Greatest tech innovators: With St. Patrick’s Day taking place on the 17th of March, we decided to take a look at some of the best-known Irish tech innovators that have made a true difference globally.

It’s estimated that over 70 million people claim Irish heritage worldwide, which explains why the day is celebrated across America, Australia, the UK, Canada and more. This association has helped to drive technology giants to base themselves on the Emerald Isle. From Facebook to Dell, to Apple to Oracle, IBM, Intel and more, some technological developments have gone to the green side. Indeed, Irish tech has come a long way since IBM was the first US tech company to build a base there in 1956. Figures from Tech Ireland reveal over 2,300 active tech startups and scaleups and over 400 Multinationals in Ireland alone. Moreover, the group also found that over fifty per cent of startups have been bootstrapped, growing organically and creating over fifty-four thousand jobs! 

With this week being all about the Irish, we take a look at some of the most significant tech innovators from past to present who have come from the ‘Isle of innovation.’

The past

Ejector seats

Movie buffs everywhere will be surprised to find James Bond-style modern ejector seats are actually the creation of Sir James Martin, a hugely qualified engineer turned founder from County Down. Together with Captain Valentine Baker, his tech-powered seat, created in 1946, was the most advanced of its kind, enabling pilots to remove themselves from planes that travelled at high speeds swiftly. His technology was so successful that The Royal Air Force later fitted all of their planes with his invention, saving an estimated five thousand lives by the time of this tech innovator’s death in 1981.

The temperature scale…and Skype (sort of!)

Belfast-born entrepreneur William Thompson, better known as 1st Baron Kelvin, was the first scientist in the world to identify light, movement, heat and electromagnetism as manifestations of energy. He was also responsible for founding the transatlantic cable back in 1866. In fact, the Irishman made such a mark on the world that even the absolute temperature scale is named after him.

Modern-day submarines

Clare, born John Philip Holland, can be credited with the invention of the modern-day submarine. The school teacher turned entrepreneur, who had emigrated to Boston, was determined to use technology to change the way war was conducted at sea. In 1881, he launched the ‘Fenian Ram’, a 30-foot-long vessel with underwater capabilities. He later won competitions to design and build submarines for the US Naval Department, with the ‘Holland VII’ being the first of many to be bought by the organization.

The present

Online payment platforms

The product of the Tipperary brothers, John and Patrick Collison, Stripe is an online payment platform that enables people to accept and send money via the web. Founded in San Francisco in 2010, it was recently listed as the most valuable private tech company in the US, at 95 billion dollars. The hugely successful Irish innovators and siblings who established their companies in Silicon Valley now work between San Francisco and Dublin.

Technology conferences

Dublin-born Paddy Cosgrave can be credited with co-founding one of the biggest tech conferences in Europe. Founded in 2009, WebSummit, which takes place in Lisbon, Portugal, centres around emerging technologies and innovation. It has partners from Fortune 500 companies and tends to attract the most significant names globally. Today, Paddy Cosgrave has expanded Web Summit’s offering to hosting other conferences, including RISE in Hong Kong, SURGE in Bangalore and Collision in Toronto. 

Business messaging software

Established in a coffee shop, Intercom is the brainchild of Dublin innovator now Chairman Eoghan McCabe. The software company, founded in 2011, specializes in business messaging services. It was the first Irish unicorn spearheaded by Des Traynor, Ciaran Lee, and David Barrett. It’s estimated that the successful company generates over 200 million dollars annually and employs over 900 staff. Its headquarters are based in San Francisco, with offices in Chicago, Dublin, Sydney and London…talk about the luck of the Irish!