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Invest Ireland offers Irish entrepreneurs funding opportunity

28 September 2010

Invest Ireland 2010, the DCU Ryan Academy hosted conference on innovation, opens today, Tuesday through to Thursday. This exciting event aims to connect Ireland’s most aspiring new entrepreneurial ventures with Angel and Venture investors from Ireland and the US with the possibility of up to €30 million funding to be secured.

In total, 11 entrepreneurs will present to investors in the hope of securing a chunk of the seed capital that is ear- marked for investment with emerging growth businesses, start-ups, and university technologies all from Ireland. Presentations will take place on Wednesday throughout the day and will be followed by a series of one- on -one meetings between investors and entrepreneurs as they strive to highlight why their business and their ideas are worth investing in.

Supported and promoted through an Irish / US university partnership, Invest Ireland is based on a tried and tested model that has been in use for over 15 years in Arizona and Mexico. The concept has proved successful with 40% of the 200+ companies who have presented at Invest Southwest having been awarded funding which totals to over $300m.

Over the three days Ryan Academy Citywest Business Campus will be a hub of Irish entrepreneurs, foreign investors and Irish venture capitalists, as Invest Ireland brings them together for this exciting US investor style conference.

Invest Ireland aims to connect investor ready businesses with those capable of providing the funds needed. In total there will be 11 entrepreneurs from ICT and Life Sciences sourced through Universities and IT’s, Invest NI, Entreprise Ireland HPSU’s sponsors, Irish Venture Capitalist Association and open competition. As well as this there will be an exhibition of emerging technologies from SFI funded Centers for Science Engineering & Technologies.

To investors, the conference will offer qualified ventures in which to invest and to entrepreneurs, it will present an efficient way to reach those investors. The conference is held on an all-Ireland basis with support from Invest NI and Intertrade Ireland and the focus will be on both ICT and Life Science business sectors with a high quality preparation programme for start-ups who participate to optimise the results for both investors and entrepreneurs.

Speaking on the decision to host Invest Ireland, Ann Horan, CEO of the DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship said, “Ireland is overflowing with innovative ideas, it is a hub of business possibilities and driven entrepreneurs. We want to provide these entrepreneurs with the opportunity to expand their business by matching the right investor with the right entrepreneur. The US Investors are sourced by Arizona State University, they are venture capitalists and angel investors with the ability to invest in Europe. The Irish Investors are sourced in collaboration with the Irish Venture Capital Association and Invest NI. Last sentence removed here.”

Other sponsors of the event include Grant Thornton, Tomkins IP, Bank of Ireland and Failte Ireland.

The conference is being promoted through the DCU Ryan Academy which exists to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The iconic building in Citywest is growing to be a dynamic hub for entrepreneurs and researchers to develop ideas, learn new skills and network.

About the Ryan Academy (www.ryanacademy.ie) The DCU Ryan Academy is a partnership between Dublin City University and the family of the late Tony Ryan (Ryanair). The Academy exists to promote entrepreneurship and innovation and to use our iconic building in Citywest as a dynamic hub for entrepreneurs and researchers to develop ideas, learn new skills and network. The Ryan Academy is working with researchers and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their potential.

For further information please contact:
Gordon McConnell at Gordon.mcconnell@dcu.ie or mobile 086 8330536
Website: www.investireland.ie