A GENTLEMAN named Jordan recently arrived in the country not to boost Philippine basketball. It’s neither because he’s not into the sport nor because he’s Green.
Jordan Green, an internationally known and sought-after expert in the fields of early stage investing and “angel investing,” came to the Philippines to encourage local entrepreneurs to tap a group that can help them grow their business.
Green recently spoke at the Pan-Asian Angel Investing and Venture Capital Congress to promote angel investing to local entrepreneurs. The Australian expert urged Filipinos to tap angel investors to grow their businesses.
“The Asian region is an engine of growth and has large potentials,” Green said during the forum on November 25.
At present, Green is mentoring the MFT Group of Cos., an angel investing group led by CEO Maria Francesca Tan.
Green, currently the president of Melbourne Angels, is providing the skills to future investors in applying their money and skills to potential high growth businesses. He is also known to advice governments on policy and programs for the early stage investment and entrepreneurial space.
Since angel investing is relatively a new concept in the Philippines and Southeast Asia as well, Green said there is a need to promote angel investing to develop the awareness among entrepreneurs.
Generally, angel investors are entrepreneurs loaded with cash active in several businesses and communal activities. Typically working as a self-employed consultant, angel investors allocate 15 percent to 50 percent of investment portfolio to private equity investments and 5 percent to 20 percent in angel investing.
The co founder of the Australian Association of Angel Investors described angel investors as individuals who possess altruism and are economic savvy.
Green said the steady momentum in the growth of angel investors is attributed to the rise of high-earning individuals who are utilizing their personal wealth to address the financial problems of start-ups.
The 2015 Philippine Roadmap for Digital Startups made by the Department of Science and Technology noted funding is particularly lacking in the Philippines, which forces start-ups to seek funding outside the country.
“Developing continuous support network for s start-up’s various stages can benefit the development and growth of the local ecosystem,” the report said.
Green said the country can harness the skills and resources of angel investors in their public-private partnership (PPP) projects. Since they are usually business-savvy individuals who consider risk and potential in an investment, he said the proponents of the PPP must market their projects properly to attract angel investors.
Moreover, entrepreneurs and government, as well, must put up a well-crafted business model and corporate blueprint to attract the angels, Green added.
He said angel investors and venture capital companies also consider other economic factors that may make or break a business such as the stock market, current events, current demand, risks and trend shifts.