Dublin-founded AI-powered software firm Barespace has launched Barespace Capital, an embedded finance platform enabling salon owners in the hair and beauty sector to access growth funding directly within the platform they already use, addressing a persistent gap in SME lending that traditional financial institutions have struggled to serve.

Silicon Republic reported that the launch follows Barespace's recent €2.9m seed funding round, bringing total capital raised to €4.68m, and marks the firm's evolution from a booking platform into what it describes as an AI-powered operating system for the beauty industry.

Established in Dublin in 2022 by co-founders Conor Moules and Glenn McGoldrick, Barespace works with more than 300 salons across Ireland, the UK, France, and Spain. The firm ranked 56th on Sifted's 2026 list of the 100 fastest-growing Irish and UK start-ups, the highest-ranking seed start-up on the list.

The hair and beauty sector has historically been poorly served by traditional lenders, whose risk assessment models rely on documentation and processes designed for other business types, creating particular difficulties for owner-managed practices with variable cash flow.

Barespace Capital addresses this by using real-time platform data across bookings, product inventory, staff, and payments to generate a live picture of business performance that Moules said no bank ever sees.

CEO Moules said: "Salons run on tight margins and unpredictable cash flow. Traditional banks don't understand the business and most salon owners either go without or jump through hoops for a loan that can take months to approve. Barespace Capital changes that."

Read on the full Barespace Capital launch story on Silicon Republic.