The Ryan Entrepreneurship Fund is a seed investment fund launched in 2014 for start-up companies on LIT’s Tipperary campuses and was established in honour of the late Dr Tony Ryan. The Ryan Entrepreneurship Fund provides support to start-up enterprises based in the county and will primarily be directed towards companies participating in one of the enabling programmes, courses or modules on LIT’s Enterprise Ladder. The founder donors are the One Foundation, Pat McGrath of PM Group, Clancy Construction and the Thurles Chamber of Commerce. The aim of the fund is to invest in start-up businesses to help sustain them through the development stage and stimulate job creation in the county. Successful applicants will receive up to €25,000 each in funding for their companies.
“We are delighted to launch this fund, primarily as it will support Tipperary based businesses on our Enterprise Ladder programmes at a vital and often challenging stage of their operations,” said LIT president Dr Maria Hinfelaar. “We are also particularly pleased that the family of the late Dr Ryan has agreed to the name of the fund in his memory.
“It is only right that a fund that supports innovation would be launched in his home town of Thurles in Co Tipperary. This is a historic location in cultural terms thanks to it being the birthplace of the GAA but very much historical in a business sense also as it gave not just Tipperary but Ireland one of its most dynamic and inspirational business leaders.
“We hope that the companies that benefit and prosper through the support of this fund will take inspiration from the fearless innovation shown by Dr Ryan throughout his career.”
Contact Gillian.Barry@lit.ie for more information.