Investment in start-ups rises in Europe

Finance and medical sectors biggest draws

The Web Summit in Lisbon.
The Web Summit in Lisbon.

Investment in early stage technology companies in Europe has risen four-fold over the last three years, according to new research published on Tuesday.

The study shows unprecedented growth in both funding and volume of investments made in pre-revenue companies, with start-ups working in fintech and medtech the biggest draw for investors.

Overall, capital invested in early-stage companies, which typically are yet to go to market, jumped from €875 million in the first half of 2015 to €3.5 billion for the same period this year.

The report, which has been compiled by online payments company Stripe, international business accelerator Tech Stars and Tech.eu, shows French and British start-ups have been the main beneficiaries of the increase in early-stage funding.

READ MORE

“Europe’s tech scene is clearly thriving. To see a fourfold increase in the value of early stage investments in just three years is a huge testament to the continent’s start-up scene,” said Iain McDougall, country manager for UK and Ireland at Stripe.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist