Two years ago I met John Mactaggart when he came across the Pacific to North America to visit our Angel Community here. Since then, along with Stewart Gow, and Jordan Green, John Ballard, Vivian Stewart, and David Malloch, John established the Australian Association of Angel Investors (AAAI).

The AAAI, similar to the National Angel Organization, is the not for profit national industry association representing Australian business angels networks, individual business angel investors and organizations that support the growth of business angel investment in Australia. Incorporated in 2007, their mission is to:

• Promote ethical and efficient angel investment and angel syndication in Australia.
• Promote the growth of angel investment in Australia, including encouraging and informing the establishment of new angel groups.
• Define best practice for angel investor members in an Australian context.
• Disseminate information on and access to formally recognized syndication models.
• Be a source and channel for information and education of angel investors and entrepreneurs seeking angel investment.
• Represent the interests of angel investor members in Australia as a peak body in dialogues with governments, peers and industry.
• Act as a channel for information and opinion from members to form the basis of advice to Government.
• Assist with, and direct, research into Australian angel investment activities.
• Organise and hold an annual summit conference on topics relevant to members.

Today, this association takes another major step into the international Angel community, publishing Volume 1, Issue 1 of their first Newsletter (aaai-newsletter-vol1iss1-july-2008).

As part of the NAO’s mission to engage the international Angel community across the I am pleased to congradulate AAAI on this next step in their development!

The NAO certainly looks forward to working with you on co-investment opportunities in the future.