Mayo CEO of Silicon Valley firm returns home to lead big business event

The chief executive and managing partner of a leading Silicon Valley investment firm will return to her West of Ireland roots tomorrow morning (Tuesday) to lead an exclusive event for scaling businesses at Platform94 in Galway.

A native of Castlebar and a graduate of the then National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Máire P. Walsh now heads up climate investment and advisory firm Belayer, based in the renowned global technological innovation hub.

She will lead the hour-long event from 10.30 a.m. tomorrow morning at Platform94, sharing valuable insights on navigating the fundraising landscape to help businesses scale on a global level.

The Belayer CEO has been invited to address and meet with businesses from across the region at Platform94, the west of Ireland’s largest technology innovation centre.

She will share her extensive knowledge and expertise in a session entitled ‘Insights from Silicon Valley: Navigating the Fundraising Frontier.’

Leveraging her personal and professional experience, the event will focus on enabling companies to conquer their fundraising goals.

This event is very much in keeping with the priorities of the host venue, where the team is committed to establishing Platform94 as an international centre of excellence for scaling technology businesses.

In her address, Walsh will examine four key areas, beginning with Navigating Choppy Waters, exploring the challenges startups face with fundraising, and effective strategies to navigate through them.

Next on the agenda will be Unravelling Investor Trends, where attendees will gain exclusive access to the latest investor trends shaping the Silicon Valley funding ecosystem.

This will give firms an opportunity to discover what investors are looking for in a startup and how to position their companies for success.

The third topic will be Strategic Advice for Startups, presenting actionable advice from industry experts on optimising fundraising strategies.

From crafting a compelling pitch to building meaningful relationships with investors, startups will discover the secrets to securing the capital needed to thrive.

Finally, there will be an Interactive Q&A session, where businesses can engage directly with a panel of experts, pose burning questions, seek personalised advice, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs facing similar challenges.

A former SVP of Digital Technologies at Enterprise Ireland, Walsh drove significant impact for deep tech and travel technology startups, earning her the ITLG Silicon Valley 50 Award in both 2020 and 2023.

Her contributions have also been recognised by The Irish Times, where she was named as one of the most influential Irish women, in technology, abroad.

She holds an MBS from NUIG, and her career is a testament to her unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Her work not only showcases professional excellence but also a profound dedication to making a positive impact on the startup world.

She joined Belayer in January 2022 and is currently CEO and Managing Partner.

The firm’s mission is to connect Silicon Valley knowledge, network, and capital with the most promising European startups.

It invests directly in startups, provides guidance on scaling in global markets, and facilitates connections between European startups and US global capital.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow morning’s event, the newly appointed Platform94 CEO, Marie Donnellan, said she was delighted to be welcoming Walsh.;

“We are thrilled to be hosting Máire P. Walsh at Platform94 tomorrow and very much look forward to her address.

"One of our core focuses here at Platform94 is in providing a platform to support established innovative businesses to scale internationally. Máire specialises in investing, and in bridging the gap between Silicon Valley's wealth of knowledge, expansive network, and capital, to European startups.

"She brings a huge amount of experience and expertise to tomorrow’s event and I think we can build a really strong and mutually beneficial alliance into the future.”