UKBAA & Lloyds Bank Award for Angel Investor of the Year: Michael Blakey
Michael Blakey named Angel Investor of the Year at the UK Business Angels Association Awards.
The Judges wished to recognise Michaels’ longstanding experience as an active investor having invested in over 30 early stage businesses as well as his strong leadership role in supporting the growth of the angel market over many years, directly promoting angel investing and support to awareness raising for new investors as well as his extensive personal mentorship of entrepreneurs seeking to access investment. Michael takes a very active role as lead both in mobilising other angel investors and in working with the entrepreneurs post deal and coordinating further funding rounds and successfully creating strong relationships with VCs as co-investors.
Michael continues to invest actively in the UK , but also now in Singapore and taking advantage of facilitating portfolio businesses access to South East Asia markets, whilst developing new opportunities for cross-border investing. He commented,
‘In this period of rapid entrepreneurial growth I look forward to working with UKBAA to ensure continued governmental support and also to raise awareness of the opportunities and best practice for early stage investors.’
The annual award for Angel Investor of the Year sponsored byLloyds Bank seeks to identifyindividual angel investors that have been very active in investing small businesses during the past year. In particular the Award looks for the investor who has not only brought their financial capacity, but also provided clear added value to their investee portfolio, offering experience, skills, contacts and mentoring to support successful growth and potential exit.
The win was announced byKiki Loizou, Small Business Editor of the Sunday Timesat the Tower of London Pavilion on July 1st at the UKBAA Awards Dinner 2015.
Photo above shows Michael Blakey (left) and Stephen Pegge, Lloyds Bank (right)
The Finalists for Angel Investor of the Year are:
• Michael Blakey, nominated by Wren Capital and AngelNews
• Steve Godber, nominated by Angel CoFund
• Meganne Houghton-Berry, nominated by Clearly Social Angels
• Andy Phillipps, nominated by Martlet Corporate Angel
• Angus Rankine, nominated by Angels Den
UKBAA Angel Investor of the Year Award is sponsored byLloyds Bank
