Full coverage: Venture capital

With eight months to go to Budget 2025, ministers were already flying kites before an audience of founders on Thursday.

New ventures in Ireland are facing a continuing challenge in raising funds, despite continued growth and job creation. Is the State’s investment strategy to blame?

Founded by Conor Sharpe and Barry O’Neill, CircleRock Capital hopes to back up to 25 companies this year. It has just hired four experienced new venture partners to help it get there.

Elkstone's venture, property and wealth management divisions are growing fast but it wants to do even more. As part of that strategy, co-founder Alan Merriman says the company wants to bridge the investment gap between Ireland and the US.

Backed with €68 million of ISIF money, the $4 billion New York investment firm Energy Impact Partners is seeking companies to back while nurturing Ireland’s climate tech ecosystem.

Richard Barnwell, who has transitioned from games studio founder to VC, discusses the unique challenges that games start-ups face in raising money.

It feels like the state is placing the bulk of its bets way too early. Rebalancing towards later-stage supports could also encourage more angel investors to step in to support start-ups.

CircleRock has invested €25m in 14 start-ups so far in Europe from syndicates of angel investors and family offices. Founded by Barry O’Neill and Conor Sharpe, it is now making a new investment every three weeks.

Do I think Neumann is sleazy and destroys value at any given opportunity? Yup. Do I think Flow is potentially a great deal for Andreessen Horowitz? Also, yes. The discrepancy between my feelings for both of these questions boils down to the changing nature of venture capital dynamics.

Most of Europe is not creating the right people who can build things. Meanwhile, the European government funding ecosystem is broken and following the wrong strategy. So, let’s not continue to kid ourselves that everything is okay.