Enterprise Ireland approves €3.5 million in investment to start-up companies in November

Photo caption: Pictured (L-R) are Rory McEvoy, Founder, QuizWizards, Michelle Pedreschi, Founder, Waggi Connected Pets, Roger Courtney, Founder, Sunstone Technologies, Jenny Melia, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland, James Hannigan, Founder, Facepos, Roisin O'Connell, Founder, Stormlands Mining.

18 start-ups come from a range of sectors including healthtech, fintech, lifesciences, digital education, lifestyle, animation and gaming

18 start-up companies supported by Enterprise Ireland were approved investment funding totalling €3.55million in November 2024. 

The investment secured by these companies includes equity investment up to the value of €400K as part of Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-Up programme. It also includes funding up to the value of €100k from the Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF).  

In total, 11 start-ups were approved investment as part of the HPSU programme and seven were approved for receipt of the PSSF. 

*Start-ups approved for investment in November include:

Enterprise Ireland supports high potential start-ups on their journey to international growth, offering an ecosystem of funding and support for expansion into global markets. A HPSU is considered a fast-growing export led company, typically with the potential to deliver at least 10 jobs and €1m in sales within three years of investment. 

The Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) supports the critical early stage needs of a new start-up to the value of €100,000 in the form of a convertible loan note and is open to innovative start-ups in all sectors, with a focus on manufacturing, lifesciences, food and renewables sectors.

Voicetune AI, one of the companies approved for funding began their journey as research and developed into a spin-out company through Enterprise Ireland’s targeted Commercialisation Fund. This fund supports third-level researchers to develop their technology into innovative and commercially viable products, services and companies.

Jennifer Melia, Executive Director at Enterprise Ireland said: 

“The innovation and ambition emerging from Ireland’s start-up pool has never been higher than it is today. The evidence is clear in the calibre of talent and capability demonstrated by the client companies who were recently approved funding. Many of the HPSU’S we have approved so far this year have gone on to close with additional funding secured and matched by established and highly regarded VC’s and angel investors. This instils a high level of confidence in the success of the start-up eco-system in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland will continue to help drive the success of the most forward-thinking Irish companies, enabling start-ups to thrive and influence the future of global business – cementing Ireland’s reputation as a prime hub for innovation."

Enterprise Ireland supports ambitious Irish companies to achieve greater scale through fostering and developing entrepreneurship. €24 million equity investment was committed by Enterprise Ireland to start-up companies in 2023. 

Ends

*18 start-ups supported in total. Not all listed at request of the client.

Company Bio’s:

Blip Payments - Merchants are often forced to choose between user-friendly fintech solutions with high costs or traditional banking with low fees but clunky systems. Blip Payments is transforming the e-commerce landscape with innovative payment solutions that combine the best features of fintech and banking. We provide faster settlements, lower fees, and seamless integrations to streamline business operations.

VoiceTune AI is a Speech Technology company that develops software to converts text into high-fidelity expressive speech. VoiceTune’s web service provides the most Expressive AI Voices with nuanced emotions, for the Entertainment and Media industry.

TrojanTrack is a cutting-edge equine technology company using AI and smartphone video to provide advanced biomechanical analysis for horses. By detecting early signs of imbalance or lameness, TrojanTrack helps trainers make informed decisions to optimise performance and welfare. 

QuizWizards is an innovative tech company specialising in interactive, AI-powered fan engagement experiences for sports organizations, media, events, tourism and many other industries worldwide. Founded by Rory McEvoy with bases in Co Laois and New York, the company combines cutting-edge technology, data-driven insights, and gamification to captivate audiences and deepen brand connections. QuizWizards’ customizable games—quizzes, predictors, voting, surveys and more—achieve remarkable engagement rates, helping brands build loyalty, gather valuable insights, and unlock new sponsorship opportunities.

Isovasc Medical is a life sciences company focused on developing innovative solutions in the area of Interventional Oncology. Our proprietary products help provide novel targeted therapies for local drug-delivery across a broad range of solid cancers. We specialize in the area of vascular access and isolated perfusion techniques, potentially addressing a high unmet medical need, with the aim of improving therapeutic outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients.

Sunstone is a market intelligence company that reveals commercial insights to help businesses optimise their performance. Our technology, developed to restructure the Irish economy, enables B2B clients to expand their total addressable market by up to 2.5x. With a proprietary, innovative, learning sales-funnel, we help companies reveal their Bespoke Markets and connect with high-value potential clients.

CRAOI places wellbeing at the heart of workplace culture, offering an award-winning platform dedicated to creating healthier, more engaged teams through personalised, scalable, and sustainable solutions. Delivering expertly crafted content and real-time insights through its dedicated mobile app, CRAOI supports employees' mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing wherever they are. Founded by Clodagh Ryan, CRAOI empowers companies to unlock their teams' full potential while championing sustainability and ESG initiatives.

UnitMode is the marketing SaaS platform that helps brands counter greenwashing in advertising in the same way that Grammarly tackles bad grammar. With over half of advertising green claims deemed to be vague, misleading or unfounded, consumers and regulators are losing trust in sustainability messaging. UnitMode helps responsible brands prevent consumer backlash, new regulatory fines of up to 10% of global turnover, and the reputational risks associated with non-compliance.

Stormlands Mining is a corporate finance data analytics platform delivering accurate, dynamic, and scalable economic valuations for the global mining sector. It offers real time, precise financial insights, empowering mining executives and institutional investors to make informed decisions in a complex and changing industry. Stormlands provides senior decision makers with corporate finance tools to forecast revenue and calculate the financial sustainability of mines across their lifecycle—from exploration and pre-production to production and remediation. Building on financial sustainability, the platform will be developed to assess environmental sustainability. Already live with pilot customers, Stormlands Mining is set for a full launch in January 2025.

Menopause Hub Academy - Helps employers improve female talent retention, gender pay gap, DEi, absenteeism, productivity and avoid legislative risk through menopause education, training and accreditation by supporting peri/menopausal women.  It's good for women and it's good for business.

ValueAI (trading as Margins Ai) is a TU Dublin spin-out that is revolutionizing how e-commerce SMEs compete globally through AI-driven pricing, enabling online retailers to make data-driven decisions swiftly and efficiently. Founded by Anastasia Negru in 2019, the company has been backed by Enterprise Ireland through New Frontiers, Commercialisation Fund and now PSSF; being awarded “The One to Watch” by TU Dublin Innovations in 2022 and “Ireland’s Most Ambitious Startup in 2024” by Spark Crowdfunding.

Waggi is the premium digital solution for pet care. A pet wearable that tracks & measures your pets daily location, walks, movement, sleep, food intake, rest and more, enabling owners to be a better pet parent and enhancing your pets live with AI driven analytics. Waggi is revolutionizing how to care for your pet.

FacePOS is the 2.0 of cash, revolutionizing payments by transforming your banking app into a powerful payment solution. With FacePOS, peer-to-peer payments are as simple as choosing a contact and sending money instantly. Partnering with Tink, a Visa company, FacePOS provides access to over 6,000 banks across the EEA, enabling secure and seamless account-to-account transactions for businesses and consumers alike. By eliminating the need for cards or direct debits, FacePOS leverages cutting-edge Open Banking technology to enhance security, convenience, and efficiency. Founded in 2022, FacePOS is shaping the future of payments with innovative solutions that redefine how currency moves.