A group of Irish tech entrepreneurs has received support from Enterprise Ireland for plans to travel to Silicon Valley this December with a view to building contacts with investors and technology companies there.
Enterprise Ireland will not only endorse the trip but also provide facilities and contacts for the ad hoc group known as Paddy’s Valley, giving it “much needed validation”, said tour organiser Conor O’Neill.
“Enterprise Ireland is greatly respected in Silicon Valley and we’ll have a lot more doors opened for us now as a result of this,” added O’Neill.
Paddy’s Valley was created after native start-up tech companies looked to Silicon Valley and the myriad of investment opportunities there, aiming to cultivate an enterprise culture here in Ireland.
“We are delighted to see grass-roots initiatives such Paddy’s Valley taking place,” said Benjamin Mosse, market advisor with Enterprise Ireland’s New York base.
“As the US is the largest single destination for Irish software exports, representing Irish exports of over €500m in 2006, it is critical for Irish entrepreneurs to think internationally and develop links to the US at a very early stage.”
Paddy’s Valley co-organiser James Corbett said the trip aims to showcase the range of investment potential for Silicon Valley businesses in the Irish tech scene, and demonstrate the range of Irish intellectual property that could be licensed by these companies.
By Marie Boran
