A Network for Investors & Serious Entrepreneurs

StarGate Capital Investment Group is a fund management corporate and finance firm. It invests in emerging opportunities in markets underserved by banks and the traditional fund management industry, for instance via Trapezia, a venture capital programme investing exclusively in women-focused businesses.

Gita Patel, is one of the founders at StarGate and the driving force behind Trapezia. She recognises that female entrepreneurs represent one of the fastest growing segments of the major developed economies, but often want specialist advice alongside investment,

“Women don’t just want debt and equity, they want someone to sit and listen to them about their businesses.”

Solution
StarGate has been a member of the London Chamber of Commerce for just over a year, with Gita sitting on the Asian Business Association committee.

Gita believes that the networking opportunities that come with membership are hugely beneficial, “We are always on the look out for scaleable businesses that need funding, and engaging in the business community is important. That means understanding the issues they face as well as their plans for the future. Chamber events are a good setting for those kinds of conversations.”

Outcome
Gita is convinced that StarGate’s involvement with the Chamber will bear fruit over time,
“It is all about meeting the right people. At Chamber events, I am much more likely to meet decision makers, whilst attending events organised by its Women in Business group helps us to better understand the issues they face, gain further market intelligence and identify investment opportunities.”

Networking through the Chamber also helps create trust, according to Gita, “Speaking at events organised for women in business raises our profile as investors, but the fact that the Chamber is a trusted network is also important. It helps people to understand that we are fair and realistic with the companies we invest in and are able to add value through management support.”