CorkBIC is an organisation set up nearly 30 years ago to identify and build knowledge intensive companies based on promising technology and capable innovative people. It plays a hands-on role helping entrepreneurs navigate the minefield of raising finance and sorting out business propositions and manages investor networks under HBAN. Every year, CorkBIC identifies, selects and develops about 12 higher potential startups per year and works as a hands-on catalyst or project developer in infrastructure gap initiatives. At any one time, there would be 40 to 50 companies or projects in the pipeline, ranging from new start-ups to existing companies planning to scale. Over the past 24 years the organisation has put more than 300 start-ups through the system, many of whom come back and re-engage. More than eight out of ten start-ups who work with CorkBIC through this process survive after five years – currently (and over 25 years) an 85% survival rate after 5 years, far outstripping the international average of 50%.