Enterprise Ireland
High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Funding
aka HPSU, HPSU Funding
Equity-style investment from Enterprise Ireland into export-led start-ups with the potential to reach EUR1m in sales and 10 employees within three years.
Equity investment, amount per round agreed with EI Development Adviser
Last reviewed May 2026
What this scheme funds
HPSU is Enterprise Ireland's flagship start-up funding category for businesses that can demonstrate a credible plan to create 10 or more jobs and EUR1 million in export sales within three years of starting. Funding is typically taken as a preference share investment alongside private investors, and the company is assigned an EI Development Adviser who supports it through follow-on rounds, market entry and scale-up programmes. Software, medtech, deep-tech and high-end manufacturing dominate the HPSU portfolio. Investment amounts vary materially by case and round; founders should treat the listed authority page as the source of truth on current terms.
Cofunding
Co-invested alongside private investors
Application window
Engage an EI Development Adviser at any time
Who can apply
- •Plan to reach EUR1 million in exports and 10 employees within three years
- •Trading less than five years
- •Innovative product or service with international market
- •Endorsed by an EI Development Adviser before formal application
How it typically funds software
- •Funding rounds typically pay for the engineering team that builds the product
- •EI supports follow-on stack decisions but does not dictate vendor choice
Worth knowing
HPSU is not a grant in the conventional sense - it is an equity investment that dilutes founder ownership. Take legal and tax advice before signing.
Related grants
Enterprise Ireland
Pre-Seed Start Fund
Convertible loan note investment of up to EUR100,000 for early-stage HPSU candidates and innovative female-founder businesses.
Enterprise Ireland
New Frontiers Programme
Six-month entrepreneur development programme delivered through Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities, including a tax-free stipend of EUR15,000 in Phase 2.
Revenue Commissioners
R&D Tax Credit
30% refundable tax credit on qualifying research and development expenditure, claimed via the company's annual corporation tax return.