Angel investing is like a rollercoaster ride
Angel investing is undoubtedly one of the interesting ways to invest. However, it's not for everyone. To become an angel investor, you primarily need to have the right „mindset“. You must be prepared for the fact that venture capital is highly risky and that you could lose your investment. You take risks, but at the same time, you help with your money, time, experience, and contacts, thereby reducing the risk of the given startup failing. Simultaneously, you participate in the development of new technologies and the future. Does this sound like an exciting rollercoaster ride to you? Well, it is. Read the most important things you need to know about angel investing.
Angel investing / Angel investor
The term „Business Angel,“ known in the Czech context as an angel investor, was first used in 1978 by William Wetzel of the University of New Hampshire, founder of the Centre for Venture Research. Wetzel was conducting a study on how entrepreneurs raise capital and, based on the characteristics of their work, gave them this name. Angel investors truly are like angels. They help, potentially saving a company from (corporate) death.
An angel investor is a private individual who invests in the earliest stages of startups, particularly in the pre-seed and seed phases. In addition to money, angel investors provide their experience, knowledge from business and various industries, their time, and most importantly, their contacts. These individuals are often entrepreneurs, former startup founders, early retirees, or high-ranking managers. Who would refuse help from such experts?
Why are angel investors important
An angel investor is very important for startups because they provide more than just money. They are significant because they invest and help at the very beginning of a startup's journey, at a stage where the startup would never receive investment from any VC fund. For VCs, these phases are very risky as they lack the time they could dedicate to a startup, so they bet on more verified companies that are already showing some revenue. Conversely, an angel investor helps startups overcome the difficult early stages and significantly increases their chances of success, and therefore their return on investment, with their time, expertise, vast experience, and contacts.
How angel investors work and where to find them
There are not many active angel investors in Europe, however, awareness is constantly expanding and there are more inexperienced investors with smaller capital. Some have built a personal brand as angel investors (which is very demanding and often associated with attending many, many startup events, lecturing, participating in juries, or achieving a successful exit). These angel investors are not short of so-called deal flow (simply put – the number of investment opportunities an angel investor currently has available), as start-up founders approach them directly. However, if you are not that type of investor, there is fortunately a second option to break into the startup world and gain access to quality projects and other investors. These are various angel networks and investor clubs. They are often local, meaning