Embargoed until 8pm
16 October 2014
Ray Thomson named as New Zealand Arc Angel 2014
Ray Thomson, the Auckland-based director of several budding Kiwi companies and a long-term angel investor and
early-stage investment champion has been awarded the prestigious Arc Angel Award at the 2014 Angel Summit in Auckland
this week.
The Arc Angel Award is the highest honour New Zealand’s angel investment community can bestow. It recognises someone who
has steadfastly championed the cause of angel investment and the investors who are willing to give a significant amount
of time and money to help those start-ups and early stage companies, and particularly the entrepreneurs who risk all to
establish those companies, to reach their potential.
Marcel van den Assum, chairman of the New Zealand Angel Association (AANZ) says the award was an acknowledgement of Ray
Thompson’s long contribution to New Zealand’s angel investment industry. “Ray has been a long-term investor in and
champion of early stage companies in New Zealand. He’s played active roles in both the Auckland-based Ice Angels group
and the Angel Association, of which he is a past chairman. Most importantly he has unstintingly promoted angel
investment, helping it to become a powerful force in New Zealand’s economic development today.”
Suse Reynolds, AANZ Executive Director, says Ray has not only been a mentor to many new entrepreneurs, but many new
angels too. “He always has time for a cup of coffee with anyone needing help or advice whether about the company they
are growing or the companies they want to invest in. He’s a true New Zealand angel and we’re all delighted he’s been
given this year’s Arc Angel Award.”
Ray Thomson joined the ICE Angels in 2007 following an active and extensive career as a share broker, director and chair
of a number of different investment groups. He has invested more than $1 million through the ICE Angels and directly
into more than 25 companies, including Biomatters, Nexus 6, Inro, Drumleaf, Caldera, IM-Able, Nextspace, Booktrack,
Parrot Analytics, Footfalls & Heartbeats, Varigate, Puteko, GreenButton, Manuka Health and Supreme Biotechnologies. He was a member of the ICE
Angel’s Advisory Board from December 2010 until December 2013 and was the inaugural recipient of the William H. Payne
Active Angel Award in November 2010 for being the most active ICE Angels’ Investor. He is on the Global from Day One
(GD1) Fund Investment Committee and serves on a number of boards including Manuka Health New Zealand, Supreme
Biotechnologies, Rush Digital Interactive and the Institute of Directors.
Former Arc Angel winners include Phil McCaw, managing partner of investment firm Movac; The Warehouse founder and
long-time angel investor Stephen Tindall; Andy Hamilton, chief executive of Auckland-based incubator and business
educator The Icehouse; and US super angel and Kiwiphile Bill Payne.
The sixth annual Angel Summit in Auckland was attended by over 120 delegates including investors from New Zealand,
Australia and the United States. The Summit included an investment showcase in association with the local angel network,
ICE Angels, where 12 high-growth companies, all with global aspirations, pitched to a packed house of investors.
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