Ireland has a small but active angel investing scene, and this guide covers the top 10 angel investors in Ireland, including their backgrounds, preferred industries, and notable investments.
With a thriving economy, Ireland has become a hotspot for tech startups. Many of its cities are growing quickly as new businesses launch, and Dublin, Ireland's capital, is often cited as a rising European startup hub.
Here is the list of the top angel investors in Ireland.
Top 10 Angel Investors in Ireland
Following is a well-researched list of the top-ranking angel investors in Ireland along with additional details.
Conor Stanley
Known as an internet entrepreneur, Conor Stanley has also started making investments in early-stage businesses. He co-founded Tribal.vc, an early-stage venture fund based in Dublin. Conor acts as an advisor and investor in several tech startups, including Balcony TV, Intercom.io, StartupBootCamp, and Visible Thread.
As for investment activities, Conor Stanley prioritizes startups that have decent growth potential and are based on innovative ideas. He doesn't just invest but also guides his portfolio companies throughout the startup journey.
- Linkedin: Conor Stanley
- Preferred Industries: Software, Fintech, and Management Services
- Notable Investments: Glofox, Barricade Security Systems, Hifi (Financial Software), Startupbootcamp, LikeCharity, GridBeyond, Phorest, VisibleThread, BalconyTV, and MicksGarage.
Brian Caulfield
Brian Caulfield is a Venture Partner at Molten Ventures (formerly Draper Esprit), a leading European venture capital firm with a Dublin office. He is a former chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association and was named Business Angel of the Year by the Halo Business Angel Network.
As for investment interests, Brian's focus spans various sectors, including software, hardware, and emerging technologies. He likes to fund businesses that do not have a lot of competition and also guides them through the early stages.
- Linkedin: Brian Caulfield
- Preferred Industries: Emerging Tech, Automotive, Education, Hardware, Security, and Consumer Products.
- Notable Investments: Movidius, Datahug, Mobile Travel Technologies, Graphcore, and Clavis Insight
Liam Casey
Liam Casey is the Founder & CEO of PCH International, a global product development and supply chain management company. As an angel investor, he invests personal funds into promising companies, typically in exchange for equity.
Moreover, Casey has lived for over two decades in China and is recognized as a thought leader in strategic sourcing, new product introductions, supply chain management, sustainability, and startup initiatives.
- Linkedin: Liam Casey
- Preferred Industries: Tech
- Notable Investments: Pandas, &Open, Nothing, SISU Aesthetic Clinic, Trustap, SODA SAYS, Talivest, and Stripe.
Linda Kiely
A co-founder of Voxpro (later acquired by TELUS International) and one of Ireland's most experienced female angel investors, Linda Kiely currently serves as a Board Member at Abodoo and has invested in and advised SISU Aesthetic Clinic and Talivest.
Like most other investors, Linda Kiely also wants to invest in startups that are bound to grow and can easily scale on an international level. Among all of her previous investments, most of her portfolio companies are software related which displays her investment interests.
- Preferred Industries: Food, Software, and Retail.
- Notable Investments: Abodoo, SISU Aesthetic Clinic, and Talivest.
Ray Nolan
Ray Nolan is also a famous name in the angel community of Ireland. He is the founder of xSellco, where he now serves as Non-Executive Chairman, and the Founder and CEO of eDesk. Nolan prefers to invest in businesses that are related to innovative tech and have strong growth potential.
Moreover, Ray Nolan is quite strict with his investment criteria and doesn't fund startups that are led by individuals who don't have at least 5 years of industry experience. Once a startup has been funded, Nolan helps it with additional mentorship programs and workshops.
- Linkedin: Ray Nolan
- Preferred Industries: Tech, Media, and Data Analytics.
- Notable Investments: Kinzen, Storyful, Cohort, REFLEX Gaming, CloudSplit, Kore Virtual Machines, OpenBack
Shane Naughton
Shane Naughton is an entrepreneur and an angel investor. He is the Managing Partner of Inundata and Managing Partner of Artech Holdings.
When selecting businesses for investment, Shane attends networking events, startup accelerators, and other programs to find deserving startups. Shane has invested in various industries, including media and information services, publishing, and buildings and property.
- Preferred Industries: Media, Consumer Products, Management, Property and Tech
- Notable Investments: NewsWhip, IrishCentral, NeueHouse, Spring Moves, Frame (platform), and Trustev
Tom Kennedy
Tom Kennedy is an individual angel investor and played a huge role in building a global e-commerce business from Dublin. He is best known as a co-founder of Hostelworld.com (Web Reservations International). In 2009, Tom and his co-founder sold Hostelworld.com to private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, in a deal reported at the time to be worth over €200 million.
