Google teams up with Dogpatch to support startups

Google has teamed up with Dogpatch Labs to bring its tech hub network to Dublin.

The deal will help Dogpatch, which offers physical space for startups to work from and hold community events, to offer investment and growth opportunities to the thriving startup community in Dublin.

The Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hub Network is a community of independent partner tech hubs around the world. Started just over a year, the network now has four campuses and 20 locations around the world such as London, Sydney and San Francisco. Dogpatch Labs members will be able to these coworking spaces free of charge.

Managing director of Dogpatch Labs Patrick Walsh said it would also bring mentoring programmes and access to Google engineers and experts. Dogpatch will acquire a "Google Corner" as part of the deal, which will be used to hold workshops.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton welcomed the partnership, describing it as an important boost for the startup environment in Ireland.

“As I have said in the past, we have great entrepreneurs in Ireland, but we just don’t have enough of them,” he said. “Building on the numbers from the CSO release yesterday, a key part of our plan is to provide more soft supports like co-working spaces and mentoring for start-ups, and today’s announcement of a new partnership between Google and Dogpatch is a great boost for this.”

Google has run a number of startup supports in the past, including the Adopt a Startup and Startup Weekend.

"With Dogpatch Labs and our Google for Entrepreneurs programme, we hope Dublin's world-class startup community will grow that much faster, building transformative products and companies that will take the world by storm," said head of Google Ireland Ronan Harris. "We can't wait to see what new ideas come out."