In this episode, we sit down with Marius Smyth of the Digital Irish Venture Fund (DIVF) for a follow-up to our earlier conversations with Marty Loughlin. Where Marty walked us through how DIVF picks founders and the realities of pitching the fund, Marius zooms out to the layer underneath: how DIVF is building the Irish diaspora into a working venture ecosystem rather than relying on it as a goodwill network. He is leading the build-out of a physical “Green Room” for Irish founders in New York, architecting the fund’s co-investment strategy, and thinking hard about where a fund of DIVF’s size best fits in an industry increasingly polarised between mega-funds and solo angels.
In this conversation, we get into:
Why the Irish network is a sourcing engine, not just a hospitality network — and what DIVF is building to keep it commercial rather than a mutual appreciation society.
How DIVF co-invests alongside other funds without becoming dependent on whoever is leading the round.
Why the right place for an Irish venture fund right now is not at either end of the cheque-size spectrum, and where DIVF deliberately sits.
The most practical first step for a founder coming out of Ireland with no US network, plus where the gaps still are in the Irish ecosystem itself.
If you’re an Irish founder building for the US market — or thinking about the next layer of infrastructure the diaspora needs — this episode is the strategic counterpart to Marty’s tactical advice from the earlier episodes.
About the Digital Irish Venture Fund (DIVF)
DIVF is an early-stage venture firm focused on Irish and Irish diaspora founders building for global markets. The fund operates as “friendly operators” rather than traditional shark VCs — providing hands-on operating help, warm introductions, and access to a diaspora network across New York, London and Dublin after the cheque is written. DIVF co-invests alongside other funds and works alongside the broader Irish ecosystem — Enterprise Ireland, universities, accelerators, and angels — to bring strong Irish companies into the US market.
Want to get in contact with the Digital Irish team? Email us at [email protected]