Furthr, Ireland’s leading business innovation centre, has today announced three senior appointments to its business. These appointments will enable Furthr to deliver on its strategic plan to drive accelerated growth aimed at supporting more start-ups and strengthening the overall start-up ecosystem in Ireland.
These new leadership appointments represent a strategic investment in talent, positioning Furthr for continued success.
In 2024, Furthr supported over 300 ambitious Founders and championed start-up initiatives that have collectively raised over €35 million in funding.
Julian Seymour has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Furthr. In this role, Julian will be responsible for driving the continual operational efficiency of Furthr to deliver best in class entrepreneurial supports to its clients to expedite their journey from idea generation to an investor funded business.
Julian joined Furthr, previously Dublin BIC, in 2014 and has been instrumental in Furthr’s success and growth to date. He has held a number of roles at Furthr including Start-Up Consultant and most recently as Head of Acceleration. Prior to joining Furthr, Julian was Head of Industry Engagement at The Green Way, Ireland’s only cleantech cluster.
Speaking about his appointment, Julian Seymour, Chief Operating Officer at Furthr, said; “At Furthr, we are continually growing and expanding our offering to support the fast-paced start-up sector in Ireland. Last year, our Acceleration Team worked with more than 300 individual entrepreneurs and we launched our own Furthr Foundry Accelerator programme. My goal is to ensure that people, processes and technology within Furthr are delivering world class real supports to startups in the most optimal way.”
Majella Murphy has been appointed as the new Head of Acceleration, taking over this role from Julian. As Head of Acceleration, Majella will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of comprehensive and impactful supports to clients, bringing them on a journey towards securing investment. Majella will be tasked with ensuring Furthr has a team of experts with the experience and knowledge, data intelligence and relationships required to deliver meaningful impact for start-ups on their acceleration journey.
Prior to joining Furthr, Majella was an Investment Consultant to Furthr helping to guide new ventures through their difficult journey towards investment. Prior to that she was a Design, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Expert at Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the NDRC.
Aisling Reddin will take up the role of Programme Operations Manager at Furthr. Aisling will lead the management and continuous improvement of Furthr's One-to-One and One-to-Many programmes, ensuring positive client experiences, both in person and online. Her goal is to ensure the seamless delivery of the most impactful acceleration supports to founders in Ireland.
Aisling joined Furthr in November 2022 as Programme Administrator. Previously, Aisling managed a multi-purpose studio space in Dublin city centre where she facilitated media productions, live performances and events while also developing programmes for artists and the local community, improving business operations, and growing commercial opportunities.
"As we continue to evolve and expand our services, Julian, Majella, and Aisling's diverse skills and deep understanding of the start-up ecosystem will ensure we deliver world-class support to our start-ups. These appointments represent a significant investment in the future of Furthr and I am confident that their contributions will strengthen Furthr's position as a leading innovation centre in Ireland,” said Martin Murray, CEO at Furthr.
He added: "Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to deepen our impact with expanded funding initiatives and cutting-edge support programmes, leveraging best practices from our European networks. Sustainability, inclusivity, and digital transformation will remain central to our mission as we empower Ireland's brightest innovators to scale globally.”
In a report on Ireland’s ‘Hot 100 Start-Ups’, compiled by Business Post in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, Furthr had directly supported 40 per cent of the companies listed which are being earmarked to be Ireland’s next generation of game-changers.
Furthr has been recognised as one of Europe's leading start-up hubs, securing a coveted position on the Financial Times/Statista list of ‘Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs’. In the exclusive ranking that highlights the most vibrant and innovative ecosystems driving entrepreneurial success across Europe, Furthr emerged as the highest-ranked start-up hub in the Republic of Ireland, standing out among the top 125 hubs spanning 21 European countries.