Angel investing goes beyond just providing capital to start-ups; it involves actively engaging with them by sharing networks, joining boards, and offering mentorship. Recently, Enterprise Angels held its Annual Angel Awards, celebrating members who have truly embodied the spirit of being an Enterprise Angels member over the past year. The three awards presented were New Member of the Year, Investor Rep of the Year and Angel of the Year.

New Member of the Year

This award recognizes a member who joined in the last 12 months and has been actively engaged during that time, embracing what it means to be a member of Enterprise Angels. The criteria for the award is based on a combination of investment contribution, event attendance, and active engagement.

Brian Staunton was the winner of this year’s New Member of the Year award which was proudly by sponsored by the awards evening host and long-standing supporter of Enterprise Angels, Craigs Investment Partners.

Brian became a member of Enterprise Angels in October 2023 to focus on supporting and allocating part of his investment portfolio to New Zealand start-ups, to complement his existing international activities. Over the last year he has regularly attended events, actively participated in due diligence, and began building his Kiwi investment portfolio. Brian’s commitment to Enterprise Angels is evident through his advocacy for the organization. He has brought guests to events and initiated plans for combined events with the Institute of Directors (IoD). His outstanding contributions and dedication have earned him this well-deserved award.

On accepting the award Brian noted what a great community he found Enterprise Angels to be. He stated his approach has been baby steps in terms of getting involved with a few things initially but plans to become more involved over the coming years.

Investor Rep of the Year

Enterprise Angels encourages members to take on the roles of Investor Director or Investor Rep with our portfolio companies. An Investor Director is appointed in collaboration with the company and other investors, typically when our investment is 10% or greater. The Investor Rep is an informal but crucial role aimed at maximizing value for both the company and its investors. The Investor Rep acts as a key contact between the investee company and Enterprise Angels, ensuring an active relationship that leverages EA’s resources to support the company’s growth.

The finalists in this category showcased the diverse ways Investor Reps support our portfolio companies, from caring for founder wellbeing to building connections and adding value with their expertise.

This year the award was sponsored by long standing strategic partner, Cooney Lees Morgan, and the winner was Colin Groves.

Colin is a dedicated member of Enterprise Angels, actively supporting startups both pre- and post-investment. He chairs the EA Funds Investment Committee and serves as an investor director for several Kiwi startups, including Enterprise Angels portfolio companies, Frello, Bovonic, and Realaml.

Colin’s commitment to these companies is unwavering, always keeping investors informed and stepping in when needed. Liam Kampshof, Founder of Bovonic, praises Colin’s invaluable contributions: “Colin brings a wealth of knowledge, connections, and good humour to every meeting. His diverse experiences help with everything from marketing strategies to global business insights and founder mental health. He’s been an invaluable part of Bovonic.”

Angel of the Year

The final and main award of the evening was the 2024 Angel of the Year award, sponsored by The Quentosity Group. This accolade is given to the Enterprise Angels member who has demonstrated exceptional participation in various aspects of the organization. This includes involvement in committees and boards, participation in due diligence, attending events, and investing. Essentially, it recognizes a general all-rounder who adds value in many ways.

The 2024 Angel of the Year consistently invested throughout this challenging year, both following on and supporting new companies, and has now grown a comprehensive portfolio of early-stage investments. They attend almost all of our events. They have been an Investor rep for the last two years, providing support to their portfolio company and acting as the intermediary for Enterprise Angels investors. They participated in due diligence for the first time this year. They provide insightful feedback and ask the hard questions of capital raises and corporate actions, which benefits all investors. Finally, they are always seeking opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of angel investing.

The winner demonstrates the true essence of an Angel investor and has made an exceptional contribution to Enterprise Angels, our investors, and our portfolio companies. They also fit into a subset of angels that prefer anonymity and have kindly requested no publicity for this award – so the identity of our angel of the year will remain a secret.

The recipient was humble and said they were grateful about receiving the award, noting that they simply enjoy supporting smart founders who are solving challenging problems.

Here’s to the hard-working angels, often unseen, just cracking on with supporting startups and being angelic.

With over $70 million invested in more than 115 innovative startup companies since inception in 2008, Enterprise Angels is proud to be involved in supporting the growth of the New Zealand economy.  This would not be possible without the commitment of our active members who make up the Enterprise Angels community.  If you want to find out more about what we do, please get in touch.

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