Irish Fintech Funding Reaches $158M in H1 2026 Amid Global Rebound, KPMG Reports

Irish fintech funding fell 9% to $158.13 million in the first half of 2026, contrasting with a global surge in investment. For fintech professionals, this divergence highlights a tightening EMEA market where investor selectivity is increasing, even as total global capital deployment reaches its highest level in four years.

What was announced

The bi-annual Pulse of FinTech H1’26 report from KPMG reveals that while global fintech investment is on pace for its strongest annual performance in four years, the EMEA region is facing significant headwinds. Global investment rose to $103.1 billion in the first half of 2026, up from $72.2 billion in the previous six-month period. However, investment in EMEA dropped to $11.3 billion across 626 deals, a sharp decline from the $18 billion recorded in H2 2025.

In Ireland, the market saw $158.13 million in funding, a 9% decrease from the $173 million raised in H1 2025. The Irish total was heavily bolstered by a $110 million raise from tax automation service Fonoa. Other significant Irish transactions included a $22 million round for Dublin-based audit platform Circit, an $11.83 million acquisition of blockchain firm Trrue, and a $10 million raise by Cork-based transaction platform Trustap.

Globally, the payments sector remains the primary driver of value, attracting $44.2 billion in the first half of the year. AI-focused fintechs also saw substantial interest, securing $21.4 billion across venture capital, private equity, and M&A. Despite the overall slowdown in EMEA, investors in the region maintained a focus on AI solutions for cybersecurity, regtech, and digital identity management, though these rounds remained modest in size compared to other regions. The report notes that global deal volume fell to 2,100 in H1’26, reflecting continued investor selectivity despite higher capital deployment in specific regions like the Americas, which accounted for $86.9 billion of the global total.

"Ireland’s fintech sector remains strong in 2026, despite a decrease in investment compared to the same period last year. There is still an appetite with investors for Irish fintechs that offer innovative solutions to real business challenges and demonstrate a clear path to scale."

Ian Nelson, Partner, Head of Financial Services & Regulatory at KPMG in Ireland.

The companies involved

The data provided in the report highlights several key players within the Irish and global fintech ecosystems. KPMG, which publishes the Pulse of FinTech report, is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. The firm operates extensively across the UK and Ireland, monitoring investment trends through its financial services and regulatory divisions.

Among the companies securing capital, Fonoa provides a global tax automation platform designed to help digital businesses manage indirect tax compliance. Dublin-based Circit operates an audit confirmation and verified data platform, streamlining the verification process for auditors and banks. In Cork, Trustap has developed a transaction platform that acts as an escrow-like service to protect buyers and sellers in online marketplaces. Trrue is a blockchain-focused company that recently saw investment through acquisition. These firms represent a cross-section of the Irish market, from regtech and tax-compliance specialists to secure payment facilitators. While many of these entities are headquartered in tech hubs like Dublin and Cork, their service offerings are increasingly targeted at global enterprise challenges, particularly in the face of shifting international tax and audit regulations.

What FF News has reported before

The cooling of the EMEA market reported by KPMG aligns with recent FF News coverage of the broader European landscape. We recently noted that UK Fintech Funding Hits Decade Low as AI Investment Defies Market Downturn, reflecting the same selectivity seen in the Irish figures. Despite the funding squeeze, the demand for automated compliance remains a recurring theme. FF News reported on how Oslo Startup Reggy Launches AI-Powered Compliance Platform to Combat Europe’s Regulatory Overload, and how Equals Partners with Aiimi to Automate GDPR Compliance and Data Subject Access Requests. These stories underscore the industry-wide shift toward AI-driven regtech solutions, which KPMG identifies as a resilient sub-sector even as total deal volumes in EMEA hit decade-low projections.

What this means

The divergence between the Americas and EMEA suggests a bifurcated global market. While the US continues to benefit from massive capital deployment in payments and AI, EMEA is suffering from a "wait-and-see" approach driven by geopolitical friction and inflationary concerns. The Irish market’s reliance on a single "megadeal" like Fonoa’s to buoy its figures indicates that the mid-market is under significant pressure. For the sector, the open question is whether the current appetite for AI and regtech is a genuine growth engine or merely a defensive hedge against increasing regulatory complexity. Investors are no longer funding growth for growth’s sake; they are demanding immediate utility and a clear path to profitability.