David Drake is the International Keynote Speaker at the Innovest Auckland 2013

NEW YORK - June 19, 2013 - PRLog -- It’s about time that The Soho Loft paid a visit to the unearthly Middle Earth -- where the ethereal mountain crests and breathtaking gorges are the real deal.

The Soho Loft was proud to take part in the real deal event of Innovest as it kicked off on June 18, 2013. The event took a New Zealand Inc. approach to securing investment in Kiwi companies.

Innovest, which is supported by Auckland, Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), was the biggest event of its kind in New Zealand. It brought together 200 government agencies, industry organizations, banks and law-firms, small to medium sized enterprises and local and international investors.

Innovest debuted in 2011 as part of the Rugby World Cup event in New Zealand. Its objective was to allow visitors to immerse into the New Zealand investment community. Innovest brings the same objective this year, but this time around, it has brought new partners and a fresh twist on the format.

The Innovest event had three sections that  all run in tandem on that day:

The first section was Business Matching. Each company submitted a summary of their businesses. The investors provided information on what kind of prospects they were looking for. Registered entrepreneurs and investors had the chance to meet privately. Registered investors were pre-matched with businesses.

The Conference proper – international as well as local investment experts imparted market trends and their perspective of the New Zealand investment opportunities. This year, sector presentations revolved around value-added food, software and niche manufacturing.

Networking – this is where businesses clinked martini glasses with their potential investors over cocktails. This is one had the chance to get up close and personal with would-be investors.

David Drake, Chairman of The Soho Loft, was the international keynote speaker for the event. Drake believes that the traditional methods of raising capital and building businesses are morphing in a whirlwind of change. “These expansions can bring businesses to new heights – innovating and delivering revolutionary funding solutions across various market sectors. The traditional methods of building businesses is morphing and so far it is doing great, it’s up to us whether to ride the winds of change or get left behind,” Drake adds.

There are also passionate Kiwis from around the world who served as ambassadors to the Innovest initiative, and promoted the many commercial opportunities being created and developed in New Zealand. These ambassadors were:

Richard Dellabarca, Non-Executive Director at ICAP in London, the United Kingdom
Phil Veal, General Partner at Growfire in New York, U.S.A
Pooj Preena of Matakite Capital in San Francisco, U.S.A

“We aim to make this collaboration an annual event. This is important because it will help New Zealand get on the radar of some international investors,” said Darren Grant, ATEED spokesman.

Check out event details at http://innovest-entrepreneurship-auckland-618.eventbrite....

Crowdfunding and other alternative investment models have been growing rapidly and globally and has been revolutionizing global financial systems.

"As the world's traditional financial markets struggle, crowdfunding and other new investment models have provided the alternative solution to startup funding and now those models spread to other asset classes too. And it is synergies such as between Grow VC and The Soho Loft that help to make these solutions possible,” says Jouko Ahvenainen, Chairman of Grow VC.

Check out also other events by The Soho Loft, happening all around the world: http://thesoholoft.com/crowdfundingupcoming-events/

About The Soho Loft (www.thesoholoft.com)

The Soho Loft is an event-driven financial media company that advances innovative investing and entrepreneurship through visionary leadership, relevant education, and strategic collaboration. Major areas of focus and expertise covers, but are not limited to, online investment automation, capital formation, fund structures, angel network creation, private and  public partnerships, venture capital, crowdfunding, private equity and hedge funds. A subsidiary of LDJ Capital (www.ldjcapital.com) based in New York City, USA, its founder and Chairman, David Drake (www.thesoholoft.com/mkdd), is  also a co-founder and former executive board member of the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CFIRA) and Crowdfunding Professional Association (CFPA). He is a strong advocate of financial innovation, the US JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act), Dodd-Frank Act, and other entrepreneurial, economic and investment policies  through his work as an international speaker and writer.

For press inquiries, contact carmen.campo@thesoholoft.com.