The Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN) has partnered Gust, the world’s largest global platform connecting high-growth entrepreneurs and active early-stage investors, with the long-term strategic partnership establishing Gust as an official deal-flow management and investor relations platform for the financing of African startups.
The partnership between Gust – which operates the global platform for sourcing and managing early-stage investments and facilitates collaboration among more than 300,000 startups and 80,000 investors in 190 countries – and ABAN is aimed at promoting a vibrant business angel investment community and culture through the endorsement of best practices.
It looks to foster the development of angel investor groups, providing continuing education for angel investors, nurturing international relationships with the global community of angel investors, and representing its members through policy advocacy and collaborative initiatives.
“Gust will provide an infrastructure to manage and optimize the investment activities for our member networks,” said ABAN president Tomi Davies.
“Africa is already equipped with the minds and means for a fruitful startup environment, and with the available tools and opportunities cultivated by this partnership, Africa will continue to grow as a leader in global entrepreneurship.”
Gust is already the official platform of the world’s leading national and international angel investor federations, including those in North America, South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
With its selection by ABAN as an official early stage finance and collaboration platform for Africa, Gust will help integrate the world’s second largest and most populous continent into the burgeoning global innovation economy.
“We are excited to enter into this partnership with ABAN to provide support for entrepreneurs and investors in a region prime for innovation,” said David S. Rose, chief executive officer (CEO) of Gust.
“Africa has already entered the world stage with significant recent growth in startup ventures. Working along with the continued far sighted leadership of ABAN, Gust is delighted to provide investors in the continent with additional resources and competitive advantages to continue this growth.”
Disrupt Africa has reported over the past months ABAN has hosted three angel investor workshops around Africa, in Lagos, Nairobi, and Cape Town; under the theme of “unlocking capital for early stage investments”.
