IRISHMAN PAUL Kenny has warmed up for the Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards next month by bagging a gong in the Middle East, where his Cobone.combusiness is based.
Kenny won the entrepreneur of the year prize at the inaugural awards organised by Gulf Business, a leading local publication.
Kenny got the idea for Dubai-based Cobone in 2004 when he took a holiday to the Middle East. “I tried to buy a book online but realised I couldn’t.”
He later launched Cobone with a couple of million dollars of backing. It was initially a Groupon-style daily deals business, but has evolved into a full e-commerce website in both English and Arabic.
It now has 120 staff and is “almost” profitable. “In the next two quarters it will be,” Kenny told me.
Next month, at the Citywest hotel in Saggart, the Galwayman will hope to add the emerging category in the EY awards to his trophy cabinet.
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