Angel Investing: An Introduction

Angel investors or business angels are high net worth individuals who invest in early stage high growth entrepreneurial ventures with the object of earning high returns. These financial angels are referred to as angel investors in the US and as business angels in the UK. Successful investors and entrepreneurs who have exited their own businesses but are keen on staying involved in early stage companies usually become angels. Apart from the financial resources, angels’ earlier exposure to and experience in business, serve to make them important sources of information, talent, and contacts for the new start-ups. Angels have often been confused with venture capitalists as both fund new businesses. However, in reality, each group plays a distinct role in the financial ecosystem. The prime difference is that, while angels invest their own money, venture capitalists invest pools of other people s money. Though angel investing activity has been in existence for centuries, angel contribution to the economy has really not been appreciated. A reason for this is that most angels preferred to work on the basis of anonymity till very recently. A growing trend of angels pooling their resources by forming angel groups and networks to reap the benefits of scale in the form of access to investment opportunities and risk reduction has thrust their activities into limelight. This book, a primer on the concept of angel investing, captures the latest trends and developments in the field.