The launch of the Cambodian Angel Investors Network (CAIN) was held on Saturday in Phnom Penh and attended by members of the Cambodia Investor Club (CiC), CAIN members and other honoured guests.

Angel investors – or "business angels" – are high net-worth individuals who invest in smaller amounts at an earlier stage of business than many venture capital funds.

In Cambodia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, there has been a lack of active angel investors, formal groups of angel investors and angel networks, as well as investment training programmes.

Small and medium-sized enterprises and startups can also encounter difficulties in finding angel investors, and vice versa – with CAIN established as a result to bridge the gap.

CAIN is an angel investment network initiated by CiC to promote the development of angel investing. As a member of CAIN, an individual has several investment gateways available, such as direct investment – either individually or as a team – to potential SMEs and startups, syndicated investments with CiC and international investments.

Only angel investors who join the CAIN programme and make a real investment become official members of the network.

The CAIN programme, previously known from 2018-19 as the BIO Investor Program, is an angel investor development programme offering an investor education programme and an investment gateway.

The five-month CAIN programme includes various activities such as introductory workshops and investment pitches/deals with reflection workshops, as well as add-on programmes such as talks by angel investors and investor boot camps.

In collaboration with CiC, BIO Accelerator Program and local and international partners such as the ASEAN Angel Alliance (AAA) and BANSEA, CAIN is expected to grow into one of the largest angel investor networks in Cambodia.