Guinness Enterprise Centre start-ups generated €140M revenues last year

Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), Ireland’s entrepreneurial superhub, has unveiled the findings of an Economic Impact Report marking 25 years of supporting Irish-based start-ups and their founders. The new report, 25 Years of Economic Impact, found that start-ups supported by the GEC – including graduate and current resident companies – have generated €2.5BN in total revenues over the last 25 years. In 2025, GEC-based start-ups amassed €140M in revenues.

The GEC, Ireland’s largest start-up campus, is launching its impact report today as it celebrates 25 years since it was built on the site of an old warehouse attached to the Guinness brewery. As Ireland’s largest business incubator, to-date, the GEC has supported more than 1,500 start-ups by providing space, mentoring programmes and funding pathways that help founders navigate the challenges of early-stage growth and scale internationally. In doing so, the report shows that previous and current resident start-ups are now supporting 13,225 jobs per year.

Carried out by KHSK Economic Consultants and commissioned by the GEC, the report found that the 160 businesses based at the GEC returned €31M to the exchequer in 2025. They produced €73M in exports and anticipate average revenue growth of close to 70% in 2026, highlighting their market opportunity across key sectors including sustainability, healthcare and AI. The resident companies employed 743 people in 2025, of which 86% are recent college graduates. Salaries totalled €44M in the same year.

The GEC’s wider economic contribution is also highlighted in the report. Activity generated by GEC-based start-ups, and their employees, supported €146M in total economic output and approximately 1,300 jobs. This means that for every four jobs created in the GEC, three are created in the wider economy.

Niamh Collins, Centre Director, Guinness Enterprise Centre, said: “I am very proud of the efforts of the GEC team over the past year, not to mention the past 25 years. That dedication is reflected in the success of the businesses based here. Ecosystems are crucial to start-up success, and the GEC provides a space where ambitious founders can be inspired, grow and scale.

“Our Economic Impact Report showcases the standards the GEC has set for success, with notable graduates including Havoc – sold to Intel for $110 million in 2007 – and Adaptive Media, acquired by Enea for $45 million. We are helping to build international success stories from Ireland and will continue this momentum well into the future.”

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