When investing in startups, Tom Kennedy values startups that are working on unique ideas and can have a positive impact on the market. He highly values startups that are led by experienced entrepreneurs and can easily scale on an international level.
- Preferred Industries: Travel, Entertainment, and Tech
- Notable Investments: Coindrum, Gigable, and Videoelephant
Gareth Lambe
Gareth Lambe is the Chief Executive Officer of Medihive, a health technology platform, and previously served as the head of Meta Ireland, where he grew the local team from 300 to 3,000 employees.
Like most other investors, Gareth Lambe also hunts for startups through public startup events and likes to meet startup leaders before investing in them. He conducts detailed investor meetings and has also made some of his investments through fundraisers.
- Linkedin: Gareth Lambe
- Preferred Industries: Entertainment, Tech, and Finance
- Notable Investments: CleverCards, Bounce Insights, and Imvizar
Des Traynor
Des Traynor is also a well-reputed angel investor and a co-founder of Intercom (rebranded as Fin), where he serves as Chief Strategy Officer. His involvement often begins when he learns about a new product, starts using it, and contacts the founder directly.
Moreover, Des's investments span various SaaS products. He believes that when certain features of a business are genuinely good and can build a strong customer fanbase, there's huge growth potential.
- Linkedin: Des Traynor
- Preferred Industries: SaaS and Tech
- Notable Investments: Algolia and Arena
Bobby Healy
Bobby Healy is an influential angel investor and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and CEO of Manna, Europe's largest drone delivery operator, and previously built CarTrawler into one of Ireland's first homegrown technology unicorns.
Having built and exited multiple companies, Bobby Healy knows how to spot a startup with the potential for massive growth. He makes his investments through investor meetings and selects most of the startups through startup events.
- Linkedin: Bobby Healy
- Preferred Industries: Tech and Property
- Notable Investments: Coindrum and Roomex
How To Prepare an Amazing Pitch Deck?
Once you're done with the research process, the next big question that comes to mind is how to prepare an amazing pitch deck. Here's how.
Keep It Concise
Pitch decks are never supposed to be your life story. In this era, where angels have to deal with hundreds of applicants every day, try to keep your pitch deck concise and deliver the maximum value.
A general rule of thumb is to keep the initial part under 3 minutes and explain to the investor why your idea is worth funding.
Add Stats
Investors love it when they see a startup leader doing the hard work and ensuring maximum research. Add figures about the market competition and show the investors what your plan is about conquering the competitors and leading your startup towards significant profits.
Read Examples
Nothing helps more than seeing an example of a perfect pitch deck. Try to see some examples of a great pitch deck, or browse real, funded decks in the Pitch Deck Database, and do a side-by-side comparison before finalizing your own.
Wrap-Up
Even though Ireland has a thriving landscape for startups, there can still be challenges for fresh business owners.
Startup leaders who are attending their first investor meeting are often confused and cannot convey the idea properly. That is why it is recommended to watch some tutorials and do some extra research on the specific investors to minimize the chances of error. You can also browse angel investors on AngelMatch to widen your search beyond Ireland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Angel Investors Provide Mentorship Programs?
Yes, many angel investors provide mentorship programs and financial support. They leverage their experience to offer strategic insights, assist in critical decision-making, and facilitate introductions to their network connections. This mentorship is pivotal for startups, aiding them in overcoming obstacles and expediting their growth trajectory.
How to make your startup investable?
To make a startup investable, focus on a scalable business model, a strong team, a well-defined market opportunity, and evidence of market validation.
What is the difference between Venture Capital Firms and Individual Angel Investors?
Venture capital firms are organized setups that aggregate capital from various investors and deploy it into startups at a larger scale, offering expertise and guidance.
In contrast, individual angel investors are private individuals who invest personal funds directly into startups, typically at an early stage, using a more personalized approach and hands-on involvement in the startup's growth.
What industries do Irish angel investors prefer?
Software, SaaS, fintech, health tech, and media are the industries that come up most often among Ireland's active angel investors, though several also back consumer, hardware, and property-tech startups depending on their own operating background.
How do I connect with angel investors in Ireland?
Warm introductions through founders and accelerators tend to work best, but you can also browse verified Irish investor profiles on AngelMatch to build a targeted outreach list before reaching out directly.
