Dublin firms received more than four times more venture capital funding in the first quarter of the year than the rest of the country combined.

Ireland’s first rural digital hub in Skibbereen, Co Cork, is looking for innovative startups to express an interest in a €300,000 seed capital fund.

Even for a company specialising in cutting-edge radar technology, Limerick company Arralis could hardly have seen the past week coming.

Start-up companies’ obsession with chasing venture capital funding at the expense of focusing on their customers could be jeopardising their long-term future by not setting the right foundations for success.

Venture capital funding to SMEs rose over 40% to €401m last year, the highest level seen for 10 years.

Irish venture capital firm Kernel Capital is to invest €400,000 in Certification Europe, continuing the strong growth in venture funds secured by Irish companies to date this year.

The economy is clearly revving up for growth, but can the rebound really be sustained if one of its key motors, the country’s indigenous enterprises, lack the financial wherewithal to allow them to partake in the expansion both at home and abroad?

Government policies on taxation and the creation of jobs are completely out of sync, according to the Irish Venture Capital Association.

Start-ups continue to manage to tap venture capital funding despite the credit crunch with companies pulling down €52.1m from investors in the first three months of 2013.

A survey at a business breakfast yesterday found that 73% of business leaders felt the budget would be either positive or have no negative impact on their business.

Venture capital chief says there’s plenty of money available for start-ups, writes John Hearne.

Cross-border business development agency, InterTrade Ireland, has warned of a “funding gap” in post-seed capital financing for Irish companies.

IRISH technology firms raised a combined total of just under €162 million through venture capital investment in the first half of 2011, although a dearth of available funding is anticipated next year.

THE private sector needs to make “a leap of faith” and support Irish venture capitalists over the next 12 months in order for the industry to be recapitalised, a conference heard yesterday.

Ireland's leading venture capitalists are calling on software entrepreneurs to participate in next month's Annual Software Investor Forum in Dublin.

SUPPORT for Irish technology companies is gathering pace, according to a survey.

Dublin: Six ambitious Software start-ups and SMEs met six of the countries biggest venture capitalists at the Software Investment Forum.

Businesses seeking access to funds are being urged to look at alternative sources of income in light of the liquidity crisis facing the Irish banking sector.

IRISH firms bucked the international trend, raising almost €220 million in venture capital (VC) investment in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 26% on last year.

A TOTAL of €54 million of venture capital funding was raised by Irish companies during the first quarter of this year, significantly bucking the international trend where spend in leading economies was down on a year-on-year basis.

IRISH companies seeking venture capital funding felt the pinch in the third quarter of the year as the amount raised fell by €5 million to almost €71m.

IRELAND has been knocked off the top spot in a list of the attractiveness of European countries when it comes to tax and the legal environment.

FUNDS raised by Irish technology firms have fallen by close to €20 million this year, while the number of companies looking for financing more than doubled.

IRISH venture capital companies are on track to have up to €1.4 billion available for investment in Irish industry by the end of the year.

PROFESSOR Michael Donnelly, chief executive of Growcorp, has been elected chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA).

MANAGING director of ACT Venture Capital, Niall Carroll, has been elected chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association. He replaces Des Fahey, chief executive of the Dublin Business Innovation Centre, who has completed his term of office.

VENTURE capital investment will have to quadruple to €4 billion over the next five years if marketplace demands are to be met, according to the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA).

VENTURE capital (VC) investment has to quadruple to over €4 billion in the next five years if Ireland is to catch up with the rest of the world, a new study warns.

VENTURE Capital investment in Irish firms fell by €369 million last year, a 69% drop to €166m, figures released by PricewaterhouseCooper reveal.

Ireland now lags Europe in terms of annual venture capital investment as a percentage of GDP, a private equity conference heard today.

IRISH venture capitalists see a major upswing in the sell-off and flotation of start-up companies in which they have invested close to €1 billion.

VENTURE capital figures for last year paint a mixed picture for the sector, especially when it comes to Irish support for the sector.

IRISH venture capitalists’ investments in Irish companies broke all records in 2003 hitting €255m and there is a further €250m looking for suitable deals.

Investment in Irish venture capital companies recovered in 2003, with €255m being invested in 187 companies. €105m was invested in 2002.

VENTURE capitalists have plenty of cash to invest in worthy startup and developing enterprises, the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) declared yesterday.

INVESTMENTS by the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) fell by84 million last year — a 60% drop — with the bulk of investments going into technology companies despite the downturn in the sector.

A new report released by the Irish Venture Capital Association reveals that indigenous technology companies are performing relatively well when it comes to raising new funds.