The fifth annual Invest Atlantic conference will shine a spotlight on a problem that hounds every startup community — how to encourage more wealthy individuals to invest in local young companies?

Since it began in 2010, Invest Atlantic has chosen a theme each year, such as partnering with corporations or global investing, and in 2014 is focusing on angel investment. That’s investment in startups by individuals, either on their own or through organized networks.

The growth of angel investment makes sense because there are individuals in the region who have money to invest, and angel investing can serve to diversify their holdings. On the other side of these deals, there are exciting companies in the region that are hungry for capital.

“All the tidbits that I’m hearing say that over the next couple of years — and everyone is in agreement in this — there are going to be issues with our companies finding money,” said Bob Williamson, CEO of Jameson Consulting and the organizer of Invest Atlantic. “What happens if we approach more angel investors and say, ‘What about taking a small portion of your portfolio and investing it in your local community?’”

There are already active angels in the region. According to data compiled by Entrevestor, individuals (other than company founders) invested at least $13.2 million in Atlantic Canadian startups in 2013. However, more startups are forming and reaching growth stages when they need a lot of capital, so there will be more pressure to find new sources of investment.

Brian Lowe, co-founder of the First Angel Network, will chair the conference, and the speakers include Gerry Pond, chairman of the East Valley Ventures of Saint John, and Gerard Buckley, chairman of the Toronto-based Maple Leaf Angels.

The main Invest Atlantic conference takes place on Sept. 30 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. It is preceded on Sept. 29 by a PitchCamp, in which a select group of new companies compete to see who can deliver the best 60-second pitch.

The keynote speakers at the main conference are coming from North Carolina: Michael Cain Sr. is the member manager at Wilmington Investor Network and chairman of the Angel Resource Institute, and Brett Martin is the founder and CEO of Castle Branch Inc.

Williamson understands that one conference won’t spark a surge of angel investing, but he hopes it initiates the conversation and helps to educate new angel investors. The education is important because angel investors must be patient and knowledgeable. And they have to understand that each company they back could produce massive returns but could also go bust. He’s hoping some novice angels will attend and that the message gets out beyond the conference itself.

“We’re hoping to at least spread the word to those within the startup community that it’s cool to reach out to those outside the community and let them know about angel investing,” he said.