Elkstone

Quick read

Elkstone is a multi-family office and venture investor, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. It operates across venture capital, real estate, and wealth management, with a particular focus on early-stage Irish tech companies. Its €100m Ireland Venture Fund — anchored by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and Enterprise Ireland — is its flagship vehicle, backing seed and pre-Series A Irish startups.

Key facts

Founded

2011

Founders

Alan Merriman, Ruairí O'Neill, Ciarán McIntyre

Employees

36

Sectors

generalist, fintech, ai, healthcare, climate

Website

www.elkstonepartners.com

Investment thesis

Elkstone backs seed and pre-Series A Irish tech companies, aiming to help indigenous startups scale internationally while remaining headquartered in Ireland. It combines a €100m EIIS-eligible venture fund with real estate and wealth management offerings, targeting entrepreneurs, senior executives, institutional LPs, and the Irish diaspora.

Recent activity

• Jul 2026press
  Elkstone's wealth division is closing, according to a Business Post report dated May 9, 2026, with further coverage signalling additional structural changes at the firm. businesspost.ie
• Jul 2026investment
  Elkstone invested in WrxFlo's $3.43M Seed round on July 7, 2026, alongside Enterprise Ireland and Furthr. tracxn.com
• Mar 2026leadership
  Joe Bergin confirmed as CEO, succeeding Alan Merriman who stepped down after a 15-year tenure. Two new members joined Elkstone's board at the same time. businessplus.ie
• Mar 2026press
  Elkstone returned to MIPIM 2026 in Cannes to promote its Irish real estate portfolio, which includes a €2 billion+ development pipeline across purpose-built student accommodation and private rented sectors. ie.linkedin.com
• Feb 2026investment
  Portfolio company Luminate raised $21M in an expanded Series A, bringing total funding past $50M. Elkstone first backed Luminate at seed in early 2022. The round was co-led by Lachy Groom and ARTIS Ventures. ie.linkedin.com
• Jan 2026investment
  Irish quantum semiconductor startup Equal1 closed a €51M round, with Elkstone participating alongside Atlantic Bridge and eight other investors. eu-startups.com
• Jan 2026press
  Portfolio company Radiant merged with Ori, creating a multi-billion-dollar global AI infrastructure vehicle backed by Brookfield. Elkstone held an early position in Radiant. ie.linkedin.com
• Dec 2025fundraise
  Elkstone Ventures launched Fund II, an all-island fund targeting Seed to Series A companies across Ireland. Fund I closed 2025 with 26 portfolio companies, 9 new investments, 6 follow-on deals, 3 exits, and €200M+ raised by portfolio firms during the year. ie.linkedin.com
• May 2026product
  Elkstone announced it's closing its wealth division, with further structural changes reported by Business Post. CEO Joe Bergin leads the firm through this reorganisation. businesspost.ie
• Feb 2026leadership
  Joe Bergin was confirmed as CEO, taking over from co-founder Alan Merriman who stepped down after 15 years. Bergin previously served as Elkstone's managing director for private clients. Two new board members were also added. businessplus.ie
• Feb 2026press
  The Currency published a profile on incoming CEO Joe Bergin, detailing his growth targets across venture and real estate, including a €2bn development pipeline and a 345-bed student accommodation scheme at Queen St, Galway, due to complete in 2026. thecurrency.news
• Jan 2026investment
  Elkstone led a $1.92M Seed round in Overpath, its most recent portfolio investment per Tracxn data. tracxn.com

Notable investments

• WrxFloSeedJul 2026tracxn.com
• LuminateSeries AFeb 2026ie.linkedin.com
• Equal1GrowthJan 2026eu-startups.com
• LativeSeedNov 2025eu-startups.com
• OverpathSeedJan 2026tracxn.com
• SoapBox LabsSeries AUnknownelkstonepartners.com
• Altada Technology SolutionsUnknownUnknownelkstonepartners.com
• Unknown (2026 investment 1)SeedJan 2026tracxn.com
• Unknown (2026 investment 2)SeedJan 2026tracxn.com
• OverpathSeed ($1.92M)Jan 2026tracxn.com
• LativeSeed ($3M)2023linkedin.com
• VaultreeSeries A ($12.8M)2023zoominfo.com

Key people

Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.

• Joe Bergin · CEO
  LinkedIn
• Alan Merriman · Executive Chairman (co-founder)
• Karl Rogers · Chief Investment Officer
• Barry Brennan · Venture Partner
• Brian Merriman · Partner
• Niall McEvoy · Head of Venture

Sources

• Elkstone's founder steps aside for new CEO
• Elkstone names new chief executive as Alan Merriman steps down
• Elkstone Closes €100m Fund - Ireland's Largest Early Stage Fund
• Elkstone – 2026 Investor Profile – Tracxn
• The Private Markets Specialist | Elkstone
• News – Elkstone Partners
• Elkstone Partners – ZoomInfo
• Elkstone | LinkedIn
• https://www.businesspost.ie/companies/elkstone-is-closing-its-wealth-division-that-is-not-the-only-major-change-coming/
• https://businessplus.ie/appointed/elkstone-joe-bergin/
• https://thecurrency.news/articles/218152/elkstones-next-chapter-new-ceo-joe-bergin-targets-growth-across-venture-and-real-estate/
• https://ie.linkedin.com/showcase/elkstone-venture
• https://www.eu-startups.com/tag/elkstone/

Other VCs in Ireland

• Atlantic Bridge · Multi-stage VC, Dublin·
• ACT Venture Capital · Multi-stage VC, Dublin·
• Delta Partners · Multi-stage VC, Dublin

Explore VCs by sector

• Generalist in Ireland
• Climate tech in Ireland

Globally

• Generalist worldwide
• Climate tech worldwide

Frequently asked