How to find angel investors

Over the next few weeks we will be giving you the lowdown on angel investors: how to find them, how best to pitch and what they are looking for in your startup to help you determine if seeking angel investment for your startup is the best way to go.

This week, we look at how you find an angel investor, the right investor for you.

What is an angel investor?

Angel investors are high net worth individuals who provide financial backing for early stage businesses or startups in exchange for ownership equity. They often invest in areas of work that they know and take an active role in the development of the business. 

Angels are an attractive option for startups as they invest early on in your journey, and can provide invaluable support, investing not only money but their experience as well. It’s a much more personal investment with the angel investor providing more favourable terms than other investment options but as the investment may be more risky, they expect a good return on investment so will look for opportunities that offer this.

How do you find the right angel investor for your company?

Lucky for you, you have already found Decksender! Our free platform enables you to find the right investors and send your pitch decks to them quickly. There are a multitude of other platforms out there but we believe ours gets you on the right track and gives you exposure to more investors quickly.

As for other investors, you will need to create a high quality funding pitch ready for meetings. When you join Decksender, your pitch deck is automatically reviewed to ensure you’ve included everything that members need before it is submitted to your chosen list of potential investors.

There are some key things to consider when choosing an angel investor to approach. On Decksender, each investor profile includes details of each individual to help you with this and you can filter the search function by investor type.

• Does the investor have experience in your sector?

Angels tend to invest in an area they have particular experience or interest in, so researching this when looking at who to approach is useful.

• Do your values align?

As angel investors are investing in not only your company but you, so getting an idea of this could be useful when looking at who to approach. You can’t know this for sure without meeting, but some prior research can really pay off.

• Do their intentions match with what you want from an investment?

There is room for manoeuvre within this area, but ensuring you’re on the same page prior to approach will allow you to focus your search.

• Is the investor based near to you? 

Many angel investors will want to be hand-on with the business and therefore looking for those based near you could benefit. Not to mention the tax benefits received investing in opportunities in their home country which are an important factor for many angels.

What now?

Now your pitch deck has winged its way to the inboxes of your chosen investors, they will have the opportunity to review, respond with a yes or a no, and provide feedback. This will enable you to hone your deck and strive to find the right angel for you. Decksender alone has more than 2,000 investors on the platform so don’t expect an investment tomorrow. But by utilising the skills at hand to fully showcase your idea, you’re in the best position to secure funding.