Skip to content
Published by: Caribbean Business Online
Business startup promoter Grupo Guayacán has capped off a week of hosting capacity-building workshops for angel investors.
The workshops, which were conducted by Troy Knauss, vice president of the Angel Resource Institute’s (ARI) board of trustees, are part of “The Power of Angel Investing,” a program presented by ARI and the Kauffman Foundation.
The event, sponsored by Grupo Guayacán, a nonprofit that combines private equity investment with programs to stimulate entrepreneurship, and Echar Pa’Lante, Banco Popular’s business development campaign, took place at Popular Center in Hato Rey.
An introductory course offered Friday, “Angel Investing Overview,” covered such topics as portfolio strategy, structuring deals, early-stage company valuation and the post-investment relationship. On Saturday, Knauss offered a course on due diligence, valuation and term sheets.
ARI is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 as part of the Kauffman Foundation’s efforts to promote and support angel investing. To further its mission, ARI offers education, mentoring and research about early-stage investing and has offered more than 300 programs in 38 states and 16 countries. The programs are rooted in Kauffman’s unique content, developed through its collective experience from thousands of individual investors and angel groups who are members of the Angel Capital Association.
Knauss has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in startups and family businesses. He also collaborates with a number of angel funds and networks and is an active investor as well. “I am excited to say that during this second visit to Puerto Rico I have witnessed a significant increase in interest and energy around building a strong local angel investing community to support the growth and development of early-stage entrepreneurs. While this ecosystem is still at a nascent stage, it is certainly encouraging to see the pieces of a vibrant ecosystem starting to come together,” he said.
The presentation is part of Guayacán’s efforts to build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Puerto Rico, complemented by a robust private equity market. “Promoting investment in early stage companies is critical to the development of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and driving the growth of global businesses from Puerto Rico. It is also vital that we engage experienced leaders who can provide capital beyond the financial, including intellectual capital, expertise, mentoring and relationships with potential clients,” said Laura Cantero, executive director of Grupo Guayacán.
More than 60 investors, professionals and entrepreneurs attended the weekend sessions. Members of Ausubo Ventures, a Puerto Rico-based angel investment group founded in 2010 while several entrepreneurs attended a Guayacán Venture Accelerator program, were also present at the workshops.
Online: www.guayacan.org
[button class=”” link=”http://m.cb.pr/mobile_news/grupo-guayacan-hosts-angel-investing-workshops-120656.html” bgcolor=”” textcolor=”” bordercolor=”” target=”_self”]Article[/button]
