Angel Investors Network to Links Established Execs With Local Start-Ups
Jakarta. Prominent Southeast Asian business leaders have pledged to increase their support for early-stage start-up companies in Indonesia's burgeoning tech scene.
The support will be channeled through the Angel-eQ Network, a networking platform for so-called angel investors.
Among the fifteen business leaders who founded the Angel-eQ Network are Shinta Dhanuwardoyo, founder of digital agency Bubu.com, Saratoga Capital co-founder Sandiaga Uno and Malaysia's Air Asia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes.
Erick Thohir, president director of television network operator Intermedia Capital, politician and diversified conglomerate Tason Putra Mandiri holding president director Emil Abeng, listed investment firm Kresna Graha Investama president director Michael Steven and Adi Sariaatmadja, CEO of media conglomerate Emtek Group's digital business unit, were also among the co-founders.
Technology and Internet-based companies in Indonesia, from big business to burgeoning start-ups, have enjoyed rapid growth in the past few years, thanks to the nation's expanding base of young, affluent and tech-savvy consumers.
Shinta, the main organizer of the angel investors network, said that she wants to spur excitement for start-up companies among deep-pocketed business leaders in the group and match them with local start-up companies as angel investors, which refers to investors who provide financial backing to start-up companies in the early stage of development, typically from their own pockets.
"Angel-eQ Network encourages direct investment in early-stage companies that have not yet received funding from institutional investors, such as venture capital and private equity firms, while at the same time supporting participation and investment in local incubators, accelerators and investment funds," she said.
Through the network, Shinta hopes to hold regular meetings with the group members and invite start-up companies to pitch their business ideas.
"We won't just pick any start-ups, but we will curate and sift through the pool ...We should start meeting the start-ups before the year ends," said Shinta, who is also the brain behind the on-going Indosat IDByte digital and technology conference in Jakarta.
Adriani Onie, a co-founder of the Angel-eQ network and managing partner of Australian financial company Kilara Group, noted that she hopes to "strategically help build the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Indonesia."
Tags: Keywords: