Green Shield Labs put stamp on start-ups

All licked into shape is a niche, serviced office scheme called Green Shield Labs — trading on the Cork City building’s past as the place when shoppers and consumers swapped their books of loyalty reward Green Shield stamps for a range of gifts.

Green Shield stamps were huge in the 1970s and lasted up until 1991 in the UK and Ireland, offered along with shopping purchases and petrol to entice customers to outlets.

Now, No 14 Washington Street is home to Green Shield Labs, offering fully serviced office or desk space for start-ups, freelance workers and creatives, with 250mb fibre broadband, heating, phone, air-con, bike park, CCTV etc, plus ‘chill area’ darts, a pool table and foosball.

Behind the venture at Commerce House, aka No 14 — previously redeveloped by PFH Computers, whose CEO Paul Hourican is offering free cloud storage for office users here — is entrepreneur Stephen O’Sullivan, who also runs a ground floor retail, virtual office and graphics business here.

“I wanted to develop something a bit different than just an office space where people were restricted to long-term leases and costly legals. I also thought there was tonnes of office space in the city, but little in the way of end-user comfort. And, I wanted to target young exciting start-ups and young companies who would maybe thrive off each other and produce something great in Cork,” he said, hoping for a ‘cool multinational’ vibe.

Rates will be negotiable, in the order of €150/200 per month for the desk space and €500/700 a month for multi-desk offices.

Details: SOS Business Services, 021-4975060.