Angel Association Applauds Greenbutton Outcome
Angel Association Applauds Greenbutton Outcome
The
successful sale of cloud-computing company GreenButton to
Microsoft illustrates just why angels find investing in high
growth startup companies so rewarding.
As a founding investor in GreenButton, Angel Association Chairman, Marcel van den Assum said this was a win for everyone involved in the venture’s journey from a one-man startup to a globally competitive, international company.
“This transaction is an excellent outcome for New Zealand. It’s something we can all be proud of. Another team of smart Kiwis have shown they can create a terrific piece of software which will be used by potentially millions of people,” he said.
Mr van den Assum pointed out almost all the capital required to create the company came from New Zealand’s angel and venture investment community, reflecting the degree to which this community syndicates deals and supports each other.
“Over 20 individual angels from three networks contributed – Angel HQ in Wellington, Enterprise Angels in Tauranga and Ice Angels in Auckland – as did early stage venture funds Movac, Sparkbox and Evander. Almost all the investors have indicated they will reinvest the returns straight back into their startup communities” he said.
Mr van den Assum acknowledged the support the company has had from the Government, including the NZ Venture Investment Fund, Callaghan Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
“These entities were all instrumental in the company’s success and I am delighted this transaction represents a significantly positive return on the Government's investment,” he said.
ENDS