An inaugural angel investing workshop is to be hosted by Dorset Business Angels (DBA) at the Bournemouth Carlton Hotel next month.

The workshop, on Monday April 17, will take place prior to the Spring pitch event.

It will be led by experienced angel investor and DBA Chairman, Don McQueen, pictured left.

The workshop will be fully interactive and engaging; sharing real-life experiences and discussing due diligence and what happens when it comes to an ongoing relationship with the entrepreneur.

It’s expected that gold nuggets will be shared by a Q&A panel.

Experienced investors, DBA Directors and professional service sponsors will impart their knowledge and share the good, the bad and the ugly of their past experiences.

After the workshop attendees will join other guests for the Dragons’ Den style pitch event and investors’ dinner.

Five entrepreneurs have been selected to pitch to investors who have signed up for the event.

• A Bournemouth-based company in the automotive sector launching a new end-to-end digital marketplace allowing consumers to arrange finance, buy a car and sell their old one entirely online.
• A business from Exeter solving some of the issues of charging an electric vehicle at home by facilitating the rental of domestic EV charge points with neighbouring motorists on a regular, bookable and affordable basis.
• An innovative company whose wearable technology benefits people with dementia, learning disabilities or traumatic brain injuries living in residential or nursing care or in the community. Smart Socks help to detect unobserved/uncommunicated distress in people living with these kind of conditions.
• A company with manual-handling injury reduction tech, encompassing wearable sensors that can be attached to workwear together with software and provides real-time alerts to enable injury prevention.
• A Christchurch-based company which has developed a sun protection product delivering maximum protection for endurance sports enthusiasts, adventurers and professional athletes who have to deal with altitude, snow, and relentless seawater environments.

Don said: “April 17 is set to be a great day, kicking off with the workshop enabling participants to take their fresh knowledge and understanding with them into the live pitch event.”

Debbie Frith, DBA Director and Event Manager, pictured right, added: “We’re excited by the energy the newest members have brought to DBA.

“Their involvement in the workshop, and the event afterwards, is sure to make it a most vibrant and interesting event.”

DBA was formed in 2013 and provides quality, private equity investment opportunities to local high net worth and sophisticated investors.

Any investments are in the form of an equity investment and not a debtor’s loan.

Investments are made across all sectors.

Angel investment might come from a single investor, or it could be two or three angels pooling funds together to support a company as a syndicate.

DBA is sponsored by Saffery Champness chartered accountants, Ellis Jones Solicitors and Investec.

To book on to the pitch event visit the website dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk