The Government should introduce a pooled vehicle allowing large institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies to invest in Irish venture capital funds and help boost funding opportunities for start-ups. That is according to Sarah-Jane Larkin, the new director-general of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA). “This would have the biggest long-term impact for sustainability of entrepreneurship and innovation in Ireland,” Ms Larkin told The Irish Times about the strategy for a fund of funds. In many countries, institutional investors often back venture capital funds, but in Ireland the three cornerstone investors in VC to date have been Enterprise Ireland the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (formerly the National Pension Reserve Fund) and the European Investment Fund. In addition, since the onset of the credit crunch in 2008, more than 1,450 Irish SMEs have raised venture capital of €3.6 billion.

Source: The Irish Times January 31, 2018 13:52 UTC