Medellin, Colombia 16 March 2016 – In an exciting new development, EBAN will be facilitating the creation of a formal business angel network in Curaçao. EBAN President Candace Johnson and Board Member Albert Colomer met with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) for the Dutch Caribbean Islands President Elgenia Pieternella and colleague Amilea Merchant at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Medellin, where they discussed establishing a Caribbean Business Angels Network.
Curaçao emerged as the best-suited location for leading such an endeavor considering its eagerness to grow as an entrepreneur haven, an effort aided by the Dutch Government. Other key and relevant qualities and characteristics of the island include:
– Curaçao is a financial hub in the Caribbean, home to many international banks.
– Inhabitants of the island speak three popular languages – English, Spanish, and Dutch – as well as their native Papiamentu.
– Curaçao is a strategic geographic hub, connecting Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.
– Curaçao boasts the Caribbean’s busiest port
– Dutch judicial and business laws make Curaçao an attractive investment location
The European Business Angels Network, the pan-European representative for early-stage investors and other early-stage market actors, has grown since its founding in 1999 to develop not only European but African, Middle-eastern, and Latin American alliances. EBAN’s history of cross-border partnerships and expertise in formalizing business angel activity make it the perfect partner to create this network.
To facilitate the launch of the Caribbean Business Angels Network, EBAN will provide support and training, including helping define strategy and assisting in the organisation of the new network’s initial activities.
After the meeting in Medellin, Candace Johnson announced “EBAN is very pleased to be working with our friends in the Caribbean and to be playing a role in a new beginning for business angel investing. We are excited about sharing our expertise to develop the Caribbean network and about bringing a new geography into the EBAN community.”
Elgenia Pieternella stated “The island of Curacao is focused on developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, drawing on our strengths in the financial and legal arenas. This partnership with EBAN marks an important step forward in consolidating our early-stage investment community and helping build Curacao and the Caribbean as a hub for entrepreneurs and investors.”