Three Cork companies up for entrepreneur awards to
Three Cork companies have been announced as finalists of the 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
ADHDNow, a health company providing ADHD assessments; EPH Controls, a long-established provider of heating control solutions; and Dexgreen, a telecommunications infrastructure provider are joined by 28 other entrepreneurs from across the island of Ireland, representing 24 companies.
The overall finalists span a broad range of sectors and compete across the Emerging, Established and International categories.
Emerging nominees run businesses that have been trading for a minimum of two years. Established nominees are longstanding businesses with a pedigree of growth and innovation, contributing significantly as employers on the island of Ireland. International nominees are “global players”. They operate in multiple markets across the globe and can be headquartered in Ireland or overseas.
Collectively, the 24 companies employ more than 3,000 people, and generate revenues of close to €1 billion.
A spokesperson for EY said that each of the three categories will feature eight entrepreneurs who have demonstrated “exceptional vision, leadership, and impact within their industries and communities”.
“Over the coming months, the 24 finalists will participate in the CEO Retreat, which this year takes place in Canada, designed to support strategic thinking and shared learning opportunities,” they said.
One of the Cork nominees, ADHDNow, offers assessment and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to both children and adults. Their team of over 25 specialist clinicians provide support to both the HSE and Tusla.
Danny Buckley, one of the founders of ADHDNow said that he was “honoured and thrilled” by the nomination. “It’s such a huge honour to be counted among Ireland’s best in the most prestigious entrepreneur programme in the country.
“This recognition validates the work our team at ADHDNow has been doing and motivates us even more to continue supporting and empowering those with ADHD,” he said.
The 2026 programme marks the 29th year of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Ireland.
Since its inception, more than 680 entrepreneurs have passed through the programme, creating a powerful all island community known for its collaboration and peer to peer learning.
Roger Wallace, Head of Assurance & EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland said that entrepreneurship 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.
“The ingenuity and ambition we see across these 24 finalists reminds us why backing entrepreneurs matters now more than ever. They push boundaries, they take risks and they create the conditions for Ireland to thrive in a volatile world,” he said.
The finalists will be judged by a panel of previous winners, chaired by Harry Hughes, CEO of Portwest and Chairperson of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Judging Panel.
“Selecting just 24 finalists was an exceptionally difficult task. 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,” he said.
This year’s 24 finalists will engage in a strategic growth programme over a 9 month period which includes a week-long CEO Retreat taking place this year in Canada. The programme will also include executive education sessions, networking forums, extensive media profiling, and the annual Gala Awards.
An award is presented in every category, and an overall winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in late November. The overall winner will represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monaco in June 2027.