Client spotlight: Meet GoBeyond Investing
Delio Network

Client spotlight: Meet GoBeyond Investing

3rd August 2021

At Delio, we work with a range of financial institutions. From private banks and family offices to angel networks and boutique investment firms, we think it’s hugely important to connect the industry and the diverse array of asset classes that make up private markets. In the spirit of creating a collaborative ecosystem and unlocking new opportunities through the Delio network, we’d like to introduce you to some of our clients.

Introducing GoBeyond Investing

GoBeyond is an expert in early-stage investing. Its ecosystem offers clients access to the most exciting asset class, curating connections between highly experienced individuals ready to invest and people at the forefront of innovation.

What makes GoBeyond different?

  1. Anyone can join our network. We are meeting the demand for angel investing among novice and experienced business angels. Many of the GoBeyond members are first-time investors.
  2. The training element is a core part of our model. We encourage members to join our monthly educational sessions to learn from those with more experience and take in the process in all its detail.
  3. We focus on investing in companies that are at an early stage of their growth. This type of funding is critical for the company’s early growth and business angels can play a pivotal role by providing both funds and expertise.
  4. Our GoBeyond network is based on knowledge-sharing, supporting innovation and one another.

The educational element plays a significant role for many angel networks; how do you approach this?

The training element wasn’t as prominent in angel investing when we first founded GoBeyond ten years ago. The situation has slightly improved; however, each startup and each investment is different. So it is important to share case studies and learn from the experience of other business angels. This is why from the very beginning, our early-stage investing programmes are based on three pillars: investing, learning and networking. For those interested in startup investing but are not ready to take the leap yet, we offer our “Angels in Training” programme, allowing new members to follow and engage with a group of angel investors without investing themselves.

We believe in “learning-by-doing” and don’t want to brush over the intricacies of the investing process quickly, which is why we offer targeted investor sessions in which members can learn about due diligence processes or measuring a business’s potential when it is at such an early stage.

What advice would you give to investors before they start exploring the opportunities in private markets?

Investing in a company’s very early stages is often more complex than it seems. Hence, we think it is crucial investors ask themselves the right questions before they start their early-stage investing journey. How much time can they realistically spend on due diligence and negotiation? How do they guarantee a high-quality deal flow? How do they monitor and manage their portfolio? Our programmes help participants navigate through this initial stage in a supportive environment of like-minded individuals and have a solid framework to be able to continue investing once the programme is finished. 

How do you see the angel investing sector evolve?

There’s been a significant acceleration in the uptake of early-stage ventures across the EU in general, giving this pool of promising businesses a platform from which they can generate interest and investment. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in enabling business angel networks to scale, with investors now able to make cross-border deals with ease despite their geographical limitations.

The regulation in this sector is also evolving because of the popularity and rising demand for alternative investments. Increasing opportunities to syndicate investors’ capital together will enable business angels to create early-stage portfolios with less capital and make this asset class even more accessible. Furthermore, the collaboration between key stakeholders in the ecosystem such as accelerators, venture capital firms and business angel groups continues to facilitate the mobilisation of capital towards early-stage companies. 

Facts about GoBeyond Investing

Should you be interested to support GoBeyond’s efforts in mobilising capital towards climate entrepreneurship with either deal flow or visibility, you can reach the team at ask@gobeyondinvesting.com

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