How many angels can fit in a conference room?
Affluent individuals who provide capital to new ventures, angels can be a perfect match for IT entrepreneurs; the one offering an insight into the next big thing, the other bringing the cash to make it happen.
This week will see the Gold Coast play host to about 200 angels from Australia and overseas for a three-day talkfest on the ins and outs of putting financial muscle behind someone else's dream.
Heavyweight high-tech attendees will include Pipe Networks founder and BRW rich-lister Steve Baxter, who established the incubator River City Labs in 2012, and John Mactaggart, Technology One backer and Brisbane Angels founder.
From further afield, the event is expecting representatives from the Mumbai Angels, some of whom have hitched wildly profitable rides on the coat-tails of India's rapidly emerging digital economy.
There's only one catch: start-ups looking to get some face time with the money men will need to hang round the car park or crash the event. Inside the conference, pitching is forbidden.
The angels aren't flying north to hear from young hopefuls; they're coming to share war stories and swap tips on picking the often elusive winner from a string of also-rans.
"It's a time for angels to spend time with other angels - it's not a time to be bombarded," says Jordan Green, chair of the Australian Association of Angel Investors, which is organising the event.
Mactaggart agrees. "It's not a place where deals are done," he says.
"Investing in early-stage business is fraught with danger. We're learning new and more interesting ways to lose our money."
Getting to rub shoulders with their peers can be a boon for new chum investors and may help keep some in the game for the long haul; an outcome that ultimately benefits the start-up sector, Mactaggart believes.
"We want to make sure if someone wants to become an angel, they don't lose all of their money on their first deal," he says.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The Gold Coast event was a three‑day talkfest for about 200 angel investors from Australia and overseas. Attendees included high‑profile tech figures such as Steve Baxter (Pipe Networks founder and River City Labs founder) and John Mactaggart (Technology One backer and Brisbane Angels founder), as well as representatives from groups like the Mumbai Angels and the Australian Association of Angel Investors.
No. Pitching was forbidden inside the conference. The article notes that start‑ups wanting face time would need to hang around the car park or try to crash the event, because inside the sessions angels were focused on sharing insights with each other rather than being pitched to.
Angels attend to swap tips, share war stories and learn from peers. The conference is designed for angels to spend time with other angels to improve their judgement and investment skills, not to close deals on the spot.
New angels can benefit from networking with experienced investors, learning how seasoned angels pick winners and spotting common pitfalls. The article suggests this peer learning can help prevent new investors from losing all their money on an early deal and keep them in the game for the long haul.
Attendees acknowledge that investing in early‑stage businesses is risky. John Mactaggart is quoted saying it is 'fraught with danger' and that angels are learning new — and often interesting — ways to lose their money, highlighting the high risk of start‑up investing.
The article mentions the Australian Association of Angel Investors (which organised the event), Brisbane Angels, incubators such as River City Labs, and international groups like the Mumbai Angels as active parts of the angel investing ecosystem.
This particular conference drew about 200 angels from Australia and overseas. Delegates included both local heavyweights and international representatives, reflecting a mix of domestic and global interest in early‑stage investing.
Because formal pitching is banned inside the conference, the article suggests entrepreneurs may need to try informal approaches like waiting in common areas or the car park to strike up conversations with investors—though those tactics reflect the reality that the event is primarily for angels to network with each other.
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