Funding is a Tool, Not the Finish Line with Jeremy Harper, ERA

This is the second episode in Digital Irish’s Venture Capital and Fundraising Demystified series: designed to pull back the curtain on raising capital for Irish founders and give you the confidence to walk into any funding conversation knowing exactly what’s on the other side of the table.

In this episode, we sit down with Jeremy Harper, Partner and Director of Investments at ERA — the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator in New York City. ERA has been running for 15 years, backing around 30 companies a year, and has a remarkable track record: roughly 80% of companies that go through the programme go on to raise follow-on capital.

Jeremy has been at ERA for nearly all of that journey. He brings deep pattern recognition on what separates founders who succeed at raising from those who struggle — and a lot of it comes down to one core mindset shift: funding is a tool, not the finish line.

We dive deep into:

What an accelerator actually does beyond the cheque — and how ERA’s in-person, intensive model prepares founders for venture funding.

Why investors don’t want to hear how you’ll spend the money — and what they actually want to hear instead.

How to structure your investor updates — including why you need two separate lists and what goes in each.

How to protect your equity across multiple funding rounds and avoid the painful scenario of selling your company for millions but walking away with very little.

What ERA actually looks for in applications — and the one thing that catches their attention every time.

If you’re an Irish founder thinking about raising venture capital — whether that’s tomorrow or two years from now — this episode will change how you think about the whole process. Part of Digital Irish’s ongoing series demystifying venture capital for Irish founders.

Jeremy Harper is Partner and Director of Investments at ERA (Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator), one of New York City’s most established early-stage accelerators. He has been with ERA for nearly 14 years and has worked with hundreds of founders across every stage of the venture journey.

ERA runs two cohorts per year, backing around 30 companies annually, and has built a 15-year track record of helping founders get venture-ready. Around 80% of ERA graduates go on to raise follow-on capital after the programme.

To learn more about ERA or get in touch with Jeremy directly, visit eranyc.com.

Want to get in contact with us? Email podcast@digitalirish.com