Ireland’s new Startup Ireland roadmap sets a target of €150 million in direct early-stage funding for 2026 to 2030, alongside support for 1,000 new startups through equity investment. It also aims to back 10,000 entrepreneurs. These are programme ambitions, rather than a report of completed investments.
Enterprise Ireland launched the initiative on 13 October. A National Startup Hub is planned alongside the agency’s new Dublin city-centre headquarters, bringing founders and investors into contact with researchers and industry. The launch also introduced an AI accelerator to be delivered by Dogpatch Labs.
At the International AI Summit the following day, Ireland outlined changes to small-business support and plans for a regulatory sandbox. The measures sit alongside the startup programme, extending the policy effort to established firms adopting AI and innovators testing systems with regulators.
Two accelerator routes, different support
The National Company Accelerator includes a €100,000 investment for participants. The separate AI accelerator will run for 12 weeks without taking equity. Ten selected companies are to receive a named technical lead and at least three hours of individual engineering support each week.
Eligible AI-accelerator firms may access more than €1 million in potential technology and cloud credits, which are not cash funding. The programme includes a two-day Paris visit and preparation for seed or Series A financing. Investor partners will receive no exclusive or privileged access to participants.
Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland will connect participants with multinational companies in Ireland and overseas. The intention is to provide access to potential customers and technical expertise, as well as commercial partnerships.
The roadmap also raises the New Frontiers participant stipend to €17,500 from €15,000, within an overall support package valued at about €40,000. Delivery for 2026 to 2030 is planned through seven institutional partnerships across 18 regional locations, giving the programme a reach beyond Dublin.
Its inclusion targets distinguish between companies and programme participants: women-led startups should account for 35% of Enterprise Ireland’s supported startups, while under-represented groups should make up 40% of Startup Ireland programme participation. Another target is a 20% increase in the number of startups reaching €1 million turnover.
AI support moves from assessment to implementation
The Local Enterprise Office schemes Digital for Business and Grow Digital Voucher are being renamed Digital & AI for Business and Grow Digital & AI. The first will assess a firm’s readiness and produce a prioritised plan; the second will fund eligible implementation arising from that assessment.
The department says both supports remain open to small businesses across sectors with up to 50 employees. It also plans ten industry champions for AI adoption and a national AI literacy taskforce. Its proposed regulatory sandbox is intended to let innovators engage with regulators while developing systems and working towards EU AI Act compliance.
The immediate policy background includes an Irish sectoral study published on 13 October, prepared by Accenture for the enterprise department. It examines AI adoption in manufacturing, construction and tourism, while considering the ICT sector’s role as a supplier of technology and expertise to other industries.
The department’s account identifies cost, skills and access to expertise among the obstacles facing smaller firms. It says support must reflect differences between sectors and the maturity of individual businesses. The findings are now to be considered in implementing Ireland’s AI strategy, rather than treated as a single solution for every company.
A separate European Commission Joint Research Centre analysis released on 14 October provides a wider benchmark. Drawing on Eurostat enterprise surveys, it found AI use in the EU’s strategic sectors rose from 7% in 2021 to 18% in 2025. Those figures describe the European sector sample, not Ireland alone. Media and energy were among the highest-adoption sectors; mobility, tourism and agri-food were among the lowest.
The JRC found that readily available tools were driving much of the increase, but adoption did not necessarily mean AI was embedded in production. Shortages of relevant expertise and uncertainty around regulation, including privacy, were common barriers. Its findings favour sector-specific support that helps businesses change how they work, rather than simply adding another tool.
Dalimss News has also covered Gujarat’s shared GPU framework for government and startups and the FSB’s AI oversight practices for financial institutions.
