Bruce Bartley, who runs the Engine Room group in Taupo for entrepreneurs, said he had started a dozen businesses and was involved in six, including the Spidertracks GPS tracking app.
"The normal angel model of building a portfolio doesn't work for me," he said. "As an investor, if you've got a small amount in you can't do anything, so I get a larger chunk of a smaller company so that I can step in and help it back on to the rails."
Rudi Bublitz, born in Germany, opted for New Zealand because he liked the relaxed Kiwi style. He is a co-founder of a new group, Flying Kiwi Angels.
"In a typical angel what you're looking for is someone who's done it before, they've made enough money to invest and lose it all," he said. "You want Angels that can share their experience and get you through."
Steve Saunders, head of Tauranga's Plus Group of agro-tech companies and a member of the Tauranga Enterprise Angels group, said he was an entrepreneur who invested in entrepreneurs.
"I love the passion of entrepreneurs," he said.
Mr Saunders stressed the importance of staying connected worldwide and the importance for a New Zealand business to build global scale.
"You've got to get around the world and meet people," he said.
He added that New Zealand had a golden ticket from a primary sector point of view because of its clean reputation.
"People want to be connected to what they eat. Safe food connectivity is our opportunity."
Background
• American angel investor John Huston launched the first Ohio TechAngel Fund in 2004 with 50 investors, which became a founding member of the USA's Angel Capital Association.
• Now with 340 members, OTAF is one of the world's largest angel groups and recently launched its fourth sidecar fund at $7.3 million.