John Flynn, the new chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association
ACT Venture Capital’s managing director John Flynn has been appointed the new chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association.
The Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) is the representative organisation for venture-capital firms in Ireland.
In the last 10 years, Irish venture capitalists (VCs) have invested €1.0bn into Irish SMEs and have leveraged in an additional €1.0bn from international VCs through syndicated deals.
Flynn is currently a board member of four VC-backed firms and manages the AIB Start-up Accelerator Fund, which has invested in 25 companies over the past three years.
He has more than 20 years’ experience in software and technology venture investment. He was previously involved in a number of successful venture-backed companies which have been acquired by international firms for more than €500m.
Prior to joining ACT in 1996, Flynn worked in the UK in various software engineering and business development roles with the international IT services company EDS (acquired by HP). He holds an MBA from Trinity College Dublin and a degree in physics and mathematics from University College Dublin.
A pivotal time for venture investment
Flynn said this is a pivotal time for the venture-capital sector in Ireland, as it has an important role to play in helping to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation.
“Venture capital has an exciting story to tell and for 29 years the IVCA has been an effective voice for our industry. I look forward to building on that strong foundation and positioning the IVCA as the voice of the broader start-up ecosystem.”
