From seed funding and investor storytelling to global ambition and founder resilience – Propelor and the Irish BIC network brought two days of practical, high-impact content to the Accelerate Hub at Dublin Tech Summit 2026.
Dublin Tech Summit 2026 brought together thousands of founders, investors, and technology leaders at the RDS on 27th and 28th May, and Propelor was proud to be part of it — co-powering The Accelerate Hub alongside fellow Irish BICs – AxisBIC, Furthr, and WestBIC.
The Accelerate Hub served as a dedicated space for early-stage founders seeking expert guidance on funding, validation, and scaling. The Propelor stand attracted a high volume of visitors across both days, with founders from around the country stopping by to learn about the supports available through the Irish BIC network and how best to explore their own next steps.
A stage built for founders
The Accelerate Stage hosted a full programme of sessions designed to address the most pressing challenges facing founders in 2026.
Amongst the many panels, keynote talks and fireside chats, Barry Downes of Sure Valley Ventures delivered a frank and practical session on how seed rounds are structured. Padraig Hyland of The Core Story gave founders a structured framework for communicating traction, vision, and value in a way that makes investors take notice and Liam Dunne, CEO and Co-Founder of Waterford-based Klearcom, shared how their startup went global early, targeting major multinationals in pharma and fintech from the outset, while simultaneously building the internal culture that made sustained scaling possible.
The stage also featured perspectives on the importance of fast learning and iteration, the role AI is playing in startups in 2026 and the current state of the startup ecosystem. They showed what investors are looking for in your team and the growing visibility of women founders leading companies.
Thank you
To the many founders who stopped by the hub and shared their ideas and ambitions with the team – we will be following up with you shortly.
Watch the highlights
Missed the event, or want to revisit the best moments from the Accelerate Stage? Watch our highlights video here: https://youtu.be/WOGYorDGg1c?si=qZRxykw4wXawiSHu
