The European Business Angel Network (EBAN) has today started its two-day Congress at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork.
350 business angels, entrepreneurs and business leaders are attending the two-day event, which is the second-largest angel congress in the world.
Among the attendees are Ukrainian entrepreneurs, who will demonstrate the value in investing in Ukraine's start-ups, while also speaking about the challenges that the country's entrepreneurs currently face.
Attendees also include elite business angels and VCs from across Europe and the US.
They will hear speakers including Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General, UN Women; Terence O’Rourke, Chairman of Enterprise Ireland; and Cornelius Schmaltz, the Head of Unit at the European Commission’s European Innovation Council Accelerator.
Pitching events today and tomorrow will see 30 high-potential start-ups from across the EU pitch for investments of €50,000 to €5m.
The event will be a major networking opportunity for attendees and is the first time Europe’s business angels have met in-person in more than two years. It aims to help EBAN to grow business angel investment across Europe from €8 billion to €10 billion by 2025.
Simon Coveney, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence and Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform are also in attendance today.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will deliver a virtual address at the EBAN Cork Gala Awards Dinner tonight.
Michael O'Connor, CEO of CorkBIC, said the event demonstrates the value of the investment community to start-ups in Ireland and across Europe.
"Particularly in times of uncertainty, it is important that we buoy the start-up community to come up with solutions that make a real-world difference," Mr O'Connor said.
"We are delighted to be at maximum capacity for this important event that reconnects Europe's investor and start-up communities. Together, we are stronger," he added.
