In this paper we introduce invariants of semi-free Hamiltonian actions of $S\sp 1$ on compact symplectic manifolds (which satisfy some technical conditions related to positivity) using the space of solutions to certain gauge theoretical equations. These equations generalize at the same time the vortex equations and the holomorphicity equation used in Gromov-Witten theory. In the definition of the invariants we combine ideas coming from gauge theory and the ideas underlying the construction of Gromov-Witten invariants. This paper is based on a part of my PhD Thesis (see math/9912150).