When we launched Thrive Global in 2016, the epidemic of stress and burnout was already global. And since the pandemic, burnout has moved to the top of the agenda for companies all over the world. So our solutions have to be global as well. And that’s why I’m excited to announce another milestone in Thrive Global’s journey: the opening of Thrive Global Dublin. As we expand our footprint around the world — with offices in New York, San Francisco, Athens, Bucharest, Melbourne and now Dublin — we’re also expanding our reach and impact at a time when the hunger for solutions is stronger than ever.

This latest expansion comes just weeks after our $80 million Series C round, co-led by Kleiner Perkins and Owl Ventures. The new funding is not only a validation of all we’ve accomplished so far — it enables us to rapidly accelerate our vision of shaping the global future of the employee experience. And with the opening of Thrive Global Dublin, we’re able to further deliver on that global promise. 

As one of the most robust tech hubs in Europe, Dublin is the perfect place to expand our mission of using cutting-edge science and technology to end the deep-rooted epidemic of stress and burnout. Last year, funding for Irish tech companies hit a new high of nearly €1.2 billion, with over 250 companies, also a record high, raising money. The portion of those companies raising between €5 million and €30 million has grown over two-fold since 2018. Ireland’s tech sector now employs about 80,000 people and produces €35 billion worth of exports each year. Along with Athens and Bucharest, Dublin will serve as a gateway for Thrive Global to the European Union, the largest trading block in the world and the second largest economy.

Ireland — with almost half of its population under the age of 35 — is no stranger to the consequences of stress and burnout. According to one recent survey, nearly 70% of employees in Ireland are experiencing work stress, and 40% say they are burned out. Another study found that the proportion of people in Ireland reporting poor sleep went from 22% before the pandemic to nearly half during the lockdowns.

At the same time, Ireland is rich and varied in its approach to living life with connection, wonder and joy. From its literary and musical heritage to its distinctive pub culture and traditions, Ireland is a country with a very old and deep history that’s also incredibly forward-looking, adaptable and resilient. Ireland’s national culture is highly open to new ideas, an attitude that is at the heart of its success in tech and business. According to the most recent World Happiness Report, Ireland ranks 13th on the list of the world’s happiest countries. 

The opening of Thrive Global Dublin couldn’t be happening at a better time. The pandemic highlighted the themes at the heart of Thrive’s mission like never before, bringing employee well-being, mental health and resilience to the center of our conversation. And now we find ourselves at an inflection point, with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine work and productivity. This is truly where our mission and our platform meet the moment.

Since we launched four-and-a-half years ago, we’ve helped employees at more than 100 organizations in over 40 countries adopt Thrive’s Microsteps — small, science-backed steps to help build healthy habits. And with the launch last year of our AI-powered behavior change platform, we’ve been able to broaden our impact dramatically, using best-in-class software to deliver solutions — focused on Microsteps, storytelling, real-time stress interventions and community — to everyone from frontline and call center workers to executives of multinational companies. 

More and more companies now realize that well-being isn’t just a benefit or a perk. It’s not something that happens between long, grueling stretches when we’re working hard. It’s not a reward for burning ourselves out. In fact, well-being is an essential strategy for success that needs to be embedded into the workflow itself. That’s what Thrive Global is all about, and what Thrive Global Dublin will allow us to do on an even greater scale.

Thrive has already been building out a top-tier engineering team in Dublin, so we’re well aware of the city’s abundance of tech talent — and we’re just getting started. We’re currently hiring not just for our engineering team — including mobile, backend, infrastructure, web and data science — but also for our product, design, business development and sales teams. So if you or someone you know is interested in a new and very mission-driven opportunity to solve some of the most challenging and urgent problems in the world, check out our Careers page for more information.

The challenges before us are great, but so is our opportunity. As the Irish proverb goes, “May today be better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.”