the world” referring to Martin Shanahan’s interview with CNBC, adding that “as you know we have the euro in Ireland”.

He said some of the companies making announcements yesterday “are going to explode globally in terms of importance and reach”.

“We have come through a torrid time and are now one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe,” he said.

“We are not Silicon Valley but we have Silicon Docks,” he added.