On a Tuesday morning in May, close to 700 people gathered at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin for Enterprise Ireland's Start-Up Day 2026. The annual event — which brings together early-stage founders, investors and industry leaders — has become one of the most important dates in the Irish entrepreneurial calendar. This year's edition reflected a startup ecosystem that is evolving rapidly, with artificial intelligence now at the centre of the majority of businesses being founded.
Enterprise Ireland released its 2025 startup investment figures at the event. The numbers tell a story of sustained momentum and a clear strategic shift in the kinds of companies Ireland is producing.
The 2025 Investment Numbers
Enterprise Ireland supported 198 new startup companies across Ireland in 2025, investing €32.9 million to help early-stage businesses establish and scale.
The agency approved €23 million in equity funding for 90 High Potential Start-Ups — companies servicing international markets, classified as truly disruptive, headquartered in Ireland and capable of achieving €1 million in annual sales. A further €9.55 million in pre-seed funding was provided to 108 early-stage companies.
Enterprise Ireland Executive Director Kevin Sherry, speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland on the morning of Start-Up Day, described the companies gathered at the Aviva as potentially being "the future Irish multinational companies." He noted that 2025 was a record year for startup support by Enterprise Ireland, with more female-led businesses and more companies stemming from research than in previous years.
The most striking statistic from the 2025 cohort: more than half of the companies supported by Enterprise Ireland have artificial intelligence as a central part of their business.
The AI Reality — Opportunity and Noise
The dominance of AI-focused businesses in Enterprise Ireland's startup portfolio reflects a broader global trend — but it also brings a specific challenge.
Aisling Browne, co-founder and CEO of Glitch — one of the companies showcased at Start-Up Day 2026 — put it bluntly in an interview with RTÉ News: "Everyone is trying to promote their business through AI. So, there's a lot of AI slop out there."
Glitch helps businesses use online advertising budgets efficiently through AI automation, taking the technical burden away from marketing teams. It is the kind of specific, practical application that stands out in a market where AI is increasingly used as a marketing term rather than a genuine business differentiator.
For investors and corporate buyers assessing AI-first startups, the question is increasingly not whether a company uses AI — but whether the AI is solving a specific, measurable problem better than existing alternatives.
Enterprise Ireland's 2025-2029 Strategy — The Targets
The startup investment figures sit within Enterprise Ireland's five-year strategy — Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025-2029) — which sets out ambitious targets for the Irish enterprise base.
By 2029, Enterprise Ireland aims to support companies employing 275,000 people in Ireland, up from the current 234,454. Export sales from Enterprise Ireland-supported companies are targeted to reach €50 billion — a significant step up from the current €36.75 billion, itself a record high representing 7 per cent growth in 2025.
The strategy sets a target of 1,700 new Irish-owned exporters trading globally and the creation of 1,000 new startups by 2029. It also commits to a 35 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from Enterprise Ireland-supported companies by 2030 and a 3 per cent annual average increase in productivity.
Enterprise Ireland is also the largest seed investor in Europe by number of deals — investing in approximately 200 startups each year, a scale that gives it unparalleled visibility into the early-stage Irish economy.
What This Means for Founders
If you are building a company in Ireland in 2026, the Enterprise Ireland funding pathway remains the most accessible route to early-stage capital for businesses with international ambitions.
The High Potential Start-Up designation — which unlocks the €23 million equity funding pool — requires your business to be headquartered in Ireland, targeting international markets, genuinely disruptive in its sector and capable of reaching €1 million in annual sales. The pre-seed funding of up to €50,000 is available to earlier-stage companies that have not yet reached that threshold.
The process begins with your Local Enterprise Office, which provides the initial assessment and pathway to Enterprise Ireland engagement. For businesses with international ambitions, it is the most logical first conversation to have.
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