Select Ireland

What Select Ireland does

Select Ireland is a Dublin-based specialist business consultancy founded in 2014 by CEO Susan Barrett to help Irish and Chinese companies develop cross-border business opportunities. The firm operates across five service lines: Education (study tours and student placement), Equestrian (horse sourcing and training programme facilitation for international buyers), Business Tourism (customised industry familiarisation tours), Representation Services (market entry support including trade fair representation and stakeholder liaison), and Irish Immigrant Investor Programme advisory. In March 2022 the firm added a sixth vertical, PropTech, through a strategic alliance with Spike Global, under which Select Ireland promotes Spike's property management software to the Irish real estate sector.

The company does not develop proprietary technology. Its core deliverable is bespoke advisory work delivered by a five-person team, monetised through professional services fees. Revenue is generated per engagement rather than through subscription or transaction-based models. Customer acquisition relies on the CEO's leadership role in the Ireland China Business Association, her personal equestrian industry network (Goffs, Horse Racing Ireland, Irish National Stud, Clonshire), and active participation in trade missions, exhibitions, and seminars in both markets. The firm is bootstrapped and privately held with no external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors disclosed.

The business model is inherently constrained by founder dependency: the CEO's bilingual networks, equestrian credentials, and association leadership are simultaneously the primary sales channel, the primary delivery resource, and the primary differentiator. Geographic scope is intentionally narrow, limited to the Ireland-China corridor, with no stated ambitions to extend to additional country pairs. The IIP advisory vertical in particular is sensitive to Irish government policy changes to the Immigrant Investor Programme.

Name

Select Ireland

Legal name

Select Ireland

Website

https://selectireland.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Select Ireland is a Dublin-based specialist consultancy founded in 2014 by Susan Barrett that helps Irish and Chinese companies pursue cross-border business opportunities across education, equestrian, business tourism, market representation, and the Immigrant Investor Programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-border Business Consultancy

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Recruitment & Lead Generation Agencies (EDAIACAA)

Keywords

• Cross-border business consultancy
• Market entry advisory
• Immigrant investor advisory
• Equestrian industry services
• Education consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Consultancy Services: Select Ireland provides specialist business consultancy services helping Irish and Chinese companies grow and develop their businesses in the Ireland-China market. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for advisory, representation, and facilitation services.
2. Immigrant Investor Programme Advisory: Select Ireland assists non-EEA nationals in navigating the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), helping investors identify approved investment projects. The company ensures projects match qualifying criteria and client business objectives.
3. Education Services: Organises educational programmes including study tours, familiarisation visits, and academic programmes for Chinese students coming to Ireland and Irish students going to China.
4. Equestrian Services: Provides equestrian industry services including horse sourcing, training programmes, and equestrian management for international buyers, particularly in the Chinese market.
5. Business Tourism and Event Management: Arranges customised industry familiarisation tours, investment tours, plant visits, and events for business clients combining cultural experiences with focused business itineraries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Select Ireland is a specialist business consultancy that helps Irish and Chinese companies grow and develop their businesses in the Ireland-China market. It delivers tailored advisory and representation services across Education, Equestrian, Business Tourism, Representation Services, the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme, and PropTech advisory (delivered through partnership with Spike Global). Engagements are bespoke and project-based, combining cross-cultural competence with sector-specific expertise and high-level Irish and Chinese business networks.

