2025 Irish Investor Awards winners

On Friday 9 May, the Irish investor community gathered in style for the 2025 Irish Investor Awards, hosted by Forvis Mazars at the iconic Round Room at the Mansion House.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, we are proud once again to recognise the individuals, teams and organisations driving innovation, leadership and growth across Ireland’s investment landscape.

With over 425 guests in attendance – including leading investors, entrepreneurs and their advisors – it was a night to celebrate those shaping the future of Irish business and investment.

The evening opened with a warm and insightful address from Tom O’Brien, Managing Partner at Forvis Mazars. He spoke about the strategic importance of the private equity sector to the firm and the vital role of Ireland’s SME community in driving long-term economic prosperity.

Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Jack Chambers officially opened the awards and set the tone for the evening with a message of encouragement and ambition for the future. He also presented the first two awards of the night, for Debt Funding Deal of the Year under €10m and over €10m.

John Bowe, Corporate Finance Partner, said: “We’re proud to host the 2025 Irish Investor Awards because we believe in championing the innovation, resilience and ambition that define Ireland’s investment landscape. At Forvis Mazars, we work closely with private equity and venture capital firms every day – and we see firsthand the impact they have on businesses, communities and the wider economy.”

One of the most memorable moments came at the close of the evening, when Denis O’Brien was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award – recognising a career that has left an indelible mark on Irish business and investment.

Awards submissions were judged by a panel of industry experts, executives and professionals from a diverse range of fields, all with a wealth of experience and knowledge in their respective areas. The judges reviewed and scored the entries based on predefined criteria to select the most deserving winners. Forvis Mazars did not enter any awards.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees and thank you to everyone who made this year’s event such a success. We look forward to continuing the celebration of excellence, innovation, and growth in the years ahead.

Irish Investor Awards 2025 winners

• Debt Funding Deal of the Year under €10m: Beach Point Capital, funding of Cool Planet.
• Debt Funding Deal of the Year over €10m: Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking, funding of Mail Metrics strategic acquisition of Adare SEC.
• International PE Investment in Irish Company Deal of the Year: EQT Private Equity, investment in AMCS, advised by the Maples Group.
• Corporate Law Firm Team of the Year: McCann FitzGerald LLP.
• Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year (Sponsored by Dunport): Clearwater.
• Environmental, Social and Governance Deal of the Year (Sponsored by Development Capital): Goodbody Capital Partners, investment in Viotas.
• Deal of the Year (Sub €2.5m): SME Equity, investment in Customs Window Technologies.
• Deal of the Year (€2.5m - €10m): Development Capital, investment in Zartis.
• Deal of the Year over €10m category: Kennet Partners, investment in Screendragon.
• Due Diligence Team of The Year category (sponsored by Business Post): Azets Ireland
• Portfolio Deal of the Year: MML, exit of Kyte Powertech.
• Rising Star Under 30: Mark Farrelly, HBAN.
• Irish VC House of the Year: Act Venture Capital.
• Irish Private Equity House of the Year (sponsored by Byrne Wallace Shields): MML Growth Capital Partners Limited.
• Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by Forvis Mazars): Denis O’Brien.