THE cost of management fees paid to investment funds represents further questions for an agency which has grown accustomed to criticism over its use of public money.
Last summer Invest NI said it had had a "phenomenal year" and had promoted 37,000 jobs over four years compared to a 2011-15 Executive target of 25,000.
Just last week the government agency announced that it had promoted 5,550 jobs across Northern Ireland in 2015/16 - well ahead of a 4,000 target.
The agency points out that it has assisted several companies which have gone on to great success over the years, such as Andor Technology and the Lagan Group.
An Invest NI spokeswoman said: "For example, the investment in Andor can be measured as a success on the basis this company now employs over 300 with an annual turnover of over £50m.
"Prior to its purchase by Oxford Instruments PLC in January 2014, Andor was one of our only publicly listed companies."
Citing the investments as "high-risk/high-return", Invest NI notes that venture capital funds are a "normal feature in most economies to help high growth potential businesses realise their potential".
The spokeswoman said: "These funds, a mix of loans and equity finance, are helping to fill the funding gap that has been created by a tightening of bank lending and changes to EU grant policy and ensure that early stage companies do not suffer from lack of investment."
However, there has also been severe criticism of perceived flaws in the agency's approach.
Last year The Belfast Telegraph reported that a total of £27m was invested in companies which have since gone bust, with most of the expected losses largely considered write-offs by the agency.
"At the year-end, there are 27 cases of potential losses totalling £20,067,000 which are under management review," the agency said in a report.
Around two-thirds of the 'bad' investments are considered historical and were inherited from before the agency was created in 2002.
In 2011, a Belfast technology guru who carved out a successful career in Silicon Valley, David Kirk, criticised Invest NI's approach.
He said: "Most (with a couple of exceptions) of the fund managers in Northern Ireland tended to be chartered accountants, so there is a great lack of real hands on experience that could be used to help those start-ups."
Mr Kirk added: "The 21st century technology start-ups are not your father's start-up companies and there's dozens of people within a square mile of where they are sitting that can provide real advice and real experience."
