Internet Growth Alliance Update

IGA Announce Strategy of Expertise, Funding and Networking to Help Irish Internet Business Scale Internationally

The Internet Growth Alliance, a business led initiative that was recently launched to support the international growth ambitions of Irish Internet businesses, has announced its core strategy based on early day discussion and feedback - expertise, funding and network.

The Alliance is made up of several Irish based associations including the Irish Internet Association, Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Software Association and the Institute of International and European Affairs. They are joined by several leading industry people who have established their businesses internationally such as Cubic Telecom's Pat Phelan, and Colm Lyon of Realex Payments. The Alliance is aimed towards internet and not traditional software businesses and its aim is to collaborate and find practical ways to help internet businesses scale internationally.

Expertise

The IGA has decided to focus on this issue first, confirming that Enterprise Ireland have agreed to create and run an Internet Growth Acceleration Programme.

This is a multi-module development programme that will run over several weeks covering everything from strategy, monetising your web application, SEO, how to seek funding etc. It is hoped it will give participants an opportunity to get a deep understanding of these issues and help businesses to formulate aggressive growth plans. Many business advisors are supporting the Internet Growth Acceleration Programme and each participant will have an advisor assigned for the duration of the course whose role will be to mentor and inspire.

Funding within Enterprise Ireland has already been approved and the first draft of the course content and selection criteria is about to be reviewed by the Alliance with the application process set to begin in July. The Alliance claim it is the most comprehensive internet development programme undertaken in Ireland to date and expect significant interest.

Funding

The overall aim of the Alliance is to find a practical way for a large number of early stage internet businesses to get access to relatively small amounts of funding. 

On this issue, Colm Lyon comments, "The aim of these early investments and / or grants is to achieve strategic milestones and not necessarily revenue."

Work has already commenced on the options that are possible and Lyon urges individuals or companies who are interested in helping with this specific issue to contact the Alliance.

Network

Finally on the issue of network, the Alliance are looking to design and run an event in the late summer where budding internet entrepreneurs can meet with each another and also with some seasoned internet business people.

The Internet Growth Alliance will meet again on July 10th.

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