Kainos strengthens transatlantic tech ties with launch of AICON Silicon Valley
Belfast business leaders are set to deepen their transatlantic tech partnerships with Boston and New York at a new conference in Silicon Valley next month.
AICON Silicon Valley, taking place at Stanford University on 22 May 2025, will build on the success of AICON Belfast – Ireland’s largest AI conference – by creating new opportunities for collaboration between the tech communities of Northern Ireland and the West Coast of the United States.
“Belfast has a compelling proposition to make when it comes to software, cyber security and AI, and it’s high time we set out our stall in the global epicentre of innovation, AI and VC funding,” said Connla McCann, co-founder of the New York-New Belfast conference in the Big Apple and the Golden Bridges conference in Boston.
Tom Gray, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Innovation at Kainos, said: “This conference presents an opportunity to bring together professionals and experts with strong ties to innovation and technology. By fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge, AICON Silicon Valley will reinforce connections between our two tech communities. I look forward to seeing this conference become a regular platform for enabling productive dialogue, encouraging diverse perspectives and generating new ideas in the field of artificial intelligence."
Last year, Kainos, Queen’s University Belfast and tech company Options took part in an Irish Roundtable in the Valley, where they engaged with members of the Irish diaspora and Irish American tech leaders from across California. AICON Silicon Valley will expand on this momentum, connecting a wider audience and broadening its reach.
Hosted by headline sponsor Kainos and supported by Invest NI, Unosquare (Belfast), Wink Inc (California), Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Údarás na Gaeltachta, AICON Silicon Valley will focus on maximising opportunities for growth, innovation and collaboration in AI.
Connla McCann, Director of Aisling Events, added: "Our goal is to bring together two world-class tech communities. Last year a smaller group travelled from Belfast to Silicon Valley, and we were amazed at the appetite for collaboration and partnership on both sides. The new AICON Silicon Valley conference cements this further and will provide unparalleled opportunities for sharing knowledge, networking, and strengthening ties between Ireland and Silicon Valley in the pursuit of AI-driven solutions for a better world.”
Andrea Haughian, Executive Vice President, Head of Americas at Invest Northern Ireland, said: “The new AICON Silicon Valley reaffirms our reputation as a global hub for technology innovation and positions our tech community as a key player in the AI revolution. This collaboration is poised to unlock new opportunities and build lasting connections between the two regions.”
AICON Silicon Valley is organised by Aisling Events and is the sister conference of AICON Belfast, now in its seventh year and a cornerstone of the Irish tech calendar.