Leo Hamill, managing partner of Investec Ventures Ireland, has been elected chairperson of the Irish Venture Capital Association.

Hamill replaces Molten Ventures partner Nicola McClafferty who has completed her term of office as the the head of the venture capital and private equity representative organisation.

Venture capital investment into Irish tech start-ups and SMEs hit a record €1.3bn in 2021, an increase of 44% year-on-year.

"In view of global uncertainties and the transient nature of both foreign direct investment and international venture capital, it is more vital than ever that we continue to put the blocks in place to build a vibrant domestic infrastructure of high potential knowledge based companies," Hamill said.

Hamill added that he is optimistic about the prospect for Irish start-ups looking to raise funds in the coming years despite significant falls in the value of global tech stocks and mounting international uncertainty.

In Association with

"Good Irish companies, especially in the tech sector, will always be able to raise funds. A number of Irish venture capital managers have recently completed funding rounds themselves, while the government’s timely €90m Irish innovation seed fund should start to come on stream later in the year," he said.

Hamill has 20 year's SME experience in the IT sector and has worked for 17 years in the venture capital industry. He is a non-executive director of Rainmaker Business Technologies, TerminalFour Solutions, Diona and Davra.

He is a business studies graduate of Trinity College Dublin, and he holds an MBA from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD. 

Irish venture capital and private equity firms have invested €5bn in Irish SMEs since 2003 and have attracted in a further €3bn in funding from international firms through syndication.

Photo: Leo Hamill.