A magic solution for SMEs?

As head of the Business Growth Fund, Stephen Welton has been instrumental in investing €1bn into credit-starved companies in Britain. Now BGF plans to do the trick for Irish companies too

Stephen Welton, chief executive, Business Growth Fund: ‘We see a fantastic opportunity in Ireland over the next five to ten years’ Picture: Bryan Meade

Martin O’Neill’s Ireland may have worked precious little magic at Lansdowne Road on Tuesday night, but across town Stephen Welton was opening his evening with a rather clever conjuring trick.

A substantial crowd had gathered at the Shelbourne Hotel for the launch of the Business Growth Fund (BGF), a €250 million-backed foray into the Irish small and medium business investment market. As well as heading up BGF and having a track record that ...