NovaUCD, the hub of innovation and startup activities at University College Dublin (UCD), has announced the launch of a new Venture Capitalist in Residence programme and has also announced Gianni Matera, founder of Growing Capital, as its first Venture Capitalist in Residence (VCiR).

The programme, called Nova VCiR, offers experienced investors the opportunity to engage with the NovaUCD entrepreneurial community and support start-ups and early-stage ventures and enables venture capitalists to contribute their expertise to the NovaUCD startup community. 

Simon Factor, head of new ventures and investments, NovaUCD, and Gianni Matera, founder, Growing Capital, the first Venture Capitalist in Residence at NovaUCD.

Deliver an investor masterclass

NovaUCD will only engage with one VCiR at a time and each VCiR programme will last up to six months. As part of the programme the VCiR will hold bi-weekly open office hours for meetings with NovaUCD client companies and deliver an investor masterclass at NovaUCD.

The VCiR will also be available to participate as a mentor and as a speaker on NovaUCD accelerator and business support programmes, review early-stage startup projects and spin-outs and participate in VC pitch panels at associated NovaUCD events.

Simon Factor, head of new ventures and investments at NovaUCD said: “I am delighted to announce the start of a new Venture Capitalist in Residence Programme at NovaUCD and am delighted that Gianni Matera, who has an outstanding track record in supporting and investing in start-ups in Ireland, has agreed to be our first VC in Residence.

'The first of many VCiRs at NovaUCD'

“The Nova VCiR programme is an additional feature to the package of benefits we offer our client companies and provides a way for our founders and entrepreneurs to access and engage with a VC onsite in a structured way. We hope that Gianni will be the first of many VCiRs at NovaUCD over the coming years.”

Gianni Matera founder, Growing Capital said: “I am thrilled to be taking part in this great new initiative at NovaUCD and it is truly an honour to serve as the inaugural Venture Capitalist in Residence.

"Over the next few months, I eagerly anticipate sharing my experiences as an early-stage investor with the vibrant community of NovaUCD founders and I aim to cultivate meaningful relationships with the diverse team of professionals at NovaUCD, known for their successful support of the emerging generations of entrepreneurs.”

Growing Capital is an early-stage investment firm specialising in supporting start-ups with their roots in Ireland. To date, Growing Capital has supported 27 Irish start-ups, including NanobOx, a UCD spin-out company supported through NovaUCD.

Since opening in 2003, NovaUCD has supported 550-plus companies and early-stage ventures and the NovaUCD entrepreneurial community has raised €1.3-plus billion in equity funding.