Should I Be an Angel Investor? The Highs, The Lows and Why You Should.
15 October 2026
- Scale up
- Investors and enablers
- Early/growth stage
Real talk with the AANZ 2026 angel Kotahitanga award winner David Oliver.
Real returns, real losses, real talk - NZ's Angel of the Year on what it actually takes to back startups:
- How many companies he's actually backed, and what that portfolio looks like
- Fund vs direct investing?
- What angels bring beyond a cheque
- Why he does this - and why he thinks you might want to
Some examples of failures and what went wrong:
- What he'd caution anyone considering this path
- What kind of returns you can realistically expect
- Why join an angel group rather than go it alone
- What you need to qualify (wholesale investor criteria) and how Mainland Angels works
Speakers
Camille Hunt
Network Growth and Investment manager at Mainland Angel Investors
Camille is the network manager for Canterbury and has been angel investing since 2020. She has also been an entrepreneur and understands the founder journey having lived through this twice with her two startups, First Course Foods and Cleo.
Camille was born and raised in Christchurch and has gained experience overseas in Canada and Australia. She attended the University of Otago (physiotherapy) and the University of British Columbia (MBA - Innovation and Entrepreneurship).
David Oliver
Investor
Early-stage investor across a range of sectors, and LP and Partner at Ascend Capital Partners, focused on growth-stage technology companies in Europe. I also continue to operate businesses in China, where I spent 20 years building and running companies.
Venue
The Annex
10 Madden Street
Wynyard Quarter
Auckland Central 1010
A contemporary venue with a striking exterior, The Annex provides a light-filled space with a large outdoor area to extend the scope of your event. This blank canvas has state-of-the-art AV facilities and is a timeless space for product launches, fashion shows, strategy sessions and workshops. The venue is in Auckland's waterfront neighbourhood, just a stone's throw from the motorway and city centre.