How Fenergo turned a crisis into an opportunity Fintech founded amid financial crash has gone on to become a serious player in the sector
about an hour ago
In 2008, Marc Murphy set up Irish fintech Fenergo with the intention of targeting financial institutions as customers. Just weeks later Lehman Brothers collapsed, prompting a meltdown in global financial markets.
Murphy had just remortgaged his home, convinced his father to do the same, and talked his uncle and others into throwing some cash into his new enterprise.
More than a decade on, their faith in Murphy’s business idea is being repaid. “We’re in a good place right now,” says Murphy, speaking from his office in Clontarf via Zoom. “But it wasn’t always the case,” he adds, sitting back and laughing.
âIâm on a mission to build a big global fintech out of Dublin that is publicly listed and which we can all be proud of, in the same way that we all love Glanbia or Kerry Foods,â Murphy says.
He is bullish in talking up Fenergoâs future prospects, but heâs not your average tech bro sprouting pie-in-the-sky figures or lofty aspirations. The 43-year-old sports fanatic is down to earth and friendly, with no attempt made to tone down the Finglas-forged accent.
âIâm a proud Dubliner and it is important to me that weâve kept so many critical functions here, even though it annoys the hell out of some of our people in Sydney, Singapore, Toronto and California whoâd prefer to see more of a geographic spread,â he adds.
BBC News
By Paul Kerley
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For children under the age of five, Covid restrictions have been in place for a big chunk of their lives. For the very youngest, daily life has never been Covid-free.
What should parents and carers of young children be concerned about? Five experts offer advice and support.
Should I worry my child hasn t been able to socialise?
For most families with a
new baby, there s no need to worry, Alison Morton, of the Institute of Health Visiting, says. In those first few months, parents are babies most favourite things, she says. Sitting on your lap, taking turns, mimicking - they re very happy with just that.