Six Founder-Led companies from Northern Ireland take part in Programme
Endeavor Ireland marked the conclusion of its 2025 Northern Ireland Scale Up Programme with a high-profile visit to Belfast recently, hosting a day of events at Ormeau Labs. Led by Endeavor Ireland Chairman, The Edge, the gathering brought together Endeavor Ireland board members, investors, ecosystem leaders, and founders to celebrate Northern Ireland’s growing role as a launchpad for globally scalable innovation.
Endeavor is a global not-for-profit organisation with a mission to support and accelerate high-impact entrepreneurs by connecting them with talent, capital and a worldwide peer and mentor network. Endeavor Ireland is an all-island organisation that supports homegrown entrepreneurs with high-impact potential to scale up and to ultimately provide a societal benefit to the island of Ireland.
Since opening its Ireland office in Dublin in 2019, it has selected 17 founders across 12 Irish companies to join the Endeavor Ireland network, including Cubic³, Strong Roots, LearnUpon, Wayflyer, Gym+Coffee, XOCEAN, Keelvar, Thérapie Group, Sculpted by Aimee, Overhaul, Raylo and Swoop. In 2024, Karl Gilbert from Raylo was the first entrepreneur from Northern Ireland to be selected to join the network. Collectively, these companies employ over 4,000 staff and generate revenues exceeding €620 million.
As part of its not-for-profit mission to support the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, Endeavor Ireland has run two Scale Up Programmes focussed on founders in Northern Ireland. The Scale Up Programme is designed to boost the trajectory of scaling, high-potential entrepreneurs through curated mentorships, workshops and a peer-to-peer network of fellow founders, and the necessary resources to develop and execute a long-term growth plan.
The 2025 Endeavor Ireland Scale Up Programme for Northern Ireland was sponsored by VentureWave Capital and the following six founder-led companies participated; Syndeo, Taka, TeamFeePay, ComplyFirst, Digital Iron and Locate a Locum. This builds on the success stories from the 2024 cohort, such as Scileads* and Axial3D, led by Laura Haldene and Roger Johnston respectively, who have between them secured international funding and recognition on Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards.
The Belfast visit reinforces Endeavor Ireland’s all-island mission to support entrepreneurs in building enduring companies that scale internationally and give back locally. It included a visit to Raylo’s Belfast offices as well as a roundtable with this year’s Scale Up cohort, hosted at Ormeau Labs, with Endeavor Ireland Chairman The Edge, Endeavor Ireland Board Member Angela Moore CBE, Chairwoman, Virginia Distillery Co., and Endeavor Entrepreneurs James Ives, founder and CEO of XOCEAN, and Karl Gilbert, co-founder and CEO of Raylo.
The Edge, Endeavor Ireland Chairman, said: "In ecosystems like Northern Ireland’s, the multiplier effect is real; founders who scale globally come back to mentor, invest, and inspire others. This is the kind of cycle that is at the core of what Endeavor represents. It’s about the most successful entrepreneurs paying it forward.”
Mark Shields, Founder & CEO of Taka, and a participant of Endeavor Ireland’s 2025 Scale Up Programme cohort, reflected on the visit and his experience in the programme, saying: “Being part of the Endeavor Ireland Scale Up programme has given us access to a range of global mentors and entrepreneurs who have experienced similar challenges and opportunities. The mentorships were a key part in the driving of strategy and future business growth and its impact will extend long after the end of the programme."
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Aileen Hayes, Manager Director of Endeavor Ireland, said: “As an all-island organisation, Endeavor Ireland is dedicated to supporting fast-scaling founders with global ambition. The momentum locally speaks for itself, with early-stage entrepreneurial activity at a record high. We are proud to have built a strong network of friends in Northern Ireland, and look forward to working with more ambitious founders here. These events, marking the end of our second Scale-Up programme, demonstrate our commitment to championing entrepreneurs from across the island of Ireland through meaningful connectivity both locally and globally.”
The day concluded with an ecosystem event, hosted with Ormeau Labs and Claire Halliday, bringing together founders, past and present Scale Up programme entrepreneurs, and ecosystem partners. During the event, local leaders reflected on the progress made in Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This momentum reinforces Endeavor’s “Multiplier Effect” philosophy: successful entrepreneurs drive growth by mentoring and investing in others.
Alan Foy, Endeavor Ireland Board Member and Chairman of Venturewave Capital said “Endeavor is playing a vital role in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northern Ireland. The Endeavor Scale Up Programme is identifying and accelerating world-class founders who are building high-impact, globally scalable businesses. At Venturewave, we’re proud to support this Endeavor Programme's mission and to back visionary entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland who are transforming sectors and creating real, lasting value.”
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
