Key Takeaways
- • Irish AI companies have raised €947.3m in venture capital across 182 deals since the start of 2025, according to PitchBook analysis published by Enterprise Ireland.
- • 2025 was a record year with €691.3m across 107 AI deals, followed by €256m across 75 deals in 2026 to date.
- • Late-stage AI VC deal value reached a record €380.5m in 2025, 2.5 times its 2024 level, while venture-growth investment hit €179m, 1.9 times 2024.
- • Ireland ranks ninth in Europe for AI VC deal count in 2026 to date and second per capita, and Enterprise Ireland has been involved in nearly two-thirds of Irish AI deals in 2026.
- • PitchBook characterises the 2026 slowdown as "normalisation rather than retreat," with capital consolidating into fewer, larger rounds ahead of the International AI Summit in Dublin on 14 October 2026.
Summary
Irish artificial intelligence companies have attracted €947.3m in venture capital investment since the beginning of 2025, according to new analysis from PitchBook, published by Enterprise Ireland ahead of the International AI Summit in Dublin on 14 October 2026. The figures comprise €691.3m across 107 deals in 2025, a record year for Irish AI investment, and a further €256m across 75 deals in 2026 to date.
PitchBook describes the 2026 market as "settling after a banner year for investment," characterising the decline from 2025's record levels as "normalisation rather than retreat." The analysis points to a shift toward later-stage capital. Late-stage AI VC deal value reached a record €380.5m in 2025, and venture-growth investment reached €179m, figures that were 2.5 and 1.9 times their respective 2024 levels. So far in 2026, €135.5m has been invested across 18 late-stage deals and €61m across three venture-growth rounds.
Notable transactions include Wayflyer's €161.8m round and Tines' €120.7m Series C, both in 2025, while CameraMatics raised €49m in 2026. International investors in Enterprise Ireland-backed businesses include Accel, Kinnevik, Tiger Global, Tencent, Summit Partners, 83North, Endeavor Catalyst and EQT Life Sciences, alongside strategic investors ABB, Samsung and Yokogawa. Domestic participants include Act Venture Capital, the most active investor after Enterprise Ireland in the cohort, followed by Elkstone and Atlantic Bridge, with Delta Partners, Furthr VC, Irrus Investments and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund also active.
Activity spans enterprise software, healthcare, medtech and biotech. Healthcare companies FIRE1 and Deciphex rank among the largest Irish AI VC deals since 2020. The research also identifies 360 active or pending patent filings associated with Enterprise Ireland-backed AI companies, covering health diagnostics, imaging and security. Enterprise Ireland has participated in 392 Irish AI funding rounds since 2020.
Jenny Melia, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said the investment "reflects the calibre and growing maturity of Irish AI companies," and noted that trust, governance and assurance will become more important as AI moves into financial services and critical infrastructure. Minister of State Niamh Smyth said the International AI Summit would focus on turning AI advances into economic value while building the skills, infrastructure and regulatory environment needed to support adoption and investment.
PitchBook describes the 2026 market as "settling after a banner year for investment," characterising the decline from 2025's record levels as "normalisation rather than retreat." The analysis points to a shift toward later-stage capital. Late-stage AI VC deal value reached a record €380.5m in 2025, and venture-growth investment reached €179m, figures that were 2.5 and 1.9 times their respective 2024 levels. So far in 2026, €135.5m has been invested across 18 late-stage deals and €61m across three venture-growth rounds.
Notable transactions include Wayflyer's €161.8m round and Tines' €120.7m Series C, both in 2025, while CameraMatics raised €49m in 2026. International investors in Enterprise Ireland-backed businesses include Accel, Kinnevik, Tiger Global, Tencent, Summit Partners, 83North, Endeavor Catalyst and EQT Life Sciences, alongside strategic investors ABB, Samsung and Yokogawa. Domestic participants include Act Venture Capital, the most active investor after Enterprise Ireland in the cohort, followed by Elkstone and Atlantic Bridge, with Delta Partners, Furthr VC, Irrus Investments and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund also active.
Activity spans enterprise software, healthcare, medtech and biotech. Healthcare companies FIRE1 and Deciphex rank among the largest Irish AI VC deals since 2020. The research also identifies 360 active or pending patent filings associated with Enterprise Ireland-backed AI companies, covering health diagnostics, imaging and security. Enterprise Ireland has participated in 392 Irish AI funding rounds since 2020.
Jenny Melia, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said the investment "reflects the calibre and growing maturity of Irish AI companies," and noted that trust, governance and assurance will become more important as AI moves into financial services and critical infrastructure. Minister of State Niamh Smyth said the International AI Summit would focus on turning AI advances into economic value while building the skills, infrastructure and regulatory environment needed to support adoption and investment.
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