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Building Assemble Pro with Enterprise Ireland: What Support Looks Like for an Irish Software Startup

Assemble Pro is an Irish company. We build takeoff and estimating software for small contractors, and almost every customer we have is outside Ireland.


That combination is exactly why we went to Enterprise Ireland. This post covers what that support has looked like so far, what we learned on the Get Exporting programme, and what we would tell another Irish software founder thinking about doing the same.


You can find our profile on the Enterprise Ireland directory here.


Who we are


We are a small team based in the Liberties in Dublin. Keith, Niall and I started Assemble Pro to give 1 to 20 person contracting firms a fast, simple way to measure drawings and price jobs.


This is the second time Keith and I have done this. We previously built ConX, a construction estimating business in Australia and New Zealand, which was acquired by Houzz. We came home, teamed up with Niall, and started again with a product built for the contractors we used to work alongside.


Assemble Pro launched in January 2026. Our first paying customer came in February, the US launch followed in March, Australia in May, and our first Irish customer signed up in August. We now have customers in six countries.


Why we went to Enterprise Ireland


Most Irish startups build a home market first and then work out how to export. We did the opposite. From day one our customers were in Australia, the US and the UK, so almost all of our revenue has been export revenue.


That sounds like a good problem to have. In practice it meant we were selling wherever a customer found us, without a market we had deliberately chosen, resourced and owned. We needed structure, and Enterprise Ireland exists to provide exactly that for Irish companies selling abroad.


What the support has looked like


A Development Adviser. Having one named person at Enterprise Ireland who knows the business makes a real difference. It is the fastest way to find out which supports fit a company at your stage, and which ones do not.


The HPSU Feasibility Study Grant. This supports the work of turning an early company into a properly planned, investor-ready business. For us, it put real discipline behind the numbers.


The Get Exporting programme. A structured programme that takes you from market selection through pricing, routes to market, regulation and team capability, and ends with a written Export Action Plan. More on that below.


The Enterprise Ireland directory. A profile that buyers, partners and investors can find when they are looking for Irish companies.


What Get Exporting taught a software company


Get Exporting is written with a wide range of Irish exporters in mind, and plenty of them ship physical products. A lot of the value for us came from translating each module into what it means for software. That translation turned out to be the useful part.


Pick one market on purpose


The market selection exercise made us score each option honestly. Great Britain came out on top: it is large, close, English speaking, and less crowded with estimating tools than Australia. The US is our next major target, and we aim to expand there significantly over the next 12 to 24 months.


Routes to market look different for software


For a goods business this module is about distributors and agents. For us it became a question of how contractors actually find and buy software. Our answer is three routes that work together: a self-serve free trial, trade creators who recommend the product to their audience, and founder-led sales for the teams that want to talk to a person.


Price for the market, and think about currency


Pricing in sterling for the UK is the easy part. The programme pushed us to also look at what happens to margins when the exchange rate moves. Annual billing helps here, because a year of revenue collected up front removes a year of currency risk.


Software exporters are regulated too


There are no shipping documents or product markings for us. There is UK VAT on business sales, UK GDPR and data processing agreements, sanctions screening, and Cyber Essentials as the trust signal UK buyers recognise. Writing those down with an owner and a date is what turns them from a worry into a plan.


Ownership beats good intentions


The team capability module made us write down who owns each market. That simple exercise showed us where nobody was clearly responsible, and it changed how we split our time.


Advice for other Irish software founders


Talk to Enterprise Ireland earlier than you think. You do not need to be large. You need a plan to sell outside Ireland and the ambition to grow.


Use the directory. It costs nothing, and it puts your company in front of people who are actively looking for Irish businesses.


Pick one market and own it. Selling a little everywhere feels like progress. Choosing where to win is what the programme is really for.


What's next for Assemble Pro


Great Britain is our focus market for the next year. That means UK pricing, UK-specific rate and assembly templates, and more time with UK builders and subcontractors, starting with the major cities.


Closer to home, we will look to make serious gains in the Irish market. Contractors are starting to realise that they need something to help them run a profitable business, and we are in the right place at the right time.


We will roll out the same playbook in the USA once we crack it.


If you are an Irish company, an Enterprise Ireland client, or a contractor who wants to see how Assemble Pro works, you can find us on the Enterprise Ireland directory or start a free trial at assemblepro.com.


Frequently asked questions


Does Enterprise Ireland support software companies?


Yes. Enterprise Ireland supports Irish companies that sell internationally, including software and SaaS businesses. Assemble Pro is an Irish construction software company working with Enterprise Ireland on its export plans.


Is the Get Exporting programme useful for a SaaS company?


Yes, if you translate it. Much of the material is framed around physical goods, but market selection, pricing, routes to market, regulation and team ownership all apply to software once you work out the software version of each topic.


What market is Assemble Pro focusing on?


Great Britain is Assemble Pro's lead export market. The United States is the next major market, with significant expansion planned over the next 12 to 24 months.


Where is Assemble Pro based?


Assemble Pro is based in the Liberties in Dublin, Ireland, and sells takeoff and estimating software to contractors in six countries.

The Assemble Pro founding team in Dublin
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