 |
|
| |
| Wednesday, October 24, 2007 |
| |
| Japanese visit a local 'angel' |
|
Times Herald-Record
October 24, 2007
Goshen — Between stops in hubs of commerce like Boston, Washington, D.C., and Manhattan, a delegation of Japanese economic development officials made sure to visit the Goshen office of the Orange County Partnership.
The group came from the Japan Venture Capital Association and the Venture Enterprise Center. Their mission: learning how to cultivate entrepreneurs through angel investing.
"They wanted to see how people got these things started and what makes them successful," said Bob Hannan, managing director of the Orange County Capital Development Corp.
Hannan runs the Orange County Angel Network, a group of 20 or so local, high-net-worth investors who have so far pumped $2 million into three startup companies that agreed to locate in Orange County. Hannan arranged $2 million in debt financing for a fourth business that is developing MRI equipment for animals.
Hannan said the Japanese delegates were interested in replicating his organization's success. They wouldn't be the first, he added, noting that several similar organizations have sprung up around New York state since Orange County's debuted three years ago.
"When we started doing this, we were the third angel network in the state," Hannan said, "and now there are 11."
The visitors met for two hours Monday morning with Hannan, Partnership President Maureen Halahan and Orange County Executive Edward Diana. Through the county's Industrial Development Agency, Diana has earmarked a half-million dollars for investment in startup companies.
Translation during the meeting was provided by Eriko Imaizumi-Augustus of Izumi Business Solutions, a business advisory firm in Croton-on-Hudson that assists Japanese companies looking to enter the North American market.
|
| |
|
| Back |
|