Product overview

Select Ireland is a specialist business consultancy that provides advisory and representation services across six distinct sectors: Education, Equestrian, Business Tourism, Representation Services, Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), and PROPTECH. The company does not offer a unified software product but rather provides consultancy services tailored to helping Irish and Chinese companies develop business opportunities between the two countries. The PROPTECH offering operates through a strategic partnership with Spike Global, where Select Ireland promotes Spike's property management software solutions in the Irish market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Services Advisory and consultation services helping Chinese and Irish companies and students navigate cross-border educational opportunities, including familiarisation tours, academic study tours, student recruitment, and educational institution selection.
• Equestrian Services Equestrian industry services including horse sourcing for international buyers (particularly the Chinese market), equestrian familiarisation tours, customised training programmes, summer camps, and consultation services.
• Business Tourism / Industry Familiarisation Tours Business tourism and industry familiarisation tour services, including customised investment tours, plant and laboratory visits, and event planning around sporting events, combining cultural experiences with focused business itineraries.
• Representation Services Market representation services helping companies enter new markets by providing stakeholder liaison, networking at trade fairs, marketing campaign management, and market penetration support in Ireland and China.
• PropTech Advisory PropTech advisory services delivered through a strategic partnership with Spike Global to accelerate adoption of property management and resident engagement software solutions (Spike Lettings, Spike Living, Spike Student) in the Irish build-to-rent, student accommodation, and co-living sectors.
• Irish Immigrant Investor Programme Advisory Advisory services for the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme, helping non-EEA nationals identify approved investment opportunities (Enterprise Investment, Investment Funds, REITs, or Endowment) to acquire Irish residency status.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spike GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland formed a strategic alliance with Spike Global, a leading property management and resident engagement software provider, to accelerate adoption of Spike's solutions in Ireland. The partnership leverages Select Ireland's understanding of the Irish real estate sector to help operators and developers benefit from technology to improve residence experience and reduce operating costs. Solutions include Spike Lettings, Spike Living, and Spike Student targeting build-to-rent, student accommodation, and co-living sectors.
• Clonshire Equestrian CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland has an ongoing partnership with Clonshire Equestrian Centre, Adare, Co. Limerick to promote it to the Chinese market. Clonshire is one of Ireland's best known equestrian training centres, used by University of Limerick for equine science programmes. Select Ireland represents Clonshire at major equestrian exhibitions in China including China Horse Fair.
• Beijing Concord College of Sino CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland signed an MOU with Beijing Concord College of Sino Canada at the Irish Embassy in Beijing. The partnership involves organizing study programmes to China for Irish transition year students and for Chinese students to come to Ireland for high school study periods.
• GoffscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland is associated with Goffs, Ireland's leading bloodstock and equine sales company, promoting the Irish horse industry internationally.
• Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland works with Horse Racing Ireland as part of its associate network for equestrian industry promotion.
• Irish National StudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland is associated with the Irish National Stud as part of its equestrian industry network.
• China Horse Industry AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland maintains a relationship with the China Horse Industry Association as part of its cross-border equestrian business development.
• AlltechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland is associated with Alltech as part of its equestrian and agricultural industry network.
• Enterprise IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland works with Enterprise Ireland's Greater China office, as evidenced by Director Gary Fallon's presence at the MOU signing with Beijing Concord College.
• Meet in IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland is associated with Meet in Ireland, Ireland's business events and meetings infrastructure body.
• Brown ThomasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Ireland is associated with Brown Thomas as part of its network of Irish premium brands and services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• HLB International: Global accounting and advisory network with cross-border capabilities for SMEs. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same mid-market advisory space.
• KPMG Ireland: Big Four accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated China practice and inbound/outbound investment advisory. Competes for larger cross-border mandates that Select Ireland cannot staff.

Direct peers

• Study Group: International education provider offering pathway and study abroad programmes with strong China-sourcing capabilities. Directly comparable to Select Ireland's education and student recruitment services.
• Dezan Shira & Associates: Pan-Asia business advisory firm helping European and North American companies enter and operate in China. Closest comparable private-sector cross-border consultancy in the China corridor.
• INTO University Partnerships: Global education pathway provider partnering with universities to recruit international students, including from China. Directly comparable to Select Ireland's education services line.
• British Irish Chamber of Commerce: Cross-border chamber of commerce supporting business between Ireland and the UK, with networking and trade services. Similar model to Select Ireland's representation services but on a different axis.
• Fragomen: Global immigration law firm with significant investor visa and residency-by-investment practices. Comparable to Select Ireland's Immigrant Investor Programme advisory vertical.
• China-Britain Business Council: Membership organisation facilitating cross-border commercial engagement between UK and Chinese businesses. Most structurally similar peer to Select Ireland, with the geographic swap of Ireland for UK.

Others

• Enterprise Ireland: Government agency supporting Irish companies to internationalise, including into Greater China. Select Ireland's deep private-network ties and association leadership complement Enterprise Ireland's public-sector mandate in the same corridor.

Emerging players

• Asia Market Entry Consulting: Niche consultancy advising SMEs on market entry into China. A smaller, more focused competitor with overlapping buyer profile but limited Irish exposure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/select-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Select Ireland