Enterprise Ireland ranked as ‘top VC investor’ globally
PitchBook has named Enterprise Ireland as the world’s most active venture capital investor by deal count, with more than 350 investments last year.
Having come in second place in last year’s rankings, Enterprise Ireland has been named as the most active VC investor globally by PitchBook.
The PitchBook platform is used by almost 100,000 VC, private equity, angel investors and investment professionals for data, research and technology profiles of global start-ups. Its annual global rankings show the most active investors around the world by deal count.
In 2020, Enterprise Ireland took the number one spot globally, with a total of 351 investments made. The State agency also retained its top spot as most active investor in Europe.
More than a third of Enterprise Ireland’s 2020 investments went to early-stage companies. The agency revealed last week that €48m was invested in start-ups in 2020, with 125 new companies funded.
Kevin Sherry, executive director of Enterprise Ireland, said 2020 was a successful year for Irish start-ups, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Now, more than ever, we need to be innovative and carve out more niches in international markets where business can thrive,” he said.
Enterprise Ireland took the top spot in PitchBook’s rankings from Californian venture fund and seed accelerator 500 Startups, which was in second place globally in 2020 with 254 investments.
Leo McAdams, head of investment services at Enterprise Ireland, said the agency is delighted to take the place as “the top VC investor worldwide”.
“It is a testament to the important role that Enterprise Ireland investments play in supporting the expansion of new and established Irish companies, resulting in increased exports and employment,” he added.
The news comes on the same week as the annual Enterprise Ireland Start-up Showcase, which highlights early-stage companies and high-potential start-ups.
Earlier this month, the agency launched its latest €1m Competitive Start Fund. This will provide up to €50,000 in equity funding for early-stage start-ups and the agency said it is especially interested in hearing from start-ups that can help address the climate crisis.
Reporting: Silicon Republic, Jenny Darmody