Irwin to idle failed foray into venture capital: $20 million fund formed during dot-com boom, focused on financial software
Indiana’s sixth-largest venture capital fund is winding down. Founded in 1999, Irwin Ventures LLC is a subsidiary of Columbus-based Irwin Financial Corp. The fund, which in recent years reported assets of $20 million, focused on seed and early-stage investments in startup firms that create financial services software and technology. But Irwin Ventures’ speculative investments didn’t pan out as expected. “Based on the results since inception, this line of business was a financial disaster,” said Ross Demmerle, an analyst with Louisville-based…