The WBAF Angel Investment Fund – an international co-investment framework for startups and angel investors, is designed to capitalize on the worldwide growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing for startups and scaleups and to capitalize on WBAF’s extensive network of global investors, which include angel investors, private equity funds, co-investment platforms, wealth management institutions, family offices, VCs, and acceleration centers.
The WBAF Angel Investment Fund, a subsidiary of WBAF, is an investor-owned and investor-managed angel investor network that aims to provide its funding members an opportunity for active involvement in a diversified capital investment process. The Fund’s deal flow is generated from the Global Fundraising Stage GFRS, which is hosted at the World Congress of Angel Investors every year. The next Global Fundraising Stage GFRS is on Wednesday, 22 November in South Africa.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) aims to ease access to finance for businesses from startup to scaleup to exit, with the ultimate goal of generating economic development, jobs and more social justice worldwide.
In the wake of the Covid 19 crisis, it was far from easy to reach out for any kind of finance – smart or otherwise. So, the World Business Angels Investment Forum focuses on developing innovative financial instruments for entrepreneurs and SMEs as a part of its global agenda.
One way WBAF does this is through its Angel Investment Fund, which is an international co-investment platform for the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS). The ultimate goal is to create a high-quality portfolio with some of the world’s most promising startups, scaleups and, at the same time, create opportunities for co-investment and follow-on investments. An additional goal is to connect the best startups with the best angel investors, making it possible for the startups to benefit from the know-how, mentorship and networking of qualified investors.
The WBAF Angel Investment Fund is designed to capitalize on the worldwide growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing for startups and scaleups and to capitalize on WBAF’s extensive network of global investors, which include angel investors, private equity funds, co-investment platforms, wealth management institutions, family offices, VCs, and acceleration centers.
The Global Fundraising Stage GFRS receives around 5,000 applications every year. The GFRS Investors Committee selects 50 of those applicants for the GFRS. Another 50 startups are selected from WBAF’s partner institutes; these include investment promotion agencies, incubation centres, and banks’ in-house entrepreneurship teams. So, 100 startups, scaleups, entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses pitch every year on the Global Fundraising Stage of the World Business Angels Investment Forum. The next GFRS is on Wednesday, 23 November at the Durban ICC – International Convention Center in South Africa.
Startup Application link to pitch on the Global Fundraising Stage: www.wbaf2023.org/GFRS2023
Here you can apply to become an accredited investor of the WBAF Angel Investment Fund: www.wbaf2022.org/fund
