Ms Orla Rimmington:

Regarding discrimination, we do not see that in Ireland. We do not feel there is a bias towards men in VC. Unfortunately, however, we do not see enough women in technology, and that is our key focus. We invest in ICT companies with a particular focus on engineering, and we are just not seeing enough in that. Our job as a VC is to seek the best opportunities, the best teams and ensure they are backed at an early stage.

Unfortunately we just are not seeing the level of companies coming forward. Typically, when we have made investments in companies led by female CEOs, we have initiated those funding discussions, so perhaps they have not thought about approaching venture capital investors. When they do come to us, it is typically on the lower end in terms of investment; they are not looking for series A investment to scale their businesses.