would not touch something with a ten-foot pole

Since the collapse of the dotcom bubble, European venture capital has had a bad reputation. Institutional investors do not want to touch it with a ten foot pole. Raising money for a new VC fund on the old continent can take years and often fails. As a result, Europe has spawned only a few new venture firms in recent years. But that may be about to change http://econ.st/18CNZID

would not touch something with a ten-foot pole

informal used to express a refusal to have anything to do with someone or something:relax, I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole!