Ireland has been attracting tech companies since as early as the 1950s, when IBM and Ericsson first arrived here. Since then, there has been a steady ingress of multinational tech corporations – eBay, Google, MasterCard, Dell, Oracle, Microsoft, and Intel to name just a few.
As well as rolling out the red carpet for global tech giants, the government is focused on nurturing indigenous technology companies and ensuring they have the perfect environment in which to flourish.
Despite the downturn, Ireland is a great place to scale a business. Favourable tax conditions, easy access to Europe, a skilled workforce, and an established innovation infrastructure are just some of the reasons ambitious tech companies make Ireland their home. Another reason is funding.
The latest funding review from Tech Ireland – the independent non-profit dedicated to promoting the Irish tech sector – reports that €978 million was raised by tech businesses in Ireland in 2024. Although this is down from the most recent €1.6 billion peak of 2021, there are encouraging signs of an uptick. In Q1 of 2025, Tech Ireland reports Irish companies raising €634 million.
Ireland continues to punch above its weight, ranking among the top ten startup investment estinations even in absolute terms. A lot of supports and funding come through Enterprise Ireland, but not all by any means. Angel investors are active here, and equity crowdfunding has become fairly mainstream. Some companies successfully self-funding.
Tech Ireland’s Pulse 2025 report reveals that, despite challenges, 69% of companies plan to increase their team size and customer acquisition remains the top priority, suggesting investors will be looking for companies with clear growth strategies. The market is definitely stabilising, with only 34% now reporting decreased valuations compared to 79% in 2024.
Innovation island
Although both sides of the border boast vibrant and innovative tech communities, they are still small by international standards. Initiatives to improve the island’s clout include:
- The Shared Island Fund, launched with €500 million in capital funding for collaborative north-south projects, the government committed (in January 2025) a further €1 billion to the fund to take it up to 2035.
- The FinTech Corridor, this cluster along the M1 Dublin-Belfast motorway aims to be an attractive and accessible location for fintech on the island and a gateway for fintech companies to Europe, connecting EU & UK fintech.
- Funding and supports through InterTradeIreland, this cross-border body supports businesses with funding and by helping them become investor-ready.
The sectors getting tech funding 2024-25
Analysis of Tech Ireland’s latest funding review (Q1 2024 to Q1 2025) shows that digital health solutions and medical innovation remain strong performers (€531.8 million raised in 2024), as do fintech (€137.8 million raised in 2024) and energy (€328.3 million raised in 2024). Enterprise solutions/software is gaining renewed investor interest, raising more in Q1 2025 (€200 million) than in all of 2024. The report also gives us insight into Enterprise Ireland’s strategic sectors: cybersecurity, sustainability, digital health, smart cities, edtech, talenttech, and medtech.
Where to raise tech funding in Ireland
For scaling tech companies looking to raise funding in the next 18 to 24 months, keep an eye on the following opportunities:
European Union funding and loans
EU funding (Horizon Europe, EIC, etc.) is still an overlooked opportunity for eligible projects, ranking low as a funding source despite Ireland’s strong performance in attracting such cash. There’s a good database of available loans and venture capital supported by the European Union on the Europa website. You can modify your search by location, type of finance, investment focus, etc.
Seed and Venture Capital Scheme
Running from 2025 to 2029, this scheme has a record allocation of €250 million to be administered by Enterprise Ireland and provide vital funding for Irish companies in their early stages of development, and will be an important step in developing and growing Irish equity funding. The goal is to increase the availability of risk capital for startups to build a more robust, commercially viable and self-sustaining sector.
I was delighted to not only approve another cycle for the scheme but to also secure a 42% increase in funding over the existing scheme and this will enable Enterprise Ireland to create larger funds that will be invested in Irish firms in key areas such as green tech, AI and lifesciences and others.
Peter Burke TD, gov.ie
Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN)
HBAN is Ireland’s largest network of business angels and syndicates and has been helping startups access funding for growth since 2007. There are 15 different angel groups, including 10 syndicates and 5 regional networks in operation across the island of Ireland.
HBAN facilitated investment of €22.5 million across 67 companies for the period Q1 2024 to Q1 2025. It provides entrepreneurs and start-ups the opportunity to present their businesses to pre-screened, high-net-worth individuals and syndicates who not only have the capital capacity to invest up to €250,000+ per investment, but also have extensive business acumen and industry experience which can help accelerate the growth of the startup. They can also provide pitch-ready preparation to all presenting companies to ensure that they make the best possible impression on investors.
Venture capital organisations
The Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) is the representative body for venture capital and private equity firms on the island of Ireland. InterTradeIreland and the IVCA jointly published a guide to equity funding that lists nearly 40 venture capital organisations, with contact details, fund size, sectors invested in, investment range, etc.
Equity Crowdfunding
Spark Crowdfunding and Shareline are the equity crowdfunding platform in Ireland. Unlike the P2P lending platforms, this model means the company gives away shares instead of repaying the funding raised. Equity crowdfunding is regulated by the CBI (Regulation (EU) 2020/1503).
Spark Crowdfunding doesn’t give investment advice to the companies or investors on the platform and doesn’t invest in companies itself. There are over 14,000 accredited private investors registered on the site to access investment opportunities, and the minimum raise is €50,000. It’s relatively easy to set up a campaign and fees are 7% of the funds raised.
Seedcorn – InterTradeIreland
The Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition is the perfect chance to get ‘investor ready’. The Seedcorn contest mirrors the real-life investment process. Participants, who are in with a chance to win a share of a €800,000 cash prize fund, can secure expert feedback on their business plans and pitches, improve their investor readiness, and gain exposure to investors, all while boosting their company’s profile.
Equity Advisory Service – InterTradeIreland
InterTradeIreland’s Equity Advisor can give one-to-one advice to early-stage high-growth ventures that intend to raise funds in the next 12 months. They also act as a sounding board for your management team before you approach the investment community to seek capital. To be eligible for this service, you must have a minimum new equity funding requirement of at least €100,000.
Make Ireland the place to grow your tech company
Ireland consistently attracts high-value tech projects. It has a skilled and motivated workforce, connected R&D community, and is an easy and tax-efficient country to do business in. It’s really no surprise that software engineering firms continue to thrive here.
Interested in reading the full funding review from TechIreland? Open the PDF in a new tab.
