Three Cork firms are finalists in entrepreneur awards

Three Cork companies have been announced as finalists in this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) programme.

Now in its 29th year, the theme of this year’s EOY programme, ‘The Entrepreneurs’, aims to recognise those who pair imagination with action.

Each year, 24 finalists are selected by a dedicated judging panel, spread in groups of eight candidates across the three categories of emerging, established, and international.

The three Cork entrepreneurs shortlisted are Danny Buckley of ADHDNow, who was shortlisted in the emerging category; Trevor Casey of EPH Controls, shortlisted in the established category, and Chris Horgan of Dexgreen, shortlisted in the international category.

The 24 finalists will participate in a nine-month strategic growth programme that includes executive education, networking forums, tailored media profiling, and the annual CEO Retreat, which this year will take place in Toronto, Canada.

Head of the EY EOY Ireland programme, Roger Wallace, said entrepreneurship in 2026 “looks very different to even a few years ago”.

“We are operating in a world shaped by geopolitical instability, rapid advances in AI, and a level of economic uncertainty that demands creativity as much as resilience,” said Mr Wallace.

“Our finalists this year have not only adapted to this environment, but are shaping it.

“The 2026 cohort brings together entrepreneurs who are rethinking the possibilities of technology — they are creating jobs, solving complex challenges, and opening doors to opportunities that did not exist before,” he added.

“The ingenuity and ambition we see across these 24 finalists reminds us why backing entrepreneurs matters now more than ever.

EOY judging panel chairperson Harry Hughes said this year’s judging process “reminded us just how rapidly the world is changing for entrepreneurs”.

“Selecting just 24 finalists was an exceptionally difficult task,” Mr Hughes said.

“The entrepreneurs we met represent both long established sectors and fast emerging fields, but all of them are reshaping their industries with new ideas and new ways of working, and are turning challenges into opportunity.”