Following its ‘Entrepreneur Experience’ event in April, CorkBIC held an ‘Investor Day’ in Cork this week, which involved coaching from entrepreneurs and a pitching session to angel investors.
Eight pre-screened emerging entrepreneurs from start-up or scaling companies presented to 26 angel investors and got feedback on their investor readiness.
Eugene Murphy from Tweekaboo.com was one of the participants. His digital diary platform enables parents to create a record of their children’s early years with their smartphones in a way that is secure, easy to update and share.
“The Entrepreneur Experience was an incredible platform for start-ups like me to get advice and coaching and point me in the right direction; it was angel dust for start-ups! The Investor Day was the perfect follow-on event as we have had time to put that coaching and advice into action and pitch in front of some key investors, like Bill Liao,” said Murphy.
Helen Dowd of Virginia Health Foods was also there; she supplies the retail and catering market with a range of health foods based on milled flaxseed, gluten-free bread mixes and protein powders.
BAP – 75 deals in four years
CorkBIC’s Business Angel Partnership (BAP) has completed 75 seed capital deals over the past four years, raising more than €28m of equity seed funding of which €14m was sourced from private equity business angels registered with the BAP.
“The Investor Day is a unique event in Ireland combining coaching with hardnosed pitching. This was no dress rehearsal and we have received some great feedback from some of the investors,” said Michael O’Connor, CEO, CorkBIC.
“There is a vibrant private equity market emerging in Ireland and even though we are in a recession, a small group of high net-worth individuals who have an appetite for risk and have cash are looking for investment. As a result, the BAP is on course in Ireland to do over 30 deals this year.”
Photo: Entrepreneurs prepare for ‘Investor Day’ at CorkBIC
