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Ex Ordo has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Ex Ordo.
Ex Ordo has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ex Ordo is a Galway, Ireland-based software company that provides cloud-based conference management platforms for scholarly, academic, and professional events. The company operates a software-as-a-service business model, delivering an end-to-end system that facilitates abstract management, peer review, attendee registration, and scheduling for virtual, hybrid, and in-person gatherings. Serving academic associations, research institutions, and scholarly societies across 58 countries, the enterprise currently generates approximately $3 million in annual recurring revenue. In June 2023, the firm secured over $3 million in new funding from scholarly communications investors and Enterprise Ireland to expand its technology platform and create 50 additional jobs over three years. The software platform was previously recognized by Event Industry News as a top abstract management system for the academic sector. Ex Ordo was originally founded in 2008 by Paul Killoran, Dermot Lally, and Mike Rockall.
Key people at Ex Ordo.
Ex Ordo is a cloud-based conference management software platform designed specifically for scholarly, academic, and association events, including abstract management, peer review, registration, scheduling, and mobile apps.[2][1][6] It serves conference organizers, societies, and associations in fields like optics, photonics, and broader research areas across 58 countries, solving pain points such as organizer overload, workflow integration, and lack of tailored support for scholarly events.[1][2][3] The company addresses core issues like bandwidth constraints and timely peer review through flexible, powerful tools, enabling events to foster idea generation, collaborations, and publications while building on $3 million in funding for platform enhancements and team expansion.[1][4]
Founded by Paul Killoran, Ex Ordo positions itself as the "scholarly events partner," emphasizing reputation-trusted solutions that accelerate knowledge dissemination and reduce administrative stress for organizers.[1][2]
Ex Ordo originated in 2008 when Paul Killoran, an engineering student at NUI Galway (now University of Galway), conceived the idea while assisting a lecturer with conference organization, highlighting the inefficiencies in existing tools.[2] Killoran founded the company to streamline these processes, evolving it from basic abstract management into a comprehensive platform with delegate registration, scheduling, proceedings generation, and peer review capabilities.[2][6][3]
Early recognition came swiftly: it won Best New Web Application and Best Practice awards at the 2011 Realex Fire Web Awards, was named a Top 10 Abstract Management System by Event Industry News in 2016, and secured backing from Enterprise Ireland.[2] Pivotal moments include a 2023 strategic pivot toward scholarly events partnerships, exemplified by integrations like the one with SPIE for optics conferences, and a $3 million investment to fuel growth.[1][4][5]
Ex Ordo stands out in the conference management space through scholarly-specific features and user-centric design:
These elements create a "painless" experience, distinguishing it from generic event platforms.[3]
Ex Ordo rides the trend of digital transformation in scholarly communications, where hybrid and virtual events have surged post-pandemic, amplifying the need for integrated tools in the research lifecycle—from idea generation to publication and collaboration.[1][5][7] Timing is ideal amid growing association demands for efficient community engagement, as societies leverage events for policy, networking, and content pipelines to digital libraries like SPIE's.[1][5][7]
Market forces favoring Ex Ordo include underserved scholarly niches (vs. broad event tech), rising peer review volumes, and integration needs with publishing workflows, positioning it to influence academia's "true social network."[1][5] By partnering with key players like SPIE and the Society for Scholarly Publishing, it streamlines admin burdens, boosts content quality, and expands research reach, subtly shaping how technical and scientific communities convene and disseminate knowledge.[1][5]
Ex Ordo is poised for accelerated growth, leveraging its $3 million funding to deepen integrations, scale customer teams, and innovate on hybrid event demands amid evolving scholarly publishing trends like AI-assisted reviews and global collaborations.[4][1] Expect expanded partnerships with more societies and tech integrations, potentially capturing larger shares of the academic events market as associations prioritize seamless, reputation-safe platforms.[5][7]
Its influence could evolve from niche tool to ecosystem enabler, powering more publication-ready proceedings and community hubs—ultimately fulfilling Killoran's vision of unlocking academia's social potential through frictionless events.[1][2]
Ex Ordo has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in May 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2023 | $3M Seed | — | James Douglas | Announced |
Ex Ordo has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ex Ordo's investors include James Douglas.
