Irish sports tech momentum is building again, and the latest signal comes from Enterprise Ireland-backed nutrition platform Hexis. The Enterprise Ireland portfolio company has secured a €1.85 million seed round to deepen its presence in elite sport and prepare for a major direct-to-consumer launch later in 2026.
The funding round was led by returning investor APEX Capital, with participation from Enterprise Ireland and ScaleX. The new capital is expected to help Hexis strengthen its practitioner tools for professional teams while also scaling the consumer-facing side of the business. For readers tracking innovation through gov.ie, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland updates, the deal highlights how Irish performance-tech startups are moving from niche B2B products into larger global markets.
Enterprise Ireland-backed Hexis lands €1.85M seed round
Hexis, headquartered in Dublin, has built its reputation around carbohydrate periodisation and personalised sports nutrition. Its platform is already used by professional teams and athletes across the UK, Europe, the United States and Australia, spanning football, cycling and endurance disciplines.
According to the announcement, APEX Capital first invested in Hexis during its pre-seed stage in 2024 and has now doubled down with this latest round. That follow-on backing reflects confidence in both the scientific model behind the platform and its commercial growth trajectory.
- Seed round total: €1.85 million
- Lead investor: APEX Capital
- Other participants: Enterprise Ireland and ScaleX
- Main growth targets: elite sport expansion and direct-to-consumer launch
How the platform works
Hexis uses training and wearable data to create personalised fuelling plans. Its integration network now includes Garmin, WHOOP, Apple Health, Catapult and STATSports, allowing nutrition guidance to adjust in near real time based on athlete workload and recovery signals.
The company also reported a 33% increase in headcount, underlining broader operational growth as it scales internationally.
Read more: Ireland business funding news and startup growth updates | Irish tech companies expanding into global markets
What the new Enterprise Ireland investment will fund
The fresh funding will support additional development of Hexis’s Coach Hub, a practitioner-focused tool designed for performance staff working with entire squads. The company also plans to invest in athlete-facing product features and the infrastructure required to support a wider consumer audience.
Senior hiring is already part of that plan. Hexis has added a Vice President of Performance Solutions to reinforce its elite sport offer and a new Head of Growth to lead its consumer expansion strategy.
CEO and co-founder Dr. David Dunne said the long-term ambition is to become a global nutrition operating system for human performance. In practical terms, that means bridging the gap between wearable-based training insights and nutrition planning, an area the company sees as underdeveloped compared with other parts of performance analytics.
Why this matters for Ireland’s innovation ecosystem
This Enterprise Ireland-supported raise is also significant for the wider Irish startup landscape. Agencies and public bodies such as gov.ie, the Department of the Taoiseach, Finance, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Revenue Commissioners, the CSO and the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) all track the importance of scaling export-led businesses. Hexis fits that pattern: a science-led Irish company building internationally from day one.
Keith Brock, who leads Enterprise Ireland’s sports tech portfolio, said the backing reflects confidence in the science, founders and global ambition behind the business. That message aligns with broader national priorities around innovation, research commercialisation and international competitiveness.
Explore more: Irish sports tech innovation and global investment trends | Enterprise Ireland supported companies scaling internationally
What comes next for Hexis
Hexis was founded by Dr. David Dunne, Dr. Xiaoxi Yan and Dr. Sam Impey, combining expertise in behaviour change science, data science and metabolism. That research-driven base has helped the company win credibility among elite teams, including a notable footprint in professional football and cycling.
If the consumer rollout succeeds, Hexis could become one of the more closely watched Irish sports-tech firms this year. For Enterprise Ireland, the deal is another example of a homegrown company using scientific expertise, software integrations and international demand to build scale beyond Ireland.
In short, the Enterprise Ireland-backed Hexis raise is more than a funding announcement. It marks a key step in taking an elite performance platform into the mainstream consumer market, with Ireland once again producing a startup with serious global potential.
Article/Image Courtesy: Enterprise Ireland
