Chart – The Startup Financing Cycle
Tips from Angel investors at Rock Health 2 of 2
7 Common Mistakes Made by Angel Investors
As the head of Angel Investment Network, I’ve had the chance to speak with a lot of angels over the years. When discussing their experiences, some things kept coming up again and again…
1) Not looking at enough deals
Make sure you look at as many investment opportunities as possible. The more business plans you read, the more likely you are to find the one that pushes all the right buttons. It also lets you notice industry trends and see if any competitors and emerging. Last year I read about 50 plans about wind turbines, who all claimed to be the best. You quickly realize that there are so many new players fighting for market share that it would be a very difficult call to make in terms of making an investment. Professional venture capitalists expect to look at 100 companies for every investment they make, so you should join several angel groups to make sure you see as many deals as possible.
A snapshot of which industries US angels have been investing since 2004
Creating an Early Stage Pitch Deck
A picture from the white board at Ryan Spoon’s presentation on creating early stage pitch decks (primarily focused on the seed round).
Please take this for what it’s worth: just one investor’s opinion. As is true with everything – the best answer is “it depends”. It depends on your background, your company, your raise, and your audience.
50 Quick Tips on Raising Angel Funding – Part 2