The emerging firms shortlisted for the Cork Chamber Company of the Year Awards
Sisters Kate and Becky Popova, who founded Everywhere English. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
The success of Sibly Food Co, which has gone from a Christmas market stall in Kanturk to being a national brand, is an inspiration.
Sibly was founded by then 21-year-old student Matthew Collins, from Ballydesmond in North Cork, in 2018. He started at a market stall, then graduated to a Masterkabin in his parents’ garden. The focus shifted from cakes to healthy snacks, and, in 2020, a Centra on Muckross Rd in Killarney became its first stockist. Blas na hÉireann bronze and silver awards have followed.
Eight years on, the kitchen start-up supplies 450 outlets nationwide.
Mr Collins said of the Ballydesmond-based firm: “We’ve grown rapidly while staying authentic and homemade. Our innovative, gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free products stand out in a crowded market.”
Sibly began with €143 of ingredients purchased in Lidl for a Christmas market. It now combines healthy nutrition and convenience snacking.
“Our key products include energy balls and a range of baked goods — including brownies, banana bread, flapjacks, and macaroons — all made with high-quality, wholesome ingredients,” said Mr Collins.
“Our USP [unique selling proposition] lies in our authentic, homemade approach, combined with innovation in health-focused snacking.
“Unlike competitors who rely on heavily processed ingredients or protein powders, our products deliver a naturally balanced, macro-nutrient profile while retaining great taste and convenience.”
In 2021, Brendan Fleming came on board as a partner and director, bringing extensive financial experience to the business.
Sibly signed a 12-month deal, worth €1m, with Aldi in 2024 to supply its energy balls to 161 shops nationwide. The business will continue growing, based on “scaling sustainably —both environmentally and financially”. All packaging is recyclable, and the business is moving towards “green” crates for deliveries this year.
In June 2025, Sibly launched in Applegreen garages nationwide.
Over the next five years, Sibly plans to distribute into new retail and hospitality markets, to grow its e-commerce platform, and to introduce gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free options.
“The Sibly Food Co stands out as a brand that combines quality, convenience, and authenticity, making healthy snacking accessible and enjoyable for everyone,” said Mr Collins.
“Since day one, my goal has been to feed as many people as possible with the highest-quality snacks.
“By combining market expansion, product innovation, and operational efficiency with environmental responsibility and social impact, we continue to build a business that is financially sustainable, environmentally conscious, and aligned with our mission of delivering high-quality snacks to as many people as possible.
Everywhere English is a simple solution for key communications
It was while teaching English to new learners across the world that Kate Popova grew the seeds of her business, Everywhere English.
Along with her sister Becky, she founded Everywhere English in 2021.
The Cork siblings now plan to bring their language learning platform for businesses global, transforming how frontline manufacturing and operational teams communicate and work together.
Unlike generic English learning tools, Everywhere English teaches the language of the job — topics such as safety instructions, quality KPIs, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and audit-ready communication.
The company believes this focus addresses the critical problem of miscommunication, which it says can reduce output by 40%. It also reduces safety incidents by 25%.
Using the Everywhere English system, employees learn directly from their smartphone or laptop, with tailored, flexible, live classes. Employers track progress using a real-time HR dashboard.
Everywhere English says this creates a transparent link between training and subsequent business results.
The company’s courses boast a 91% course completion rate, and says return on investment is measurable within the first three months.
“By combining proprietary content, sector expertise, and customer-driven design, we’re turning language learning from a ‘nice-to-have’ into an operational necessity, helping businesses stay safe, productive, and competitive,” said Ms Popova.
The edtech company also promotes sustainability, reducing waste in training by aligning directly with site specific SOPs, and ensuring teams access only what they need to be safe and productive.
Reduced incidents and downtime help companies meet compliance, lower insurance risks, and operate more efficiently.
Everywhere English is also building scaleable, teacher-light models that maximise digital delivery to further reduce resource intensity.
The company is proving agile, pivoting from being a “traditional” e-learning platform. Everywhere English has created its niche within the manufacturing/production sector.
Long-term clients include ESS, Irish Oxygen, and Haleon.
Over the course of its development, they have enjoyed investment and encouragement from supporters including Enterprise Ireland, the HBAN Angel Network, and Intertrade Ireland. “Currently, we are aiming to expand our product suite and scaling with our current funding round,” said Ms Popova.
“Our ambition is to make Everywhere English the global standard for workforce recognition in manufacturing and operations.”
By 2030, the company projects growth by expanding across Ireland, Britain, and into the US.
“Being shortlisted for the Cork Chamber Awards is a real milestone for Everywhere English,” she said.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see the impact of our solution recognised, and it’s a true testament to our team partners and customers who make this work possible.”
SkillsBase is on the verge of a significant period of growth and hiring.
Founded in 2018, the company works across the telecommunications, compliance, quality control, and edtech sectors, providing workplace solutions.
Over the next three to five years, the company expects strong revenue growth through international expansion and strategic partnerships with major multinationals, positioning SkillsBase as a global leader from its base in Cork.
The company combines computer-vision, AI, real-time compliance software with compliance and education technology for quality assurance and workforce training. It also provides education and compliance software tailored for customer needs.
The business has also diversified into hardware solutions. Its patented, fibre optic splice fault detector — rebranded as Kanoptic — and copper cable-location tool for cable recovery in data centres and telecom networks are first-of-their-kind solutions.
“Built through customer pilots and now commercially deployed, these tools eliminate inefficiencies and unlock cost savings for network operators,” the company says.
SkillsBase founder and chief executive Mark Horgan said what sets SkillsBase apart is its ability to “combine software intelligence with industrial-grade hardware, creating solutions that do not exist elsewhere”.
“By solving complex compliance and engineering challenges, scaling through partnerships, and generating IP locally, we are shaping the future of workforce compliance and infrastructure management.”
While company solutions are sold to the telecoms and utilities sector, the same tech can be applied to sectors that include manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and healthcare.
“This is an area of growth that we are planning to expand into in the future.”
Mr Horgan’s background is in mobile app and software development, as well as customer-first solutions, driving the company’s focus on creating scalable, high-value products.
Chief financial officer Chris Horgan manages SkillsBase’s budgets and commercial proposals. The technical team includes software developers from UCC’s computer science courses. With the company’s continued growth, 2026 is likely to see SkillsBase expand its workforce significantly.
Sustainability is central to the firm’s growth. The company’s cable location tool enables copper recovery and reuse, supporting circular economy practices.
The company is ISO27001 accredited — something that helps give customers added reassurance on data security. SkillsBase technology solutions have also been recognised at various industry events.
“It is a great honour to be selected as a finalist for Emerging Company of the Year,” said Mr Horgan.
“As a small team exporting Irish technology to a global stage, this local recognition is a powerful motivator and strengthens our commitment to keep innovating and growing our team as we enter a new phase of scale.”
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