Alan Holland had a steady, comfortable life as a lecturer in artificial intelligence in University College Cork. But in 2012, he left it all to try and build a startup specialising in procurement automation.
10 years on, that company, Keelvar, has just picked up its latest funding round of $24m, with plans to increase headcount at the firm to over 100.
Alan joins technology editor Adrian Weckler to discuss what it was like to leave the security of a college academic life for a startup. He also explains what's going to happen next in the supply chain crisis.

Irish Independent Tech Editor Adrian Weckler hosts this award-winning business podcast which dives deep into the biggest industry advances and tracks the key movers and shakers behind the innovation. From interviewing Big Tech CEOs to investigations into how tech affects our working lives, the show has become Ireland’s most listened-to technology podcast.

Every week we analyse the big tech issues, interv…

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The €40m Cork startup that's helping to solve the supply chain crisis

Steven Clukey was about to enter his leaving search year in Belvedere College when something happened to change his life forever. On a camping trip with friends, Steven fell off a hay bale and was paralyzed from the neck down.

Stephen Cluskey, CEO of Mobility Mojo, accessibility advocate and social entrepreneur joins Adrian on this week’s episode of the Big Tech Show.




The Dubliner has since become a well-known accessibility advocate, appearing regularly in Irish media and leading a number of national initiatives like the Rugby Wheelchair Challenge, but he also co-founded and leads Mobility Mojo, an accessibility software platform company, which recently raised over 4 million Euro in Series A funding, and now has clients in over 30 countries, including major employers such as Accenture, UBS, and Diageo.




You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.

Steven Clukey was about to enter his leaving search year in Belvedere College when something happened to change his life forever. On a camping trip with friends, Steven fell off a hay bale and was paralyzed from the neck down.
Stephen Cluskey, CEO of Mobility Mojo, accessibility advocate and social entrepreneur joins Adrian on this week’s episode of the Big Tech Show.
 
The Dubliner has since become a well-known accessibility advocate, appearing regularly in Irish media and leading a number of national initiatives like the Rugby Wheelchair Challenge, but he also co-founded and leads Mobility Mojo, an accessibility software platform company, which recently raised over 4 million Euro in Series A funding, and now has clients in over 30 countries, including major employers such as Accenture, UBS, and Diageo.
 
You can listen to the full episode here, on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.

'You can turn disadvantage into a real opportunity’ ~ Stephen Cluskey CEO of Mobility Mojo

Ireland’s list of global sporting champions is relatively short, which means that when a new one is minted then we like to celebrate their achievements with them. And while Excel spreadsheets is about as niche as e-sports get - there’s no doubt that the competition is heating up when it’s broadcast live from Las Vegas via ESPN. And this year, it looks like it's not just Excel’s logo that proudly wears green - as the title of Global Excel Champion 2025 was won by Ireland’s Diarmuid Early.


Early Rising - Ireland’s newly minted Excel world champion Diarmuid Early

Where is AI going and who is at the helm? What jobs might be in trouble and should Europe back down on its regulations? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by one of Ireland's most famous tech entrepreneurs Sean Blanchfield to hear about Jentic - his latest venture - and to hear how the age of AI is already up and running.

Where is AI going and who is at the helm? What jobs might be in trouble and should Europe back down on its regulations? On The Big Tech Show this week, Adrian is joined by one of Ireland's most famous tech entrepreneurs Sean Blanchfield to hear about Jentic - his latest venture - and to hear how the age of AI is already up and running.

The €40m Cork startup that's helping to solve the supply chain crisis

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