Contact Information: Company Contact: Brian Wurfel Maverick Angels (818) 706-7686 brian@maverickangels.com
Angel Investor Group Maverick Angels Aligns With Major European Bank
Collaboration With Intesa SanPaolo Bank in Milan Brings the Maverick Angels Model to Europe
| Source: Maverick Angels
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - November 10, 2009) - Maverick Angels, a leading Southern
California-based angel investment group, announced today its alliance with
Intesa SanPaolo Bank, Italy's largest bank and among the largest financial
institutions in Europe to create a new angel investor network based in
Milan.
"We are very pleased to work together with Intesa SanPaolo on this
important and vital new start-up initiative. We welcome the opportunity to
bring our dynamic angel investment model to launch and successfully build a
new entrepreneurial ecosystem in Italy," says John Dilts, Founder and
President of Maverick Angels.
According to Dilts, the Maverick Angels model was established with specific
core values for creating a win-win for all of those involved in the
early-stage funding process. He states that the engagement with Intesa
SanPaolo will bring this same approach to Italy to create stronger ties
between start-ups and angel & venture capital investors.
"Italy is ready to break out with a new wave of successful entrepreneurs.
The country is filled with high-quality start-up businesses which simply
need the right venue and the proper guidance to show them the way toward
funding and scalable growth," says Dilts. "We are very proud to play a key
role in this new entrepreneurial endeavor. This unique Italian angel
investment network is coming at the right time, in the right place, with
the right players to make it happen."
Dilts and Chief of Operations Brian Wurfel presented a special two-day
Maverick Angels Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs in late September in Milan.
Selected entrepreneurs and dozens of angel and venture capital investors
from around Italy were invited to participate. "We were extremely
impressed by the quality of the entrepreneurs who presented their companies
for funding in our recent pilot meetings in Milan," says Dilts. "The
start-up CEOs were very enthusiastic to learn and fully embraced our
guidance during the Boot Camp. Entrepreneurs in Italy are clearly ready to
bring their companies to the global stage for funding and international
growth."
More than 50 selected companies were invited to meet potential investors
including angel investors, venture capitalists, seed funds and foundations
from throughout Europe. Those 50 start-ups were filtered through a
structured qualification process down to 14 of the best presenters at the
Arena Meeting held on September 30th. Company presentations were followed
by a Q&A session on economic, financial and technical issues. At the end of
this Arena Meeting, presenters received more than 80 sign-ups for investor
interest.
This next group of meetings for this new Start-Up Initiative hosted by
Intesa SanPaolo in Milan will take place in January, April, June, September
and November of next year. The meetings will be open to hear presentations
by entrepreneurs from the U.S. as well as Europe. "We see this new network
as an excellent channel for funding and business development in Europe for
U.S. start-ups looking to seek resources and relationships abroad," says
Dilts.
Corrado Passera, Chief Executive Officer of Intesa SanPaolo, stated at a
recent press conference that the Initiative has a concrete structure which
is a well-established process in the United States which could work to
identify the future Googles of the world. The Initiative, explained
Passera, is aimed at start-ups "that have an idea but who have difficulty
obtaining the capital to achieve it."
Dilts explained that Intesa SanPaolo is a highly innovative financial
institution which is committed to a long-term vision in support of its
clients and Italian entrepreneurs generally. "We welcome Intesa's interest
in working with us to establish a new angel investment network in Italy
which combines leading-edge entrepreneurial education with our world-class
angel investment process," says Dilts.
About Maverick Angels
Maverick Angels is a next generation angel network which takes an
entrepreneurial approach to angel investing. The Group is very unique among
angel investor networks in that it offers a highly acclaimed Maverick
Angels Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs to proactively coach companies about
what angels are looking for and how to grow a scalable business. Founded in
2006, Maverick Angels has launched Chapters in the Southern California
region near Los Angeles in the South Bay (based in Palos Verdes Estates),
Westlake Village and Santa Barbara. The Network has established an
affiliation to share deal flow with other angel groups across the globe,
and its investment focus includes early-stage opportunities from any
industry which provides the possibility for a multiple return on
investment. Maverick Angels also actively engages in social and charitable
activities designed to build camaraderie and support entrepreneurship in
our communities.
About Intesa SanPaolo
Intesa SanPaolo is a banking group resulting from the merger between Banca
Intesa and SanPaolo IMI in 2007. It is a leader in the Italian financial
market and has a strong international retail presence focused on
Central-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin in 13 countries. The
Group brings together two major Italian banks with shared values and
improves their opportunities for growth as well as enabling enhanced
service for retail customers, significant support for development of
business customers and an important contribution to growth in all the
countries where it operates. Intesa SanPaolo has nearly 20 million
customers internationally with more than 8.000 bank branches and a presence
in 34 countries in the Mediterranean area and where Italian companies are
most active, such as the United States, Russia, China and India. The bank
has a market capitalization of more than US$56 Billion.