Atlanta’s burgeoning fintech scene and Georgia’s pro-business environment has made it an attractive choice for Irish companies looking for a base in the United States.
Now the Irish government is looking to lure Atlanta companies to Ireland by highlighting the country's strong tech sector and adding a healthy dose of football diplomacy, said Dara Calleary, Ireland's Minister of State for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, when talking to the Chronicle during a recent visit to Atlanta.
Georgia startup culture abroad
Ireland-Atlanta ties run deep. There are around 5,000 Irish citizens living in Georgia and about one in every 10 Georgians has Irish or Scots-Irish heritage, Calleary said.
Atlanta and Ireland also share a fintech connection, Calleary noted. The Irish government, through its Enterprise Ireland arm, has made a heavy investment in fintech.
It established a 175 million euro ($185 million) seed and venture capital fund to invest in Irish startups, and it is the world’s second-largest investor in fintechs by deal count.
Ireland has a strong tech economy and a highly educated workforce. It is the only European Union country where English is the predominant language. All those factors make Ireland an appealing location for international businesses looking to operate in Europe, Calleary said.
The Irish government has also devoted resources to helping southeastern companies open for business in Ireland. IDA Ireland, a government agency devoted to helping foreign companies set up in the country, has three employees at its Atlanta office who aim to help businesses here find their way to Ireland, Calleary said.
“There are very few countries that have that presence available here in Atlanta to actually make the introductions,” Calleary said. “When you come to visit us in Ireland, we will make sure that the supports are in place on the ground … we'd love to have a lot of these Georgian-based companies add to our startup culture.”
Irish businesses are the ninth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the U.S., and Irish companies have increasingly looked to the South for business, Calleary said.
“Our traditional centers being in the Northeast, we have found there’s huge opportunities for Irish business in this region,” Calleary said.
Irish fintech companies with bases in Atlanta include FINEOS, Wayflyer and Sysnet.
There are several reasons Atlanta is an appealing base for Irish fintech companies, said Emma Wilson, senior marketing manager at Keeper Solutions, a fintech company headquartered in Limerick. Atlanta's status as a global fintech capital as well as its airport and infrastructure made it an obvious location. But more than the infrastructure, cultural connections between Atlanta and Ireland and Atlantans’ collaborative spirit have proved major attractions.
“The Keeper team has never felt a welcome like it,” Wilson said. “In Atlanta, the pay-it-forward mentality [is] not just promoted, but it's practiced.”
Football diplomacy
Next August, Georgia Tech’s football team will be traveling to Dublin to play Florida State.
It’s a reprise of a 2016 Tech game against Boston College in Dublin. That game – a victory for Tech – attracted 20,000 fans, Calleary said.
The Irish government is building a program of events surrounding next year’s game to help Americans learn about doing business in Ireland, Calleary added.
“Sending a big, big welcome to everybody,” Calleary said.
