In its fourth annual survey, Scale Eire has discovered that funding stays the primary concern amongst founders and CEOs, whereas 88pc are deploying AI.
Now in its fourth yr, Scale Eire’s 2025 State of Begin-ups Survey discovered that for the fourth yr funding stays by far the largest concern for founders and CEOs, with greater than 80pc of respondents saying it’s “troublesome” or “very troublesome” to draw capital.
Uptake of State helps remained low with simply 1pc of founders utilizing the KEEP share choices scheme to assist recruit and retain employees, whereas almost 58pc are usually not availing of the R&D tax credit score, an enchancment on 64pc in 2023.
“Funding is no doubt the primary challenge for start-ups,” stated CEO of Scale Eire, Martina Fitzgerald. “It is important that we mobilise non-public capital to make sure Irish corporations can scale globally and stay right here in Eire. We don’t wish to see a few of our greatest tech corporations leaving Eire.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Scale Eire chair Brian Caulfield, who pointed to potential coverage adjustments want, if start-ups are to draw non-public capital. “We have to considerably help better ranges of angel and VC funding, income progress capital and IPOs,” he stated.
“We additionally must unlock pension fund financial savings into indigenous corporations. Even a small change would have a big impression.”
The survey displays contributions from 235 founders and CEOs of tech start-ups and scaling corporations.
Scale Eire, the unbiased, not-for-profit organisation, helps, promotes and advocates on behalf of Irish tech start-ups and scale-up corporations, with a mission to make Eire a number one location for innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s internet hosting its annual convention at this time in Athlone.
Expertise arose as a significant challenge additionally with greater than half of founders surveyed saying employees retention was as troublesome because the earlier yr, whereas virtually 17pc discovered it tougher. One-third misplaced employees during the last 12 months. Nevertheless, virtually 75pc both didn’t lay off any employees or it was not a difficulty for them. Almost two-thirds of start-up leaders really feel Eire just isn’t doing sufficient to assist indigenous tech companies entice and retain expertise, and there was frustration across the problem of accessing many state helps and tax incentives.
Almost 87pc of respondents acknowledged the “important” or “very important” contribution from immigrant staff, with virtually 50pc saying they employed staff from exterior the EU. Some 58pc of respondents had a feminine founder on their management group, which is a big improve from final yr’s 51pc.
Maybe unsurprisingly, the survey discovered that almost 88pc of start-ups are deploying or making ready to deploy synthetic intelligence (AI). When it got here to the EU AI Act, nonetheless, solely 59pc had been conscious of it, and almost 44pc stated they don’t know what impression it would have on their enterprise.
“It’s a concern that many start-ups are usually not clear in regards to the impression of latest EU AI laws on their companies,” stated Fitzgerald.
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