Meet the Irish entrepreneurs recognised in Forbes 30 under 30 list

The duo are two of seven young Irish people acknowledged by Forbes for their achievements in their respective fields

Protex AI co-founders, Ciarán O'Mara and Dan Hobbes

A Limerick entrepreneur has been named as one of seven Irish entrepreneurs featured in this year's Forbes' 30 under 30 list.

CTO and CEO of Limerick-founded Protex AI, 26-year-old Ciarán O'Mara and 28-year-old Dan Hobbs were acknowledged in Forbes' 30 under 30 list, with their AI equipment focused on preventing workplace incidents earning them a top spot in the prestigious European technology list.

Growing up just a stone's throw away from the Collison brothers, Ciarán O'Mara from Castletroy, Limerick combined his degree in electronic and computer engineering with the commerce expertise of Protex AI's co-founder, Dan Hobbs.

First meeting over thirteen years ago at the Young Scientist, the pair developed the idea for Protex AI following a workplace incident involving a relative, prompting the duo to develop a way to prevent such accidents before they occur.

"Instead of looking back on what caused an accident, we wanted to see what actually happens before it occurs," Mr O'Mara told the Irish Examiner.

"We thought, instead of having such an unfortunate accident happen, writing a report and looking back on how it unfolded after the fact, why not get insight into what happens before that accident occurs?

Ciarán O'Mara, co-founder of Protex AI

The idea prompted the idea for Protex AI, which uses computer vision to detect and predict risks to employee safety across manufacturing, logistics, warehouses and ports.

Founded less than two years ago, the company has already significantly expanded, supported by funding from US start-up accelerator, Y Company, who also funded Stripe.

"That was a huge learning curve for us," Mr O'Mara explains. "It marked the start of the start for us, and everything has just snowballed since."

The support enabled Hobbs and O'Mara to further develop their product and expand outside of Limerick, with offices now also in Dublin and San Francisco. 

The funding also allowed Protex to grow their workforce, which now stands at 35 employees compared to just seven this time last year. Since its inception, Protex AI has grown to serve clients including Marks & Spencers, Telus, Dublin Port and Proctor & Gamble across Europe and the US. 

Speaking on the duo's acknowledgement in the Forbes list, Mr O'Mara said that despite it being an absolute shock, it has not slowed them down.

"It was great to receive that sort of recognition, but work life goes on, there's still plenty of work for us to do."

The duo join five other Irish entrepreneurs that have been recognised for their contribution to their respective industries.

Also hailing from Limerick, 23-year-old Liam McMahon was recognised in the Games and E-sports category along with fellow co-founders of game studio, Beyond Creative. 

According to Forbes, the company uses the popular video game Fortnite's "Creative platform" as its canvas to make new games and experiences for brands. The company has worked with the NFL, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and NFL star Patrick Mahomes and has had brand collaborations with Timex, Chipotle, Timberland, and Armani Code perfume.

Mr McMahon has also built a large following on social media, with his Youtube gaming account, Makamakes boasting over 117,000 subscribers.

In the finance list, Senior VP of Blockchain & Digital Assets at BNY Mellon, Ruth Williams was acknowledged for her mentoring of job-seekers, refugees and asylum-seekers, with the 24-year-old also being recognised for promoting diversity and her partnerships with the University of Dublin's Centre of Research Training in AI.

Also featured on the 30 under 30 list was 29-year-old Aisling Byrne from Malahide, who founded recommerce app Nuw, a platform where users trade old clothes for new pieces with no pricing or negotiations.

Aisling Byrne of Nuw

According to Forbes, the app has tallied 68,000 downloads and counting across the UK, US and Ireland, having raised already $2m in venture capital.

Listed in the science category, 29-year-old Jack O'Meara was acknowledged for his work as co-founder and CEO of Oxford-based Ochre Bio, a firm that is developing new RNA therapies to treat liver disease.

An NUIG Graduate, O'Meara raised $40 million from investors including Khosla Ventures and Y Combinator, the same accelerator that funded Protex AI. According to Forbes, Ochre Bio uses "genomics data to identify targets and test them in donor livers rejected for transplants rather than mice."

Gráinne Mullins, founder of Grá Chocolates.

Gráinne Mullins, founder of Grá Chocolates was featured in the Arts and Culture category, with the 29-year-old receiving recognition for her chocolate business which includes Irish ingredients and hand-painted designs.

Her award-winning products are now stocked in Brown Thomas and members of the Leading Hotels of the World group, with Grá Chocolates reporting revenue last year of €1m.