Private equity and venture capital take equity stakes in businesses in Ireland across a wide-range of sectors. In return for investment into the company, private equity and venture capital funds receive an equity stake in the business and for the duration of the investment they work with the investee company management teams to support growth plans and make improvements to the business with the aim of increasing its value.
The duration of the investment varies but generally it is between four to seven years. This means there is a long term and relationship between investor and investee. Creating long term and sustainable value in a business is key to the private equity and venture capital model. This means improving the business over the lifetime of the investment, so that by the time it comes to sell the equity stake, the company is stronger and is worth more than when the investment was first made.
A thriving venture capital industry is a vital component of a successful economy. Venture Capital increases the quality of innovation and has a far-reaching impact on competitiveness. There are spin off effects on job creation, patent applications and economic growth. More detail about these benefits can be found in our economic impact studies.