Vested Interest

Members of the Malaysian Business Angel Network share on investing and the roles their respective organisations play

- Aaron Pereira

For the uninitiated, angel investing as well as equity crowdfunding is when individuals or an entity offers promising startups (that aren't public listed) funding in exchange for a piece of the business-usually in the form of equity or royalties.

While venture capitalists need to see solid plans and paperwork before agreeing to fund a business, there's a bit more freedom with angel investors who buy-in on ideas. This is a great way to increase capital for startups, and can definitely benefit investors too.

Nowadays, investing is made more accessible, through crowdfunding platforms, for example. However, it can be difficult to ascertain where to invest, with a plethora of options available, on top of concerns on returns.

Angel investors typically reach out to developing companies via referrals and agree to pre-set terms before putting down their money; but how do you ensure you're making a safe bet?

Enter bodies like the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN) which acts as the official trade association and governing body for angel investors locally, responsible for the accreditation of individual angel investors and angel investors clubs, creating awareness and training as well as monitoring angel investment statistics in Malaysia, with the aim to benefit all involved.

We speak to four women from MBAN on how investments aid the local business ecosystem.

XELIA TONG MANAGING PARTNER, SCALEUP MALAYSIA

Functioning as the treasurer within the MBAN council, Xelia Tong is one of the longest-serving members as well as the managing director of ScaleUp Malaysia-a hybrid growth stage accelerator cum venture capital overseeing investor relations and partnerships.

Her main function in ScaleUp is to oversee investor relations as well as partnerships, which is equally crucial to MBAN-after all the ecosystem isn't that big, so there are bound to be overlaps.