Frank the ‘ideal next owner’ as he acquires co-working space

Cork-based co-working campus Republic of Work (ROW) has announced that the company’s CEO Frank Brennan has acquired the business from its shareholders.

Linda and Dan Kiely, along with co-founder Dave Ronayne sold their shares to Brennan as part of the acquisition.

ROW, which is located on South Mall, was founded in 2017. Mr Brennan has been involved since its inception and was its first employee, with Mr Ronayne providing capital investment. The Kielys came on board in 2020.

It has since grown to employ five people full-time and hosts more than 170 companies. Last year, it was listed in the Top 50 of Europe’s best startup hubs by the Financial Times, ranking Top 10 in UK & Ireland and Top 2 in Ireland.

Mr Brennan said that he was “delighted” by the acquisition and the “really ambitious drive by Enterprise Ireland to support a thousand start-ups and ROW will be part of that mix”.

“I was the first employee in ROW, so I’ve seen it go from grey carpets and white walls to the vibrant space that it is today. Over the last number of years, I’ve been involved in scaling up operations, and given the huge growth potential that still exists, I see this as an opportune time to take over the company and begin a new chapter.

“I am most grateful to Dan, Linda, and Dave for their input into ROW. During Covid, their vision and steady guidance helped keep the business afloat during a difficult time for the economy. Thankfully, post-Covid, the company soared with working from home policies in place and remote working a new chapter in employment,” he said.

Mr Kiely said that Mr Brennan was the “ideal next owner”.

“He understands the DNA of the place because he helped create it. We’re proud of what Republic of Work has become, and we’re excited to see Frank take it forward. Cork has so many ambitious founders, and founders need community, momentum and the right environment to build – Republic of Work has consistently delivered that,” he said.