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Home  » Business » IIM-B plans angel investors' hub

IIM-B plans angel investors' hub

By Mahesh Kulkarni in Bangalore
November 19, 2005 17:15 IST
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Are you a high net worth individual looking to invest your surplus funds in high income-generating ventures? Are you an angel investor scouting for suitable early-stage technology companies to invest?

If so, your search ends at the N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

The NSRCEL is setting up a hub of angel investors, HNIs and venture capital funds in Bangalore. The hub, to be launched in the first week of December, will bring all earl-stage product-oriented technology companies looking for funds to launch their ventures and the investors, banks, financial institutions under one platform.

"This is a first of its kind attempt being made in the country. We will facilitate the product-oriented technology start-ups to get funds for their ventures as well as provide an opportunity for high net worth individuals and angel investors who normally find it difficult to identify right entrepreneurs to invest funds," T R Madanmohan, professor of technology & operations, IIMB, said.

NSRCEL, which has been encouraging entrepreneurs to act upon their ideas in its incubating centre, has taken the next step in creating a complete eco-system, wherein both the start-up technology firms and angel investors will benefit, Madanmohan, who is leading the creation of the hub told Business Standard.

The NSRCEL has invited over 100 CEOs and 50 angel investors from across the country and from abroad for the launch and will also host a one-day seminar on the sector.

The event will also see the distribution of outstanding product company awards instituted by the centre and supported by National Association of Software and Services Companies.

The angel investors hub will also bring under one roof policy makers, R&D institutes, bankers, testing centres and all the disparate communities in the IT industry, Madanmohan said.

According to industry sources there are over 340 product oriented technology companies in India waiting to get funds to start their ventures.

"There are eight incubation centres in various academic institutions across the country that will be linked to the proposed hub. Once the angel investors' hub is inaugurated, we propose to hold 'Sunday breakfast' meetings once in every two months to facilitate both the investors and start-up firms to work on their projects," he added.

"There are many ex-students of IIMs who are now earning higher salaries and they don't know where exactly to invest their funds other than equity markets, which are normally risky. So these centres and individuals will be linked together and brought under a single platform for trading technology innovations," said R Nagaraj, chief operating officer, NSRCEL.

A screening committee set up by the NSRCEL will help these angel investors to assess the potential of early-stage technology companies before investing in them. This effort is also the part of IIMB's corporate social responsibility activity, he said.

Some of the prominent individuals expected to participate at the inaugural event include Sanjay Anandram of JumpStartup, Alok Mittal of Barings Capital, V V Kamath from Canara Bank apart from N S Raghavan, co-founder of Infosys Technologies.

Apart from these nearly 25 VC funds have confirmed their participation.
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Mahesh Kulkarni in Bangalore
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