Imagine the kind of money that goes into any business or startup, no matter the industry. Now consider this – you have a solid business plan and all your business strategy is sorted, every other aspect is taken care of but when it comes to the kind of money that’s needed to achieve those things, probably that’s where any entrepreneur gets stuck and takes a step back.
Naturally, a very few percentages of people generally have hundreds of thousands of dollars that they can invest in their businesses without blinking an eyelid. However, that’s not true for everyone! That’s where organizations like NACO or National Angel Capital Organization come in – to help make your dream of running your own business a reality!
What is NACO?
Established in 1998, the National Angel Capital Organization is a group consisting of 45 regional investment groups, 40 accelerators, and incubators. All these organizations come together and work as a unit to create collaboration and partnership opportunities for small businesses in Canada. Additionally, they help in giving faster and swifter access to investment opportunities for Canadian startups as well.
Pioneering the “access to capital” movement, NACO is the only national platform whose members have invested more than $1 billion dollars in over 1500 companies in Canada. NACO does not only support Canada’s entrepreneurial network but also ensures that they have everything that they need to excel and ultimately contribute to the country’s economy!
Additionally, the National Angel Capital Organization also helps in providing the right resources and tools for all its members. It also provides a platform for business owners to network, exchanges ideas, frames new partnerships, and grow their businesses.
Vision and Mission
NACO’s mission is “to professionalize and accelerate the growth of angel capital and support for early-stage companies in Canada, thereby ensuring the sustainability of our national innovation ecosystem,” as elaborated on their official website. Ever since 2001, NACO has also been conducting several workshops and events, thereby providing a platform for angel investors to come together and find a more sustainable way to help aspiring entrepreneurs in their business pursuits across the country.
Over the years, NACO has also helped in creating several job opportunities about which the CEO Claudio Rojas spoke to T-Net, stating “It is critical that we support job creation – in all regions and communities – that is resilient and sustainable over the long-term. When entrepreneurs have rapid access to capital in their local communities, they are better positioned to scale their companies into the job-creation engines of the future. As long as regional funding gaps persist, we will continue to be faced with untapped potential as a country. By taking a collaborative approach, working in partnership with our national network of angel groups, we can increase access to capital for Canada’s entrepreneurs by an order of magnitude. These newly announced initiatives are just the beginning.”
In Conclusion
Every year, NACO conducts National Angel Summits and also Co-Investments Summits and workshops where angel investors and stakeholders get a platform to share ideas and generate investment opportunities. To make any smart investment, it needs properly researched data and NACO ensures that investors have all the data at their disposal to make smart choices and decisions. Summing it up, NACO is focused on increasing knowledge and networks in emerging ecosystems including in non-urban centers by supporting the angel community. For more information, you can subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
