Ireland Becoming an AI Hub for Atlanta Finance and Tech Firms

Editor’s note: This is a guest commentary contributed by IDA Ireland‘s Siobhán Hanley.

As growth in artificial intelligence continues rapidly worldwide, Ireland is building on its substantial technology ecosystem to establish itself as a global AI headquarters. The country ranks at the top of the IMF Skill Readiness Index, cited as one of the economies best positioned to equip its workforce with the agility needed for an AI-driven future.

Many of the country’s locations have quickly become AI hubs with global names such as Microsoft, Workday, Hubspot and Qualcomm expanding their substantial operations into new AI centers of excellence, while in parallel, names such as Anthropic and OpenAI are rapidly scaling their new European headquarters in Ireland.

Corporations based out of the Atlanta region have known about the benefits of Ireland for years, the Coca-Cola Co., UPS, Elavon and Global Payments are all Atlanta-based behemoths that have built up large teams, buoyed by its technology-minded talent, EU market access and English-speaking, pro-business environment.

Ireland’s attractiveness is further underscored by a 35 percent R&D tax credit to support companies undertaking high value technology activities. 

In recent years, companies from this region are both establishing and growing their presence in Ireland, attracted by the country’s AI-centric infrastructure. 

A journey across Ireland reveals numerous familiar signs reminiscent of Atlanta and the broader southeastern United States.

Equifax

In November 2025, Equifax, a consumer credit reporting company with its headquarters in Atlanta, announced the opening of its state-of-the-art AI Innovation Lab at its operation in Wexford, Ireland. The new facility is dedicated to advancing the company’s global artificial intelligence research and development.

The new lab builds on the company’s more than 10-year history of AI innovation and expands its global team of over 1,200 data and analytics professionals.

The AI Innovation Lab will focus on developing advanced AI models, machine learning algorithms, R&D, and data analytics tools to address complex challenges faced by businesses and consumers. 

For its initial phase, the lab will concentrate on AI-driven solutions for credit risk assessment that can augment decision-making for fintechs and financial institutions.

Paul Heywood, chief data and analytics officer for Equifax Europe, commented at the time that the company was investing in the lab because of their “immense confidence in the caliber and expertise of the marketplace in Ireland and specifically in the South East, as evidenced by our thirty-year presence in Wexford town.”

Canto

Canto, a leading digital asset management software provider headquartered in Atlanta, set up an office in Ireland in January 2024, and a little over a year later, in May 2025, announced an expansion of their Cork operations with the creation of 50 new jobs.

The Cork site serves as a strategic European hub for several of Canto’s core initiatives, including advanced AI research.

When the expansion was announced, Wain Kellum, CEO of Canto said:

“Ireland is proving to be an essential part of our success story.  Our continued expansion underscores our confidence in the exceptional technical talent and innovation ecosystem here. As demand for our single-source-of-truth digital asset management solutions continues to accelerate, our Cork operations will play a pivotal role in driving next-generation product development and supporting customers across the entire content ecosystem, from creation to delivery.”

Fidelity National Information Services

Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS) is a global leader in financial technology, and its headquarters is just over the Georgia border, in Jacksonville, Fla. Last year, FIS announced plans to hire 100 technology professionals over the next two years in Dublin.

Bob Toohey, the chief people officer at FIS, said at the time that Ireland’s position within the European Union was a settling point, as was the homegrown team they could hire:

“By building a team in Dublin, FIS will benefit from direct exposure to EU regulations and data governance models, allowing us to design globally scalable technology solutions from the ground up, all this coupled with a highly skilled AI and data talent market,” Toohey said.

Acuity Inc.

Acuity Inc., a leading industrial technology company known for its lighting solutions and based out of Atlanta, recently opened a new software and research hub in Cork, as the company invests more heavily into its global innovation infrastructure.

With hiring well underway, Kevin O’Riordan, Site Lead for Acuity in Cork commented:

“Our Digital Centre of Excellence in Cork, Ireland brings together the best of Acuity’s technologies, serving as a hub for research and development to build innovative software solutions.”

Given the strong business ties between the greater Atlanta region and Ireland already, supported by further recent investments in AI-related activities, this strong partnership looks set to continue and flourish well into the future.  

About the author

Siobhán Hanley is Director for the U.S. Midwest and South at IDA Ireland, the Irish government’s agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment into Ireland. Based in the United States, she works with American companies evaluating Ireland as a strategic location for European operations and supports U.S. investors through the site selection and expansion process.