Sonica, the Irish construction company, has selected e-mobility startup Loco Scooters to be the first startup participant at its business incubator, First Landings. 

The electric scooter startup was founded in June 2020 by friends Jason Gore and Paddy O’Brien, from Co Meath and Co Tipperary, respectively. 

Specialist e-scooter repair centre

Loco Scooters is a young company in the micro-mobility sector providing a range of high-end e-scooters and accessories from Ireland’s first and only specialist e-scooter repair centre at its Dublin retail outlet. Aimed at further reducing congestion and carbon emissions in cities around the country, the company says its e-scooters will help to drive Ireland towards a greener future.  

As a member of Sonica’s First Landings, the construction company’s HQ and business incubator, Loco Scooters will have the opportunity to ‘Land and Expand’ its business in a collaborative environment with the support to develop and access to the latest technology, and with Sonica’s design and build and marketing teams at its disposal.

First Landings will provide a supportive base as Loco Scooters grows, with Sonica sourcing, designing and fitting-out the e-mobility startup's new Dublin store. Both O'Brien and Gore will receive personal mentoring from Donnacha Neary, an entrepreneur from Skerries who established Sonica eight years ago. 

Donnacha Neary said: “I’m delighted to welcome Paddy and Jason to the First Landings family. At First Landings, our intention is for Sonica to become a true partner through every stage of a member’s business development, and we are thrilled to be able to empower Loco Scooters’ next phase of success.

'Hotbed for startup innovation'

"Ireland has in recent years become a hotbed for startup innovation and Loco Scooters is another exciting example of that. Coming to First Landings as our first ‘Lander’ is an example of what’s achievable for all the other exciting start-ups out there. I’m looking forward to working with Paddy and Jason during this exciting period of growth for them and helping them to scale their business and realise their future ambitions.” 

Jason Gore said: “We are hugely excited to be joining Sonica at its state-of-the-art new headquarters in Skerries. Partnering with Sonica gives us an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a talented and creative team.

"This partnership is a great fit as our values and Sonica’s are aligned, especially in relation to the delivery of an exceptional standard of work. Our electric scooter repair centre and retail outlet, designed and fitted out by Sonica, will be an exciting experience for our customers in the very near future.”

First Landings, based in Skerries, combines all the amenities that emerging businesses today demand to thrive, attract and retain talent, and is built to support technology and the new online environment – all in one location.

The 30,000-sq-ft collaborative space is a high-spec home with access to a range of technological amenities such as a 125-seater auditorium, EMPIRE, with one of the largest LED screens in the country and a Dolby 7.1 sound system.

Virtual Reality suites allow businesses to present their designs to clients in an augmented reality world and the in-house podcast studio acts as a recording studio for video podcasts and audio recordings, with the flexibility to livestream or video podcasts for global audiences and client bases.

The space has also been designed for the new working environment with non-touch facilities throughout, from entrance and egress, to hot beverage facilities. Wide corridors allow social distance for teams on the move, and the latest technology in-room and desk booking systems enable full traceability. 

(Main image from L-R: Donnacha Neary, Jason Gore, and Paddy O'Brien.)