Officiated by Y.B. Dato’ Seri Haji Ahmad Husni Bin Mohamad Hanadzlah, Finance Minister (II), Ministry of Finance, Malaysia; the event saw 500 angel investors comprised of high net worth and high income individuals; venture capitalists; government agency representatives and entrepreneurs from around the region gathered for a three day learning, sharing and potential exploration session.
“Themed Cultivating Business Angels in Asia, it is a timely focus on the increasingly pivotal role that angel investors play in raising Asia’s presence and place as the leading engine of growth for business in the world today. The Ministry of Finance was the presenting sponsor at this years’ ABAF – the largest to date – that also marks a successful collaboration between the private and public sector for the common good of not just Malaysian businesses and investors; but for Asian businesses and investors alike!” said Jonathan Lee, ABAF 2012 organising committee Co-Chair and also Vice President of Commercialisation and Ventures, Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd.
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| Photo grab from http://www.abaf.asia/ |
Also announced at the event was
the soon to be introduced Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), an
initiative championed by Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd under the guidance of the Ministry
of Finance of Malaysia.
MBAN is a new initiative that will be put in place to support the development of innovation and entrepreneurs with the right stuff. It will be the agent of growth and the organism that will help place Malaysia on the map as the go to market for innovation, growth and entrepreneurship.
It will also be tasked with forming strategic partnerships with similar organizations around Asia to ensure cross border investments, collaborations and partnerships to raise the profile of the region and its businesses to the world. MBAN is scheduled to kick start later this year.
Local Innovation Highlighted
HELD at the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, ABAF 2012 saw a host of local multinationals and business leaders as well as young entrepreneurial businesses coming together as sponsors to showcase Malaysian and Asian innovation to the world.
This is the largest ABAF to date and the first time the event is being held in Malaysia. Held annually, it gathers the best minds from around the world in angel investment; venture capital funds; entrepreneur development; and acceleration programs and various other disciplines related to the elevation of businesses in general.
This year saw a veritable who’s who in the field as speakers gathered here from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and across Asia. These included advisor to the British Prime Minister and Chief Executive Officer of the Angel Capital Group, Anthony Clarke; the world’s foremost female angel investor and founder and chief executive officer of Go Beyond Ltd, Brigitte Baumann; Bob Chua, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Pulse Group PLC; TS Wong, co founder and Managing Director of MYEG; and Cindy Ko, Vice President of International Development at Endeavor. Malaysian companies highlighted included several well-known brands and several brands that “we believe will soon become well known in the industry,” said Lee.
Emergent world ready brands like Hybrinix Sdn Bhd (RUVO), iPay 88, Evenesis, Pulse Group PLC, SouthPaw and Singapore based Pigeonhole were also present with their technology offerings playing key roles in setting the event apart from most other conferences in the region.
“We set out from the beginning to make the way the conference worked, the content offered, the devices used and the experience in general different. From the customized tablet computers to the way we ask and answer questions during the conference – ABAF 2012 has raised the bar in so many ways,” Lee added.
Also among the local supporters that were key to the success of the event this year were presenting sponsor, the Ministry of Finance and the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA).
“This is the first time that we have seen a gathering of this kind happening in Malaysia and we are very excited at the possibilities that it offers. We are also keen to see what comes from the ABAF-MSC Malaysia InnoTech Pitching session that saw 25 companies presenting directly to this amazing pool of potential investors mentors and partners,” said Lee.
ABAF 2012 is jointly organised by Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (CRADLE); an agency under the Ministry of Finance that manages the Cradle Investment Programme, Malaysia’s first development and technology commercialisation funding programme; and the Virtuous Investment Circle (ViC), an independent not-for-profit angel investment group.
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