North America

• Instar Brands (www.instarbrands.com) – Brand management and support platform for fast-moving consumer brands that wish to launch and scale up in the US market.
• People OneHealth (https://peopleonehealth.com/) – Health system that combines healthcare services and a monthly membership business model.
• Phenix Software (https://phenixps.com/) – Planning and scheduling software for process manufacturers.

• Purepost (www.purepost.co) – Solution that provides a fast & accurate way to connect skilled, qualified candidates to career opportunities.

Europe

• AccuPredict Services (https://accupredict.io/) – Smart sensors for heavy-machinery failure prediction’.
• Diplomat / Rooster (https://www.diplomat-global.com) – AI based SaaS platform enabling “continuous replenishment” logistics management for retail. 

Latin America

• CNCC (www.cafamilia.com) – Industrial grade infrastructure for the treatment of textile waste management.

• Trendsights (https://www.trendsights.ai) – Marketing intelligence platform that integrates influencers, online channels and competitor monitoring to generate actionable content.

Asia

• EchoWorth Tech (https://www.ecoworth-tech.com/) – Wastewater management solution.

Middle East

• Bright Concept (www.yoloshops.com) – A global teen accessory brand with a social mission.

Recognition of these companies and selection of the winner will take place at the P&G Alums Global Conference on November 2-5th in Washington D.C. So be there to cheer them on!

But you may be wondering, “How will this work?” Well, the key lies in bringing together the essential players in this virtuous cycle of value creation: the startups, the investors, and the advisors. 

In this article, we will focus on the role and motivations for PGAN ‘angel ‘investor participation in this new program.

In the past, angel investors were typically high-net-worth individuals who provided initial seed money to early-stage startups in exchange for equity and the expectation of future capital appreciation. However, with the advent of the SEC’s crowdfunding regulations and the availability of online investment platforms, it is now possible for anyone to invest in unlisted companies that align with their investment goals. And the investment may be as little as $100. 

Although ‘angel’ investing is higher risk than investing in stocks and bonds, and angel investors must carefully evaluate potential investments, there are many benefits to ‘angel’ investing. 

Let’s look at some of the rewards of ‘angel’ investing :

• Getting in on the ground floor of a potentially high-growth company.
• Diversifying an investment portfolio by including a higher-risk, higher-potential asset class.
• Supporting startups that have a product/service that aligns with investor’s values and beliefs.
• The personal satisfaction that comes from helping to grow a small business.

For me, ‘angel’ investing is an opportunity to learn about new technologies and business models that may radically change our future. And what could be more exciting than that?

Over the next 2-3 months, the PGAN Catapult program, in collaboration with our investment platform provider, will launch several online capital-raise campaigns for the startups that participated in the ‘2023 Entrepreneur Stars’ program. Interested PGAN ‘angel’ investors will have the opportunity to discover, evaluate, and easily invest in PGAN-led startups via our investment partner’s online platform. 

If you are interested  in investing in Catapult Program startups, or just interested in what opportunities are available, then please follow this link and answer a few brief questions.

‘Angel investors’, get ready, get set, and let’s go!

Procter & Gamble is renowned for hiring high-caliber talent. So, it is not surprising that a subset of P&G alumni go on to create exciting new startups. 

However, building a winning startup is hard and more than half of startups fail. What are the primary causes of these failures? Two recurring reasons are access to funding and the lack of industry and/or operational experience. The new Catapult program aims to address both challenges.

Through the new program, an annual cohort of twenty-five alumni-led startups will be selected for participation in pre-funding clinics geared towards mastering the prerequisites for fundraising success. At the end of the clinic, each startup will have an in-depth understanding of what is required to attract and engage potential investors.

Moreover, the top three startups in the yearly cohort will receive additional hands-on support with pitch deck preparation, business plan assessment, financial modeling, risk evaluation, and other topics that potential investors focus on. At the end of the process, the startups will launch their first fundraising campaign. 

However, successfully raising capital is by no means the end of the startup’s journey. In our next two articles, we will reveal how the PGAN experts and PGAN investors fit into this shared value-creation journey. 

Stay tuned.

About the P&G Business Catapult Program:

Business Catapult is the P&G Alumni Network’s virtual accelerator program for Alumni founders seeking investment, connections, and marketing for an existing venture.

By connecting P&G Alumni Entrepreneurs with P&G Alumni Investors and Advisors in order – we help your business to accelerate growth and make connections for potential funding.

This is an ongoing program providing mentorship and advisory to the top ventures. We guarantee at least one advisory session.

Selected semi-finalists present at an annual global pitch event – with finalists presenting at the P&G Alumni Global Conference, and the final winner recognized as the P&G Alumni Star Entrepreneur.