IVCA: Irish venture funding hits lowest Q3 levels in 10 years

The Irish Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (IVCA) revealed that venture funding for Irish technology SMEs during the third quarter of 2026 reached a ten-year low of €113.8m, a significant decrease of around 45% compared to the same period in 2025. According to the VenturePulse Q3 2026 survey conducted by IVCA and William Fry, this sharp decline comes after funding from international venture capitalists plummeted by 76% during the same quarter, dropping from €146.7m to just €35.5m.

The survey highlighted a "squeeze" on Irish firms seeking to raise funds between €1m and €5m, with the number of deals in this category falling by more than half. Software remained the most represented sector, with life sciences and fintech also seeing substantial funding. However, funding for companies seeking €3m-€5m in venture capital fell by 56% during the nine months of 2026 to date, with a 36% drop in deals in the €1m-€3m range.

The IVCA's Richard Watson stressed that Ireland's venture funding situation is "somewhat shielded" from recent AI industry turbulence, as the country does not host large domestic AI companies investing heavily in infrastructure.