Ray Thomson named as New Zealand Arc Angel 2014

Embargoed until 8pm
16 October 2014

Ray Thomson named as New Zealand Arc Angel 2014

Ray Thomson, the Auckland-based director of several budding Kiwi companies and a long-term angel investor and early-stage investment champion has been awarded the prestigious Arc Angel Award at the 2014 Angel Summit in Auckland this week.

The Arc Angel Award is the highest honour New Zealand’s angel investment community can bestow. It recognises someone who has steadfastly championed the cause of angel investment and the investors who are willing to give a significant amount of time and money to help those start-ups and early stage companies, and particularly the entrepreneurs who risk all to establish those companies, to reach their potential.

Marcel van den Assum, chairman of the New Zealand Angel Association (AANZ) says the award was an acknowledgement of Ray Thompson’s long contribution to New Zealand’s angel investment industry. “Ray has been a long-term investor in and champion of early stage companies in New Zealand. He’s played active roles in both the Auckland-based Ice Angels group and the Angel Association, of which he is a past chairman. Most importantly he has unstintingly promoted angel investment, helping it to become a powerful force in New Zealand’s economic development today.”

Suse Reynolds, AANZ Executive Director, says Ray has not only been a mentor to many new entrepreneurs, but many new angels too. “He always has time for a cup of coffee with anyone needing help or advice whether about the company they are growing or the companies they want to invest in. He’s a true New Zealand angel and we’re all delighted he’s been given this year’s Arc Angel Award.”

Ray Thomson joined the ICE Angels in 2007 following an active and extensive career as a share broker, director and chair of a number of different investment groups. He has invested more than $1 million through the ICE Angels and directly into more than 25 companies, including Biomatters, Nexus 6, Inro, Drumleaf, Caldera, IM-Able, Nextspace, Booktrack, Parrot Analytics, Footfalls & Heartbeats, Varigate, Puteko, GreenButton, Manuka Health and Supreme Biotechnologies. He was a member of the ICE Angel’s Advisory Board from December 2010 until December 2013 and was the inaugural recipient of the William H. Payne Active Angel Award in November 2010 for being the most active ICE Angels’ Investor. He is on the Global from Day One (GD1) Fund Investment Committee and serves on a number of boards including Manuka Health New Zealand, Supreme Biotechnologies, Rush Digital Interactive and the Institute of Directors.

Former Arc Angel winners include Phil McCaw, managing partner of investment firm Movac; The Warehouse founder and long-time angel investor Stephen Tindall; Andy Hamilton, chief executive of Auckland-based incubator and business educator The Icehouse; and US super angel and Kiwiphile Bill Payne.

The sixth annual Angel Summit in Auckland was attended by over 120 delegates including investors from New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The Summit included an investment showcase in association with the local angel network, ICE Angels, where 12 high-growth companies, all with global aspirations, pitched to a packed house of investors.
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