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These will be the boom industries for European startups this year

And Ireland has been punching above its weight in getting many of these new businesses off the ground.

STARTUPS DESIGNING APPS for mobile devices will be the hottest sector for European investors over the coming year.

That is according to a survey of startup accelerators from Fundacity, which has produced a report into the industry.

It said the mobile app market was the one accelerators were most likely to invest in during the coming 12 months, followed by data analytics and the internet of things – a catch-all term for smart everyday devices.

Here’s what Fundacity listed as the hottest sectors:

Startups3 Fundacity Fundacity

The report also showed Ireland was punching above its weight when it came to being among the most active countries for accelerators last year.

The accelerator model is based on competitive applications for early-stage funding, as well as giving startups access to mentors and training.

Some 81 startups were put through accelerator programmes in Ireland for 2014, the fifth-highest number of any country in Europe.

The figure was higher than the total for Germany, although well behind the 599 startups supported through similar investment schemes in the UK.

Startups1 Fundacity Fundacity

The report said €39.5 million was invested in startups through accelerators across Europe last year of which about €1.9 million went to Irish companies.

The major players

Wayra, a startup accelerator backed by Spanish telecoms giant Telefónica, provided the biggest share of that funding.

It recently announced it was closing its Dublin office, one of 12 outposts worldwide, when the current cohort of businesses finished its programme in June.

Previous local graduates include Trustev, which in 2013 was named Europe’s best technology startup, and Restored Hearing, which began as a Young Scientist project in 2009.

Ireland's Best Young Entre Restored Hearing's Rhona Togher Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

The decision came after Telefónica offloaded its Irish O2 network to rival Hutchinson Whampoa, which operates the Three brand.

The Irish government-supported National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) was the third-biggest investor across Europe among the public funds, and in the top-10 overall.

Startups2 Fundacity Fundacity

By the end of last year, startups in its portfolio had a total market value of €220 million.

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    Mute Cill Dará Abú
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:28 PM

    Heard his father being interviewed. He sounds like a broken man. Hopefully he will finally get justice for his son

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    Mute John Reese
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:49 PM

    Jesus what a horrible death…if someone done that to my brother or son I would hunt them down. I hope that poor man gets justice for his son.

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    Mute Margaret Carr
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:54 PM

    My heart goes out to his family. Such a terrible and inhumane thing to happen to his son. I hope they find who did this because what they did is not normal..I hope the family get through this terrible time and remember all the good times with their beloved son. xxx

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    Mute rowan hill
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:21 PM

    Parasites

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    Mute jerry curtin
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:41 PM

    RIP Burkey

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    Mute Terence Truant
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    Apr 7th 2016, 11:30 PM

    This really is the week of murderers putting their victims into bins. Such a tragedy in both cases. So sad to think about their suffering. Hopefully their souls’ journies meet with happier moments. Condolences to the families of Mark

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    Mute Kiki
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:27 PM

    The fathers name not noel

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    Mute sparky
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    Apr 7th 2016, 10:35 PM

    Kiki..I guess that’s your name..stfup..I hope they can find our what happened. Might just bring a tiny bit of closure.

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