Robin Leigh is a highly experienced private investor and deal structurer, with extensive knowledge of investing in the UK and Asia. In the second part of our interview, Robin tells AIN about his strategies for navigating evolving markets and the benefits an experienced investor can bring a startup as a ‘thought partner’. He also highlights the importance of understanding regional differences for startups raising funds in different territories.
As market trends and economic situations evolve, what approaches are you employing to mitigate risks while identifying promising startups?
My angel investment decisions generally start from hearing a great idea, then trying to understand for myself whether I think the sector, opportunity and so on all offer the potential the founder believes. Each time I go through this process I’m therefore considering the relevant market trends and economic situation as they affect the risks of the investment. Overall, though, I stay very close to geopolitical and macroeconomic events as I manage a much broader portfolio of both liquid and illiquid investments across multiple geographies so I try to remain aware of the risks and to balance my overall portfolio by adjusting holdings.