Agency invested more than €32m in start-ups in 2025
Trade
Pictured: Maureen King, iTrust 6A; Minister of State for Employment, Small Business & Retail Alan Dillon; Siobhan Ryan, Diotima; Kevin Sherry, Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland today announced details of the establishment of a new National Accelerator Programme, with a budget of €21 million over the next three years, as a successor to the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC).
The programme was announced today at Enterprise Ireland’s annual Startup Day at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where 650 delegates were in attendance to recognise the ‘class of 2025’ consisting of Enterprise Ireland-backed start-up companies and the wider start-up ecosystem including investors, state agencies and startup accelerators. Investment in Irish startups in 2025 was provided through Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) and Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) programmes.
The National Accelerator programme is a key priority under the Government’s Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity and will form a central pillar of Enterprise Ireland’s new Startup Ireland initiative, which is expected to be formally launched in the coming weeks. It will also reflect the changing needs of early stage founders, including training to support AI-native innovation and development of scalable AI infrastructure ensuring it is future focused and capable of supporting startups in an evolving innovation landscape.
Enterprise Ireland invested €32.9 million in Irish startups and supported a total of 198 start-up companies in 2025, 90 of which are high potential start-ups, with the remaining 108 businesses supported through early-stage funding.
Jenny Melia, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Startup Day 2026 marks the opportunity to reflect and recognise the success of Irish startups, which continue to build and thrive in Ireland’s economy. The diversity and success of the class of 2025 is a true testament to the ambition of the founders and the work of Enterprise Ireland, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for such a talented group of entrepreneurs. Startups are critical for our future – economically, reputationally and societally. Our goal at Enterprise Ireland is to ensure that the necessary support systems and resources are in place to empower founders as they scale their ventures.”
Conor O’Donovan, head of start-ups at Enterprise Ireland, said: “We’ve listened closely to founders who have told us they need early access to capital, experienced mentors, specialist expertise, and international markets and investors. The new Startup Ireland National Accelerator tender will deliver best in class accelerator and training supports, with a strong focus on native AI, emerging technologies and specialist sectors, broader regional coverage, and fast tracked access funding and international markets.”
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