Gust.com to link start-ups to international investors

Gust, a global angel investing platform for start-ups, has launched with the promise to link entrepreneurs to potential investors around the world.

The New York-based site is a revamp of AngelSoft, which launched in 2004 with the intention of being a global business angel network. The 35,000 angels already registered with AngelSoft will transition over to Gust.

Gust has assembled an impressive array of start-up industry organisations as partners, including Microsoft BizSpark and the World Business Angel Association.

The platform will work as the official investor relations platform for more than 15 national investor associations, 150 venture capital funds, 6,500 business angel groups and 35,000 accredited angels.

From Australia, investment groups Sydney Angels, Melbourne Angels and Brisbane Angels are among the members listed in the Gust directory.

However, Australian start-ups will have the ability to register and attract investment from any investor from around the world.

The free tool will enable early-stage ventures to create secure profiles where they can collate information about their operations and plans.

Start-ups can then allow selected investors to view their information, with the aim of facilitating funding.

Gust will have a development centre in Vancouver, Canada, and a European office in Paris, France.

“The Gust platform was designed and built around the collaboration needs of both the smart entrepreneur and the smart investor wanting to radically improve their opportunities for success,” says David Rose, founder and CEO of Gust.”

“We’ve integrated powerful investor relations tools with direct access to the largest community of established, organised investors, thus supporting the entire ‘pitch-to-exit’ business life cycle.”

“What’s most important is that our platform has gained the trust of the world’s most demanding investor and entrepreneur organisations.”