Dogpatch Labs

Looking for two weeks of focused time to build? Castle DAO brings founders, builders and operators together at Slane Castle from 24 August to 6 September. Organised by @superteamIE and powered by @solana, it's open to builders across AI, fintech, blockchain, deep tech and more. Applications are open: tally.so/r/ODJv1k

What happens after the term sheet is often more important than getting it signed. Dan Hobbs (@ProtexAI) and Sam Endacott (@northzoneVC) discussed trust, board dynamics and difficult decisions, with one takeaway that stood out: responsiveness builds trust long before scale does. Thanks to everyone who joined us.

EirSpace has placed first in Category 2 at the Mach-26 competition, reaching an altitude of 2.06km and successfully deploying and testing its CanSat payload. For Ireland's first intervarsity rocketry team, built entirely by students, placing first at their first international competition is a significant milestone. Congratulations to everyone on the team. @MannaAero

AI is changing audit, accounting and tax, but the interesting questions are now practical rather than theoretical. On 9 July, Dogpatch Labs brings together Audrey, Fineo and Kreoh with senior practitioners to discuss what AI is genuinely good at today, where it still falls short, and what that means for firms. Apply: luma.com/99g8obz4

More than 400 people came to Dogpatch Labs for ClawCon Dublin with @jenticai, a community showcase of builders working on autonomous AI agents. Many of the demonstrations grew out of Give(a)Go's OpenClaw builder series.

Some of the most important startup conversations happen long after the term sheet is signed. Join us on Wed 8 July at Dogpatch Labs as Dan Hobbs (Protex AI) and Sam Endacott (Northzone) share what makes founder–investor partnerships work. Apply: luma.com/14dtp1iw

Ryan Morrissey and Bence Redmond, founders of Blueprints, and Johnny Doyle and Will Carkner, founders of ProvenMetal, have been accepted into Y Combinator's Summer 2026 batch. Congratulations to all four founders.

We backed VCola and the company has now raised €5.5m to build enterprise software generated from structured business requirements, starting from a simple premise: AI is only useful in payroll, finance and HR if it can be trusted.

The next era of fintech won’t just move money, it’ll manage trust between autonomous AI agents negotiating, purchasing and transacting on our behalf. At Dogpatch Labs, Ben Robinson, Sinéad Fitzmaurice and Conor Lyden explored the future of agentic commerce.

How do you build a €1M revenue business without raising VC funding? On June 3 at Dogpatch Labs, hear from Open Forest CEO Stuart Connolly on building sustainable, profitable growth without giving up equity or control. Moderated by Malaika Judd. luma.com/2hmjlscl

Introducing Blockchain x Quantum Hackathon in collaboration with @Fidelity (@FCATalyst) and Quantum Ireland. €15,000 in prizes 23-24 May, @dogpatchlabs Quantum computers capable of breaking today’s cryptography are getting closer to reality. While major blockchains are preparing to transition to post-quantum algorithms, there’s a critical issue flying under the radar: new cryptography brings new risks and unknowns. Now is the time to embrace crypto agility. With @DublinTechWeek around the corner, there’s no better moment to get involved.

How do you build a fintech unicorn from Ireland? On May 26 at Dogpatch Labs, hear from Sinéad Fitzmaurice on scaling @TransferMate globally, alongside @TrustapPayments founder Conor Lyden on the future of agentic commerce. Hosted with @aperturescale. luma.com/quyu2j9f

26 senior operators from Stripe, NASA, X, Diageo and more spent three days in Wicklow pressure-testing the move from operator to founder. No hype. Just hard conversations on timing, conviction, co-founders, and what it actually takes to build.

Building a startup is hard, doing it without the right room is harder. On June 5, Fierce Summit brings together women founders in tech for a practical day on customers, fundraising, and growth. Apply: luma.com/qf36pmiz

AI transformation isn’t a moment, it’s a daily rewrite. From @NotionHQ: early GPT-4 was an existential wake-up call. We're starting to see evidence of the real shift: AI as a teammate, enabling work you couldn't (or wouldn't) do before.

@brightflaghq sold for $500M, a decision made long ago. They cut 25% of staff during Covid and focused on profitability in 2022 instead of seeking Series C funding, resulting in 20 term sheets at exit. Optionality is established early, not negotiated later.

@FierceTech_ Impact Report: €5.7M raised, 350+ founders supported, 100+ global investors engaged. Read full report -> fiercetechfounders.com/impact

Just a few days left to sign up! We’re bringing John Hurley from Notion at Dogpatch Labs next Thursday, 23rd April for a fireside on product marketing in the AI age, sharing how teams are actually approaching positioning and go-to-market right now. luma.com/x5ipbhbk

Join us virtually on May 12th, where we welcome Seapoint CEO Sean Mullaney (fresh off the back of their $3m raise) to walk us through the secrets of running a great pre-seed/seed raise. Register: luma.com/j7pbsfm2