Enterprise Equity Limited

Irish software, hardware and games businesses with ambitions beyond the home market make up much of the portfolio of Enterprise Equity, a venture capital firm that has been investing for over a quarter of a century.

Funding for early growth

The firm says it supplies venture funding to early-stage, high-growth technology companies, with a preference for those aiming at international markets. Its team combines commercial and investment experience in Ireland with networks overseas, and it keeps offices in Dublin and Cork as well as a presence in California.

Hands-on involvement

Beyond the first investment, it describes continuing support through later rounds and an active non-executive role on boards, offering strategic and commercial advice when hard decisions arise. Founders who have worked with it, according to its pages, include the makers of a salon software platform called Phorest, the reputation intelligence company Polecat, the chip design firm Duolog, the children's app studio StoryToys and the sensor maker SensL.

The seed fund

The firm acts as investment general partner of the AIB Seed Capital Fund, a limited partnership that backs start-up and early-stage companies with high growth potential based in Ireland. Trading as Enterprise Equity Venture Capital, it is known by the shorthand EEVC.

Phorest and the wider portfolio

Phorest, one of the companies it highlights, is a software service for the international salon trade that combines appointment booking, customer relationship tools and till systems, and helps salons retain clients and run their business. The wider list shows how broad the net is, running from enterprise software to games and photonics.