NI Business Angel Network Named UK Business Angel Network of the Year

Richard Ferguson, Halo Manager (middle) with Stephen Houston, Volcano Syndicate Investor in Sophia Search and John Breslin, Investor and CTO Sophia Search who were also shortlisted in the Early Stage Investment Category

Halo, the NI Business Angel network based at the Northern Ireland Science Park has been named UK Business Angel Network of the Year at the annual British Business Angel Association (BBAA) Awards Dinner in Manchester. Halo is supported by Invest NorthernIreland and Intertrade Ireland with the purpose of stimulating angel investing in NI-based companies.

This Award was open to any UK-based angel network that has significantly grown its network and increased awareness of angel investing in its region. In winning the award Halo beat off stiff competition from across the 22 Business Angel networks across the UK.

The award is in recognition of Halo’s amazing growth over the last year - expanding from 35 – 135 investors, following a sustained period of promotion and awareness raising. The Network was also recognised for the establishment of only the second EIS approved fund in the UK, an innovative method to drive business angel investing. It also was commended for developing several Angel workshops and investee company training programmes, demonstrating non financial means to supporting entrepreneurs and angels in NI.

Speaking after picking up the award Richard Ferguson, Halo Manager said; “Winning this award is a mark of how far Halo has come in such a short space of time – from a network that was inactive for a period to one that’s almost quadrupled investor numbers to 135 and is actively investing and constantly breaking new ground. The formation of the first NI Angel Syndicate, the largest Angel Investment in NI history into Sophia Search and the creation of a £250k EIS approved fund, one of only two such funds in the UK- are particular highlights within the last few months. It’s been a phenomenally exciting period and there’s no sign of our growth or development abating!

“This recognition put’s Halo and the Northern Ireland Science Park at the forefront of the Angel Investment Industry in the UK and can only strengthen Halo’s presence and reach here, to attract not only local investors, but those from all around the UK. Angel investors from the mainland bring not just new money to the region, but also much experience and learning for our local Angels.

“We now have a world leading Angel Investment Network with an accolade to prove it, but in years to come the true legacy will be the new breed of Northern Ireland companies that Halo helps create, who will in turn lead the world in their respective sectors.”

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Halo - www.nisp.co.uk/Entrepreneur-Halo.aspx - is designed to provide the missing link between private investors (Business Angels) and entrepreneurs by assisting in matching the two together, based on a careful and confidential selection process. halo is operated by the NI Science Park funded by InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland. The halo initiative can bring investment and business acumen to companies across Northern Ireland with growth potential.