Belfast’s tech scene is booming: Here are 7 dynamic startups taking the city by storm in 2024

Belfast is on the fast track to becoming a tech hub with its significant rise in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index. The capital of Northern Ireland currently hosts multiple thriving startups. 

This growth is attributed to innovation districts, technology parks, and top-notch universities that create a supportive environment for startups, making Belfast an ideal destination for business growth and innovation.

Moreover, Belfast has a strategic location with connections to the UK, EU, and the US. This makes Belfast an attractive investment choice for international investors. The international funding that Belfast-based startups secured is also a key for its growth.

Many Belfast startups have also expanded their business outside of UK. Some of them are hiring now! Check out the list below to learn more.

SideQuest

Founders: Orla Harris and Shane Harris

Founded year: 2019

Funding: €11M

Hiring: Yes, check job opportunities here

Established in 2019 by the husband-and-wife duo Orla and Shane Harris, SideQuest has rapidly evolved into a significant player within the VR developer ecosystem, with over 1 million monthly users.

The platform is free for users and developers and enables access to content not yet featured on the Oculus Store. It serves as a space for developers to publish experimental content that might not be welcome on the Quest’s official channels and initiate community engagement. 

SideQuest secured €11M funding in a Series A round from Ada Ventures in 2022 and five other investors.

Weev

Founders: Dominic Kearns and Thomas O’Hagan

Founded year: 2022

Funding: £50M (€58.7M)

Hiring: Yes, check for job opportunities here

Weev is a startup in Northern Ireland that aims to solve the shortage of electric vehicle (EV) charging points. The company install public chargers and offers complete EV solutions for workplaces and fleets, aiming to promote the widespread use of EVs.

The company planned to set up 1,500 charging stations through collaboration with local partners and customers to select the most suitable and convenient locations. The Weeve charge stations are compatible with all major electric vehicle brands like Ford and KIA. 

The Belfast-based startup raised £50M (€58.7M) from Octopus Investments last year in a round of funding. The investment is used to expand significantly and provide more rapid and ultra-rapid charging hubs. 

Cloudsmith

Founders: Lee Skillen and Alan Carson

Founded year: 2016

Funding: $11M (€10M)

Hiring: Yes, check for job opportunities here

Cloudsmith specialises in package management for software development. This company stands out as the sole cloud-native, global, and universal artifact management platform dedicated to secure software development and distribution.

The platform includes products such as cloud-native artifact management, zero trust security, dependency firewall, and Cloudsmith navigator. It aims to streamline the process of handling dependencies and distributing software across development teams.

Cloudsmith secured $11M (€10M) in a Series A2 funding round in November 2023, led by MMC Ventures. 

Re-Vana Therapeutics

Founders: Thakur Raghu Raj Singh

Founded year: 2016

Funding: $11M (€10M)

Hiring: Yes, check for job opportunities here

Belfast-based Re-Vana Therapeutics is an ocular pharmaceuticals and drug delivery startup. The company is a spin-out of Queen’s University Belfast, founded in 2016, which aims to advance ocular disease treatment by minimising the need for frequent drug administrations. 

Among its innovative products is EyeLief, a pre-formed biodegradable implant designed to facilitate the sustained intraocular release of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for up to six months. 

The healthcare startup secured $11M (€10M) in Series A funding led by Visionary Ventures. Moving forward, t will go toward more efficient operations, eam development, and more advanced drug delivery technology 

Neurovalens

Founders:  Jason McKeown 

Founded year: 2013

Funding: £5.2M (€6M)

Hiring: No

Neurovalens is a global health tech startup offering non-invasive neurostimulation products to address various health challenges. The company specialises in delivering innovative solutions within the realms of neuroscience, bioscience, and neurophysiology.

The technologies offered by the startup include treatment for metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Furthermore, the company also develops health tech for anxiety disorder treatment. 

Neurovalens raised £5.2M (€6M) in 2020 to expand existing clinical trials for its medical devices from UK and Irish investors.

CattleEye

Founders: Terry Canning and Adam Askew

Founded year: 2019

Funding: $2.5M (€2.3M)

Hiring: No

CattleEye is revolutionising agriculture with its next-generation AI-powered autonomic video monitoring system for ruminant livestock. 

Using cost-effective security cameras, CattleEye captures video footage to offer valuable insights into the health and productivity of the herd.

CattleEye has been collaborating with major retailers like M&S and Tesco, conducting tests to integrate its technology that can reduce carbon emissions aside from monitoring herd health. It aims to include half a million cows in the UK within the system by 2025. 

The startup secured $2.5M (€2.3M) in seed funding in September 2021, with Techstart Ventures leading the investment round. The investment was used to bring CattleEye’s monitoring products to the market. 

Kairos Sport Tech

Founders: Andrew Trimble and Gareth Quinn

Founded year: 2018

Funding: €1.8M

Hiring: No

Founded in 2018 by Andrew Trimble, a former Irish rugby player and co-founder of Gareth Quinn, Kairos introduced a comprehensive digital planning platform aimed at assisting elite sports teams worldwide to optimise their preparation and performance.

Despite being launched as recently as 2021, Kairos has partnered with over 700 sports teams in over 16 countries. The sports teams include the high-profile teams in the Premier League, NBA, MLB, MLS, and Premiership Rugby,

For its global expansion, Kairos secured a €1.8 million seed round in 2021.

In January, Kairos was acquired by Teamworks, a big sports technology company that had acquired multiple tech companies.