Devere Hall, University College Cork, Ireland
Presented by Tairseach Gateway Ventures
Complimentary admission for applications received before 1 December 2026. Applications close 15 December 2026.
Apply nowPassage West is a one-day business summit designed to help Irish start-ups and university spin-outs enter and succeed in the U.S. market.
Tairseach Gateway Ventures brings together subject-matter experts, representatives of U.S. state trade and economic development organisations, potential investors and other U.S. and Irish professionals who can help Irish companies enter, establish themselves and grow in the United States.
Attendance is limited and by application only.
The summit focuses on practical approaches to U.S. market entry.
Where there is demand for your product or service in the U.S., and how to judge the size of the opportunity.
Setting up a U.S. presence, protecting your intellectual property, staying compliant, handling tax and getting the visas your team may need.
Reaching your first U.S. customers and building partnerships that open doors.
How U.S. investors look at Irish companies, and how to prepare for those conversations.
Finding the distributors, manufacturers and supply partners that get your product to U.S. customers.
Working with state agencies and service providers to set up, hire and grow in the U.S.
Specialists in U.S. legal, intellectual property, immigration, tax, regulatory, finance and business development matters.
Representatives who can explain why their state could be the right base for your U.S. operations.
People looking for Irish companies to invest in, buy from or build with.
People who help turn university research into companies.
The aim is to help you make informed decisions about U.S. expansion and to strengthen collaboration between Ireland and the United States.
Thursday 28 January 2027 at University College Cork. Speakers, session topics and timings will be announced.
Collect your badge and meet other attendees.
Two sessions.
Lunch and a keynote address.
Two sessions, including selected investment pitches.
Networking to end the day.
Applications are made through Luma. Choose “Request to Join” and answer the questions. We review every application before confirming attendance.
Applications close 15 December 2026.
Open the application on Luma (opens in a new tab)
Luma handles applications, so its privacy policy applies to the information you submit there.
Devere Hall, Student Centre, College Road, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Shuttles will run to and from Cork Train Station on the day.
Accommodation
Special rates will be available to summit attendees at The River Lee.
The hotel is on Western Road in Cork, a five-minute walk from the University College Cork campus.
Rates and booking details will be announced soon.
Event partner opportunities
Be in the room. Be at the table.
Every partnership level includes logo placement across event promotion, and attendee lists are shared with all partners. Each level also offers an enhanced “+” option. Choose a level and, if you like, one of its “+” options, then email us for details and pricing.
150 invited companies
Recommended by Irish university research institutes, these companies will fill the seats to hear from panels, partners and keynote speakers on the best ways to market, sell and scale their products and services in the United States.
Attendees bring ideas, products and services born out of Irish university research to learn the best path to the U.S. market. These companies, some seeking investment, need the services our event partners provide. From accounting to banking, OEM agreements to manufacturing partners and insurance to legal, the room will be full of potential customers you can reach when you are in the room and at the table.
Lead partner
Primary visibility across the entire summit
Upgrade to Platinum+ by adding one of these to your Platinum partnership.
Gold partner
Secondary visibility across the summit
Upgrade to Gold+ by adding one of these to your Gold partnership.
Silver partner
Supporting visibility across the summit
Upgrade to Silver+ to add:
Aidan McNary-Hickey
Head of Partnerships
Want to combine options or have something else in mind? Get in touch.
Tairseach Gateway Ventures CLG is a non-profit company registered in the Republic of Ireland.
Tairseach, Irish for “threshold”, is a non-profit that helps turn research from Irish universities into successful, globally scaled companies.
We work alongside universities and researchers to identify promising technologies early, support founders and help young companies cross the gap between research and commercial scale. Rather than building a standalone incubator, we work through the universities and research centres that already exist, bringing expertise, networks and commercialisation support without adding facility costs for start-ups.
We engage with researchers before a spin-out is formed, helping them prepare for financing, commercialisation, governance, legal and accounting needs, management and market strategy.
We provide hands-on support to establish boards, recruit executives, develop commercial strategy and prepare to raise investment and scale.
We make connections in the United States with customers, investors, strategic partners, manufacturers and state economic development organisations.
We pay particular attention to the west of Ireland and to regional strengths such as photonics in Cork, biomaterials in Limerick and medtech in Galway, alongside deep tech, biotechnology and AI.
Tairseach Gateway Ventures CLG is a non-profit company registered in the Republic of Ireland.
Anything else? Email summit@tairseach.org.
Irish start-ups, spin-outs, founders and entrepreneurs who are affiliated with an Irish university research institute.
Admission is complimentary for applications received before 1 December 2026. Applications close on 15 December 2026.
No. Attendance is limited to 150, so we accept one person per applying organisation.
No. We review every application and will contact you with our decision and next steps.
Applications open on 1 November 2026 and close on 15 December 2026. Apply through Luma using the form on this page by choosing “Request to Join”. We review every application before confirming attendance.
The afternoon sessions include selected investment pitches. If you’d like to be considered, mention it in your application or email us.
Choose a partnership level in the “Partner with the summit” section and use its email button, or email summit@tairseach.org. We’ll send you details and pricing. Partnerships are booked on a first come, first served basis.
The summit is in Devere Hall, in the Student Centre at University College Cork. Shuttles will run to and from Cork Train Station.
Special rates will be available to summit attendees at The River Lee on Western Road, a five-minute walk from the University College Cork campus. Rates and booking details will be announced soon.
