Every week we take a look at some of the most interesting B2B stories from the past week. On the agenda this week are stories about funding for DevAlly, a Mayo company going from strength to strength, and a possible foray into the operating system space for ChatGPT.
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DevAlly Secures €2m Funding to Scale US Presence
Good news this week that Irish digital accessibility startup DevAlly has raised €2m in pre-seed funding to help grow their foothold in the US market. Founded in 2024 by Cormac Chisholm, Patrick Guiney, and Darren Britton, the company is built on the belief that “digital accessibility should be simple, effective, and within reach for every organization, regardless of size or technical expertise.” Their platform helps businesses to audit and fix digital accessibility issues without the need for expensive outside expertise. This tech-first approach is timely - coming in the wake of the 2024 European Accessibility Act which mandates digital inclusion. Compliance failure can result in fines and even criminal penalties. With companies in Europe looking to ensure they are meeting digital accessibility compliance standards, the stage is set for DevAlly to play a pivotal role in the ongoing digital accessibility transformation. Read more.
Jentic Selected for AWS GenAI Accelerator
Irish AI infrastructure start-up Jentic has become the first Irish company selected for AWS’s Generative AI Accelerator (GAIA) 2025, following one of Ireland’s largest pre-seed rounds of €4m in late 2024. Founded by Sean Blanchfield, Dorothy Creaven, Michael Cordner, and Dr Tilman Schaefer, Jentic builds secure, standards-based infrastructure to connect and manage large-scale AI agent systems. Most importantly, the accelerator, which begins in Seattle and concludes with a global showcase at AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, offers exposure to top investors and industry leaders. Jentic’s selection underscores Ireland’s growing prominence in global AI innovation. Read more.
Google Launches AI Mode for Search in Ireland
Google has announced the launch of AI Mode in Ireland. What we are witnessing is the latest stage in the increasingly rapid transformation of SEO as we know it. AI mode will initially appear as a tab in the Google app for Android and iOS. It leverages Gemini for search and lets user ask questions via text, voice, or with their camera. The trend is towards more complicated and longer questions with answers coming from a greater diversity of websites. Read more.
MFS Goes Deep on B2B Product Marketing
This week saw the launch of the MFS B2B Product Marketing Guide - an in-depth look into the evolving nature of the B2B product marketing manager and how they have come to occupy such an integral role in the modern B2B company, particularly in the software space. Read more.
Mayo Payroll Software Company Going From Strength to Strength
File this one under things you love to see - a thriving rural Irish business that is providing payroll management software to more than 100,000 users globally. This week, Payslip CEO and founder Fidelma McGuirk sat down with John Kennedy for a wide-ranging podcast that covers the company’s Westport roots, AI innovation in global payroll, and her advice for budding entrepreneurs. Read more.
Ecko Acquires Solsoft
Dublin-based cloud and cybersecurity provider Ekco has acquired UK managed services provider Solsoft, marking its seventh acquisition in two years and third in 2025. The Bristol-based Solsoft team of 16 will join Ekco’s 1,000-strong workforce across Europe, Africa, and Asia, strengthening its UK presence and managed services capabilities. The deal is part of Ekco’s ongoing strategy to build a unified MSP platform across Europe, following recent acquisitions of Adapt IT, Predatech, CTS, Radius, Bluecube, and iSystems. Ekco’s approach - to deliver local expertise at scale - is proving to be a strong foundation for growth as the company continues to build impressive momentum. Read more.
ChatGPT as an Operating System?
The future of work is a theme we continuously return to at MFS. This week, Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, gave an insightful interview to TechCrunch which delved into this idea that ChatGPT could evolve into a kind of operating system - not in the classic sense of a Linux or Windows, rather more like the way the browser has, for many, turned into a de-facto operating system. Read more.
AI Creeping into our Daily Lives Unbeknownst to Us
Interesting survey data from Equinix which found that many people are already using AI in their daily lives without them realizing. AI, as Bruce Owen of Equinix states, is “already in your pocket, on your wrist and in your inbox, but this data shows most people don’t realise it. If we want to harness the real potential of AI, we need a greater understanding of how we’re already using it. Innovation starts with education.” Read more.
MFS is a boutique B2B Marketing Agency based in Ireland with a track record of creating and executing revenue-generating campaigns at companies ranging from rapid growth startups to F500s. In our weekly newsletter Forward Reads we bring you our own take on the top stories of the week that was covering topics such as startup news, Irish success stories, AI, strategy, and whatever else catches our attention.