Austin Duke is a serial investor in high growth technology start-up companies. He is acting CEO of Eblana Photonics and has held senior positions with a number of high-profile global companies, including General Electric and Arthur Anderson, since his graduation from UCC in 1963 and subsequent award of an MBA from Trinity College Dublin in 1970.

Austin joined Enterprise Ireland in 1976 where he ran the patenting service and was responsible for the commercialisation of technology. Since 1996 he has been a director of Optronics-Ireland, the Irish national programme for advanced optoelectronic technology.