Shark tanks and silicon – navigating the Bay Area waters for Irish firms
More than 30 Irish companies travelled to California to pursue investment, customers and commercial partnerships at two major international technology events, with support from Enterprise Ireland.
The companies attended TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, a prominent gathering for startups and venture capital, and SemiCon West 2026, North America’s flagship semiconductor industry event.
Together, the conferences attracted more than 30,000 founders, investors, engineers, executives and technology leaders. This offered Irish businesses a valuable platform from which to demonstrate their capabilities and advance their plans for the US market.
Irish startups enter the shark tank
Seven Enterprise Ireland-supported companies showcased their technologies at TechCrunch Disrupt: Ailtire, Swippitt, Darkhunt AI, XBorderCo, Cocorev, Ardessa and FotoNation. Their teams met prospective customers, investors and strategic partners throughout the event.
A central feature of the week was the inaugural Irish Shark Tank at Ireland House. More than 100 people attended, including representatives from leading investment and technology firms, while a waiting list of over 200 highlighted the level of interest.
Participating founders pitched to a panel comprising Reach Capital principal Caoimhe MacRunnels, Qualio chief executive Robert Fenton, and venture capitalist and author Richard A Moran.
The format gave founders direct feedback on their businesses while helping them raise their profiles and build relationships within the US investment and technology communities.
Swippitt, which has developed a product designed to charge a phone in two seconds, also competed in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield competition.
XBorderCo founder John McCarthy returned to the startup stage for the Irish Shark Tank following the successful $200 million (€180 million) exit of his previous venture, Taxamo.
Turning exposure into commercial growth
While international visibility was important, the companies’ primary objective was commercial growth. In addition to exhibiting, they participated in workshops, networking sessions and related events.
Enterprise Ireland also facilitated meetings with prospective customers, partners and investors during the week. These introductions were intended to help participating businesses turn conference exposure into tangible opportunities in the US.
Ireland’s semiconductor expertise on display
At SemiCon West, 15 companies exhibited under the Silicon Island banner alongside Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Tyndall National Institute. Other Irish businesses attended independently.
The delegation represented a broad cross-section of the semiconductor supply chain, including semiconductor equipment services, critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, photonics, chip testing and data analytics.
The scale and diversity of the group reflected the expertise that has helped establish Ireland as an important participant in the global semiconductor ecosystem.
A SemiCon West reception at Ireland House created further opportunities for market engagement and commercial partnerships. It brought Irish companies together with international leaders from the semiconductor, digital infrastructure and wider technology sectors, including representatives from Intel, Applied Materials and Oracle.
Participants reported promising discussions, with follow-up activity already underway.
Building deeper links with California
Several companies also joined the GoBiz programme, travelling across California to explore foreign direct investment opportunities and strengthen connections with the state’s technology sector.
California continues to be a strategically important market for scaling Irish companies. Its concentration of investors, global technology businesses and specialist talent makes it a key destination for fundraising, customer acquisition and international partnerships.
The next Irish Tech Summit is scheduled to take place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on March 17, 2027. SemiCon West will then be held in Phoenix from March 30 to April 1, 2027, providing further opportunities for Irish technology and semiconductor companies to expand their presence in the US.
