One of the world's top angel investors is coming here to school startup backers

ONE OF THE founders of storied US seed fund and accelerator 500 Startups will headline a Dublin event designed to encourage more early stage financing for young companies.

So-called ‘super angel’ Dave McClure will be among the headline speakers at the AngelSummit Europe next month.

The event is put on by the international Startup Angels organisation, which aims to increase the number of investors and amount of funding available to young companies worldwide, in partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs.

McClure’s organisation, founded in 2011, has invested in more than 500 companies, while he has personally backed a string of startups that have since been snapped up by the likes of Google and Amazon.

He recently railed against claims global startup funding was drying up, telling a panel discussion there was “still plenty of money out there for great companies”.

Some 300 attendees are expected to be at the event for both new and expert startup investors.

No monopoly

Startup Angels founder and CEO Leslie Jump said while startups and ideas had become “ubiquitous”, early stage capital wasn’t as common.

“Silicon Valley is great, but it doesn’t have a monopoly on great ideas and investment in the good ideas coming from Europe should be encouraged and the benefits outlined to potential angel investors.”

Qualcomm Ventures Europe managing director Jason Ball and Global Invest Her founder Anne Ravanona have also been announced among the speakers.

Jump said Ireland’s ecosystem for early stage companies was “analogous to a lean startup” as it had an international focus with “every bit” of money counting.

A lack of seed funding in Ireland has been highlighted as one of the main threats to the growth of promising new firms. Total seed funding in the country was worth only €44 million, a more than 50% drop on the previous year’s tally.