Number of Irish start-ups rises by 9% despite signs of credit pressures
The total value of judgments reached €25.9m in the period, more than double compared to last year. There was also a notable increase in the number of cases filed.
The number of start-ups in Ireland rose by 9% in the first six months of this year, with a total of 12,745 new companies being recorded between January and June.
New figures released by CRIFVision-Net on Tuesday reveal that 22 counties saw a rise in startups in the first half of this year, with 18 sectors recording an increase compared to the same period in 2024. These sectors included motor, IT, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and hospitality.
Counties with large urban populations, including Dublin, Cork and Limerick, which all reported a positive first half of the year for startups, with Roscommon, Laois and Clare seeing the largest increases at 42%, 32% and 31% respectively.
April was the busiest month for new company startups in the year so far, with 2,716 new companies registered in the month.
Despite the near double-digit growth in start-ups at a national level, the first six months of the year show both the number and value of commercial judgements in the first half of 2025 rose significantly compared to 2024, indicating early signs of credit pressures and increased stress for companies, CRIFVision-Net said.
The total value of judgments reached €25.9m in the period, more than double compared to last year. There was also a notable increase in the number of cases filed.
"These figures suggest that more companies are falling behind on payments and struggling to meet their financial commitments, forcing creditors to seek judgments," CRIFVision-Net said.
Consumer judgments have also risen sharply in the first half of the year, which further underscores that early signs of financial strain are not limited to the business community, the company said.
"Key contributing factors to this increase include the continuing increased cost of living, inflationary pressures and economic uncertainty, all of which have put pressure on the ability of both corporates and consumers to meet their financial commitments.
"Within this economic environment, there appears to be less tolerance for late payments, particularly given the cashflow challenges potentially arising from these increased consumer and business overheads."
Commenting on the figures, CRIFVision-Net managing director, Christine Cullen said: "The figures for the first half of 2025 paint a nuanced picture. With corporate judgment counts and volumes increasing, suggesting signs of credit pressures and increased stress for companies, a 9% increase in company start-ups demonstrates the inherent strength and adaptability of Irish businesses.
"The proposal put forward by the Tánaiste last week, to permanently reduce the VAT rate for SMEs in the next budget will be a huge help in combating these issues and will be warmly welcomed by Irish business owners”.
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