Top 69 Belfast Startups to Watch in 2026
Belfast's startup scene is marked by a strong focus on deep technology and infrastructure. The city is home to a variety of companies in sectors like cloud computing, healthcare, and telecommunications.
For example, telecommunications company Fibrus has secured £355M in funding. Meanwhile, cloud management platform Cloudsmith has raised $52M to support its growth.
Below is our list of 69 Belfast startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Cloudsmith built a universal artifact management platform to help software teams securely store and distribute their packages. Their cloud-native solution gives engineering organizations a single source of truth to control their entire software supply chain.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Alan Carson, Lee Skillen |
| Funding Amount | $52M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Insight Partners, Tiger Global Management, Tapestry VC, TCV, Sorenson Capital |
Sonrai Analytics builds an AI-powered discovery platform to accelerate research in precision medicine. The cloud-based tool allows biotech and pharma teams to find and validate novel drug targets by analyzing complex multi-omic data.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Darragh McArt, Deva Senevirathne |
| Funding Amount | £2.8M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Forward Partners, Eckuity, Techstart Ventures, QUBIS, Co-FundNI |
Neurovalens builds drug-free neurotechnology to help people improve their sleep and reduce stress. Their wearable headsets use non-invasive electrical pulses to stimulate key neurons in the brain, offering an alternative to medication.
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Jason McKeown, Paul McGeoch |
| Funding Amount | $27.8M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | British Business Bank, IQ Capital, Whiterock Finance, ACF Investors, Future Fund |
Fibrus builds and operates a full-fibre broadband network for homes and businesses in the United Kingdom. Their service provides high-speed internet access, with a focus on connecting regional and rural communities.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | £355M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | National Wealth Fund, ABN AMRO Bank, ING Group, NatWest Bank, Sabadell Venture Capital |
Cumulus Neuroscience builds a platform that combines at-home EEG data with digital biomarkers to monitor brain health. Their integrated system provides researchers with the real-world clinical insights needed to accelerate drug development for CNS diseases.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Brian Murphy, Ronan Cunningham, Ruth McKernan |
| Funding Amount | £11.7M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Innovate UK, Dementia Discovery Fund, LifeArc, Whiterock Finance, ACF Investors |
Catagen builds climate technology focused on cleaning and decarbonizing the air. Their patented systems provide advanced emissions testing and new methods for producing green hydrogen and synthetic e-fuels.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Andrew Woods, Roy Douglas |
| Funding Amount | £5.9M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Whiterock Finance, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy |
Re-Vana Therapeutics develops innovative drug delivery platforms for treating chronic eye diseases. These technologies enable the sustained release of both biologics and small molecules, aiming to reduce the frequency of injections for patients with ophthalmic conditions.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | David Jones, Raghu Raj Singh Thakur |
| Funding Amount | €16.9M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | SyndicateRoom, MassChallenge, Visionary Venture Fund, InFocus Capital Partners, ExSight Ventures |
Angoka develops security solutions to protect machine-to-machine communications within the IoT space. Their technology is designed for critical systems in Smart Cities and Mobility, including autonomous vehicles and drones.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Daniela Menzky, Shadi Razak, Steve Berry, Yuri Andersson |
| Funding Amount | £2.4M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | — |
| Top Investors | Seraphim Space, 24 Haymarket, Clarendon Fund Managers, Plexal, GALLOS Technologies |
B-Secur develops electrocardiogram (ECG) technology that uses a person's unique heartbeat pattern for biometric security and health monitoring. Their software and algorithms can be integrated into everyday devices, enabling partners to offer medical-grade authentication and wellness insights.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Colin Anderson |
| Funding Amount | £20.3M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Clarendon Fund Managers, ADV, Kernel Capital, Upscale, British Business Bank Investments |
Budibase builds an open-source, low-code platform designed for creating internal business tools. Their software gives developers and IT teams a faster way to build and customize applications, from admin panels to dashboards.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Joe Johnston, Martin McKeaveney, Michael Shanks |
| Funding Amount | €9.2M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | SignalFire, Angular Ventures, Techstart Ventures, Ryan Hoover, Matt Robinson |
59 Additional Belfast Startups Worth Following
Our top picks only scratch the surface of what’s happening in the city. Founders are working on everything from AI to environmental tech, and they’ve raised hundreds of millions to grow their businesses. Some of these companies are brand new, while others are already well on their way. Here are the other startups that make Belfast’s tech community one to watch.
