Recruitment drive under way to find 75 new ‘business angels’

Plans are afoot to sign up 75 new “business angels” this year to invest in fast-growing Irish start-ups.

The Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN), a joint initiative of InterTradeIreland and Enterprise Ireland, is looking to convince more investors to join its programme and in doing so, make an additional €15 million in funds available for fledgling companies.

“We want to deliver a quality flow of pre-qualified, high-potential investments to our business angels and for the eco-system to function at its maximum capacity,” said John Phelan, national director of HBAN.

Invested

Some €90 million has been invested in Irish start-ups associated with HBAN since 2007 with start-ups such as salon software company Phorest, medical devices firm Ostoform, craft brewery Wicklow Wolf and fintech Payslip, among those to receive backing in recent years.

Apple sales warning: Have we fallen out of love with new iPhones?

---

Apple blames China weakness for rare revenue warning

---

How to . . . upgrade your console’s storage

---

Housing crisis leading digital workers to look outside Dublin

---

HBAN intends to start its “recruitment drive” for new business angels at a one-day conference to be held at the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow next month.

Among the speakers lined up to appear at the event are AMCS co-founder and chief executive Jimmy Martin, former BT Young Scientist of the Year and Forbes "30 under 30" listee, Shane Curran, and Marianne Hudson, a serial investor and executive director of Angel Capital Association, reportedly the world's leading association for angel investors.