Cork tech firm Teamwork is offering incubation space to “software as a service” (Saas) start-ups free of charge.

The company, which recently announced 50 new jobs, has moved to its new offices in Cork but founder Peter Coppinger said it planned to hold on to the old premises for now.

“We feel we’re going to need our old office in a year or so but it will be sitting idle until then,” he said. “If we had been provided with an office with internet and coffee when we started out, we would have got where we are now a lot quicker.”

Free mentorship, free internet – but most importantly, free coffee – will all be on offer. He insists there is no hidden agenda to the offer; unlike other incubators, Teamwork isn’t looking for a chunk of the business in return or any other payback for providing the facilities.

“We just want to see Saas startups succeed. Everyone else has a catch, the big thing is we have no catch,” Mr Coppinger said. “All we ask is that you have a real Saas business, something tangible started that we can help you with. There’s a lot of tyre kickers around.”

Mr Coppinger is also planning to set up a Saas network for Ireland next year, linking all the providers of software as a service and getting them familiar with each other in a bid to strengthen the country’s standing in the Saas industry. Teamwork has hired a full-time employee to look after setting up the network, which plans to accelerate Saas in Ireland. “I strongly believe it’s the right thing to do for Ireland,” Mr Coppinger said, adding that it could help make Ireland the global hub of Saas.

As part of the network, those executives joining will make themselves available for two hours a month to any Saas company that seeks their advice.