CLEVELAND — New businesses welcome! That's the message at the Ohio Venture Capital Fest, held in downtown Cleveland. One-on-one meetings gave startup founders access to venture capital investors.
Think of it as speed dating for business. In the mix, a few Irish and U.K. companies looking to make a mark in the U.S. The companies were hosted by Team NEO and the City of Mentor.
"We're all pulling our resources together to sell the story of Cleveland and beyond and what that opportunity is here. So we're highlighting our talent highlighting access to manufacturing and the different ecosystems we have here," said Mark Owens, vice president of marketing with Team NEO.
Irish visitors were quick to praise the Forest City.
"Cleveland is just honestly, I think one of my favorite spots now," said entrepreneur Rebecca McManus. "The people are so kind. Great food here as well. And a huge opportunity for the med-tech space."
McManus is the founder of Amethyst Care, a voice tech company that helps care for the elderly, allowing them to be independent and at home for longer.
A meeting with the Cleveland Clinic was also part of the itinerary.
"I would love to be based here at some point. We do want to have a presence in the U.S. and, you know, in the coming years. So, this will be a great opportunity," McManus said.
Also exploring opportunities were Dr. Frank Sullivan, the co-founder and chief medical officer of Whyze Health.
"This is our first trip to Cleveland to form links and see if we can to open, the doorway to doing business in America. And Cleveland is a perfect stop off point for us in that regard," Sullivan said.
Whyze is a digital startup that connects the entire healthcare ecosystem to improve the health of patients. He hopes to start a pilot program here.
"The opportunity to meet with world-class and work with world-class clinical facilities, of course. Perfect example again, the Cleveland Clinic, is absolutely renowned and globally distributed. So they would be, one partner we would love to form an affiliation with," Sullivan said.
Aiding in the integration — direct flights to Dublin from Cleveland four times a week.
In a statement to 3News, Aer Lingus says it is pleased with the demand for the service, and playing a role in fostering business, investment and tourism connections across the Atlantic.
"As the only European carrier that flies nonstop from Cleveland to Europe, Aer Lingus plays an important role in fostering business, investment, and tourism connections across the Atlantic. By flying with Aer Lingus, customers can enjoy a smooth journey to Ireland onboard our A321 Neo. Aer Lingus also offers convenient onward connections to the UK and Europe via our hub at Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus is pleased with the demand we are seeing from and to Cleveland directly and also the connecting business customers who are travelling to and from cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam and Paris, in particular.”
Dr. Sullivan is a fan. "The ability to fly direct from Dublin, I must say has been a great addition and really facilitated our trip."
Last May, a delegation of City and County leaders were on the first flight to Dublin to promote Cleveland and attract business. Now that investment could pay out.