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New investor-entrepreneur event planned for Feb. 12

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The New Mexico Angels and the ABQid business accelerator will play Cupid this Valentine’s Day by pairing startup entrepreneurs with business-savvy investors at a roundtable event Feb. 12.

Sunday, Feb. 14, is the real day for romantic couples. But the two organizations say their upcoming “Startup Investor Roundtable” is specially themed for those who “love startups” in honor of Valentine’s Day.

It’s the second roundtable event since November, when the Angels and ABQid partnered to launch their new networking forum as a quarterly get-together for select startup entrepreneurs seeking assistance to grow their businesses with investors who can offer mentoring, advice and maybe some capital if the participants click.

“If the chemistry’s there, investments can come out of it, but the event is about making connections and building networking opportunities,” said ABQid Executive Director T.J. Cook.

The first roundtable on Nov. 20 included six startups and 20 investors, with both sides carefully paired up through pre-event screening to match entrepreneurs with investors who are knowledgeable about the types of business and technology each startup is pursuing. Unlike a pitch event, however, the startups aren’t expected to compete for cash prizes or investment. Rather, they are asked to present challenges and critical issues they face to elicit feedback on how to move their businesses forward. “It’s all about problem solving,” Cook said. The February roundtable will again include six startups, and between 18 and 24 investors, said Angels President Drew Tulchin. Participants will meet on Zoom and after introductions, break away into individual groups of investors and entrepreneurs who will be prepaired through prior screening.

Startup entrepreneurs can apply to participate at https://activatenm.com/investorroundtable/. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 26.

Interested investors can learn more by writing to info@nmangels.com.