“Every business needs an angel.”

This was the advice given by John May, Chair-Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association and Co-Chairman of the World Business Angel Association, to 20 of the best African and Caribbean mobile software entrepreneurs from infoDev’s network of mLabs, mHubs and partner incubators.

Last November, this lucky group gathered at infoDev’s Mobile Startup Camp to learn, refine their product strategies, and hone their pitches to angel investors. They received one-on-one mentorship from John and a team of other experts on raising early stage financing from angels.

However, many more talented entrepreneurs did not have this unique chance. In addition, many high net worth individuals who are curious about investing in startups in their communities or in their countries of origin, simply don’t know where to start when it comes to angel investing. “Angels” play a significant role in helping new businesses get off the ground. Research in the U.S. indicates that start-ups funded by angel investors provided about 274,800 new jobs in 2012, or about 4.1 jobs per investment.
 
The number of business registrations is often used to gauge startup activity in a country. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa, new businesses are registered at lower rates per capita than in higher-income countries. One of the reasons for this is the lack of early-stage financing coupled with mentoring, such as that provided by angels. If successful entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals could help startups bridge the early-stage financing gap in these markets, new, innovation-driven firms could create millions of high-value jobs each year and help improve industry competitiveness.

Download the guidebook at: http://bit.ly/angelgrp