| Startup | Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Axial3D | Manufacturing | 2015 | €36.8M | Venture Round |
Sidequest | SaaS | 2019 | €15.6M | Series A |
Belfast Harbour | Logistics | 1847 | £400k | Grant |
Humain | Media | 2016 | — | Seed |
AMPLY Discovery | AI | 2021 | €5.2M | Seed |
Nuada | Environment | 2012 | £12.2M | Grant |
IceMos Technology | Hardware | 2003 | €24M | Series E |
Zenith Ai | AI | 2020 | €2.6M | Venture Round |
Ionic Technologies | Environment | 2022 | €11M | Grant |
Digital Iron | AI | 2023 | €2.2M | Pre-Seed |
Weev | Mobility | 2022 | £50M | Venture Round |
Selazar | Retail | 2016 | £21.3M | Series A |
VascVersa | Healthcare | 2018 | £500k | Seed |
Kinsetsu | SaaS | 2016 | £1.6M | Venture Round |
RETìníZE | Media | 2015 | £3.6M | Venture Round |
Deep Voodoo | Gaming | 2020 | €20M | Seed |
SciLeads | Analytics | 2014 | £534k | Seed |
Choice Housing | Healthcare | 2015 | £70M | Debt Financing |
Fluid Focus | Media | 2024 | £640k | Pre-Seed |
Ocula Technologies | Analytics | 2021 | £3.3M | Series A |
Clanmil Housing | Media | 1977 | £100M | Debt Financing |
CattleEye | AgTech | 2019 | £1.8M | Seed |
RESPONSIBLE | Retail | 2020 | €6.6M | Seed |
Ampliphae | Enterprise | 2014 | £1.9M | Seed |
CV6 Therapeutics | Biotech | 2012 | £8M | Venture Round |
Natural World Products | Environment | 1989 | €28M | Grant |
loyalBe | Infrastructure | 2018 | £825k | Seed |
Causeway Sensors | Analytics | 2013 | €8.7M | Venture Round |
Smart Nano NI | Manufacturing | 2020 | £42.4M | Grant |
Thrive | Hardware | 2011 | €2.7M | Venture Round |
Sensoteq | Hardware | 2016 | £3.6M | Venture Round |
Syndeo | Enterprise | 2017 | £300k | Seed |
Pitchbooking | Marketplace | 2016 | £800k | Seed |
BuffaloGrid | Energy | 2011 | €7.9M | Convertible Note |
LUMENSTREAM | Hardware | 2017 | £1.6M | Venture Round |
Srotas Health | AI | 2022 | €500k | Pre-Seed |
Automated Intelligence | Analytics | 2010 | £3.1M | Venture Round |
Kairos Sports Tech | Sports | 2018 | £2M | Debt Financing |
Kraydel | Infrastructure | 2016 | €2.9M | Seed |
Obbi Golf | Sports | 2016 | £1.3M | Venture Round |
Overwatch Research | SaaS | 2017 | €3.5M | Seed |
Simpli | AI | 2024 | £320k | Pre-Seed |
ChangeOver Technologies | Manufacturing | 2009 | €5.7M | Equity Crowdfunding |
GoPlugable | Mobility | 2023 | €197.1k | Pre-Seed |
Enzai Technologies | AI | 2021 | £3.2M | Seed |
Saltroad | AI | 2024 | £575k | Pre-Seed |
Halo Technologies Europe | Other | 2019 | €23.5M | Venture Round |
WE ARE PARADOXX | Retail | 2018 | £2.2M | Seed |
Skurio | Security | 2011 | €7.2M | Seed |
GenoMe Diagnostics | Healthcare | 2020 | £2.3M | Seed |
DisplayNote Technologies | Hardware | 2012 | €3.1M | Series B |
arc-net | Analytics | 2014 | £2M | Venture Round |
Haru | Retail | 2017 | £450k | Seed |
INQDATA | Fintech | 2023 | £750k | Seed |
Liopa | AI | 2015 | €1.6M | Debt Financing |
3DEO NI | Analytics | 2015 | £750k | Seed |
DName-iT | Biotech | 2014 | £500k | Seed |
Titanic Distillers | Food | 2021 | £5M | Seed |
42 Genetics | Analytics | 2019 | £873.8k | Equity Crowdfunding |

