Enterprise Ireland continues to assist client companies seeking commercial funding. As part of these efforts , over 100 venture capital investors from around the world met in November, with 31 leading Irish cleantech and software companies at the Enterprise Ireland International Investor Forum in London. This is a key event in the annual calendar for some of the most exciting and innovative companies emerging in Ireland to showcase their businesses and present new and attractive investment opportunities to investors from the UK, mainland Europe and Japan.
This is the second year of the event, which has seen the numbers participating increase significantly. At the day-long event the Irish companies make their ‘pitch’ to the investors, and will then take part in over 280 one-to-one meetings with individual investors to explore specific investment opportunities. This is a real opportunity for the Irish companies to showcase the depth and quality of technology being commercialised from Ireland to established and respected global venture capitalists and other investors. It is also an opportunity to broaden the international profile of both the Irish cleantech and software sectors.
Opening the event, Feargal Ó Móráin, Director of Innovation, Commercialisation and Investment at Enterprise Ireland said:
“This Forum is a very significant event in terms of forging links between Irish companies and the global investment community. This is a key objective for Enterprise Ireland and we see it as critical to securing continued growth finance for innovative and ambitious Irish companies. The availability of equity finance is a fundamental requirement for the setting-up, growth and development of new knowledge intensive businesses and we see the international investment community as being a critical part of the funding ecosystem. Enterprise Ireland has put significant effort into developing these links and networks across the international investment community and attracting this calibre of international investor to the Forum is an example of what can be achieved.”
The 31 companies participating in the Forum represent some of the best of Ireland’s cleantech and software innovators. These sectors are expanding rapidly in Ireland and are generating new technology-based companies that can excel in world markets. The types of businesses being showcased include new-generation bio-fuels, inventive solar solutions and technologies to harness ocean energy and deliver electricity to the on-shore grid. There are also software technologies for energy monitoring and control, and a novel approach to manage household and industrial waste. Each of the companies participating at the event has demonstrated a focussed and committed approach to research and development.
A full list of the companies participating is available here (pdf)
