5 Best Angel Investor Networks and Platforms to Find Funding

Finding angel investors can be just as big of a challenge as securing funding through pitches. Founders of startups need to know where to look in order to begin to hunt for funding for their startups. Working with angel investors is one of the most beneficial ways for founders to secure funding without accumulating debt. They use their own money in exchange for equity in the company and are usually a long-term partnership.

Many angel investors are looking to fund their next venture and help launch a successful startup. This article will go over what to look for in an angel investor and the top 5 platforms and networks that can help you find an angel investor in your industry to help boost your business's chance of success.

What to Look for in Angel Investors

Startups need financial backing to grow, and angel investors are one of the best ways to secure financing. You wouldn't want to choose just anyone to work with and all angel investors are not the same. The range of quality and experience is massive and can impact your company's success. Taking capital from any source can be tempting, but it pays off to do your research and understand the financial partner you want to work with long-term. Here are some recommendations of what to look for in angel investors.

Experience

Ideally, you will want to work with an investor who has experience in your industry or experience with running a business. You want to look for knowledge or skills that can complement your startup to help fill the gaps in your own knowledge and background. They can provide valuable insights that can prevent you from making costly mistakes and set you on a good path toward success.

Great Reputation

Partnering with an angel investor with a good reputation can help put your mind at ease, knowing you made the right decision. Angel investors with a good reputation can also open doors for you and your startup and gain access to potential customers, partners, and even future investors in later rounds.

High Net Worth

Working with a smaller group of angel investors with a high net worth versus working with a larger number of small investors is more beneficial in the long run. With high-net-worth individuals, you are more likely to secure the funds for longer and have fewer people to work with, which requires stakes in your company.

Realistic Expectations

Angel Investors with a realistic expectation for the timeline to expect your startup to grow and reach your goals are more likely to be successful in their partnerships. You want to make sure they have realistic expectations of how profitable your company can be to ensure you don't end up feeling pressured to take on more risks to reward their returns in the company.

Top 5 Angel Investor Networks and Platforms

Angel Investors are a great starting point to getting funding for your startup. Finding ones to financially back your startup is another story. Here are the top 5 networks and platforms for you to find an angel investor to fund your business.

To rank them, we looked at three things: how many investors you can actually reach, what it costs a founder to use, and how the connection happens, whether that is direct contact details, a pitch listing, or an application process. One disclosure before we start: two of the platforms below, AngelMatch and InvestorHunt, are our own products. They solve different problems, one is a full fundraising platform and one is a pure investor database, and we would rather make the case for each openly than pretend they do not exist.

Platform	Type	Best for
AngelList	Fundraising infrastructure and syndicates	Tech startups raising through syndicates and rolling funds
AngelMatch	A complete fundraising workspace	Running your whole fundraise in one place
Angel Capital Association (ACA)	Professional association of angel groups	Finding organized angel groups in your region
InvestorHunt	A comprehensive investor database	Founders who just want the list, no platform
Gust	Startup profile connected to angel groups and accelerators	Applying to angel groups, incubators, and accelerators

AngelList

AngelList is one of the biggest names in startup investing, though it works differently today than it did years ago. Rather than a browse-and-message investor directory, AngelList now provides the infrastructure that much of early-stage venture runs on: syndicates, rolling funds, and fund management tools. For founders, that means the way to raise through AngelList is usually to get into a syndicate or catch the attention of a fund lead operating on the platform. The job board side of the old AngelList became a separate product called Wellfound, which is where startup hiring now lives.

AngelList remains a powerful channel if your startup fits the tech and venture profile its investors look for, but it is not a database you can search for individual angels to contact directly.

AngelMatch

AngelMatch, our own platform, is a complete fundraising workspace built around one of the largest categorized databases of angel investors and venture capitalists, with over 125,000 investors you can filter by location, industry, investment stage, and investor type, including direct contact details. Around the database, it adds the tools a raise actually runs on: a fundraising CRM to track every conversation, investor email outreach, pitch deck hosting, investor updates, and a data room. If you want to run your whole fundraise in one place rather than stitching together five tools, this is what it is built for.

ACA

The Angel Capital Association, or ACA, is a group of accredited angel investors and is the largest professional development organization for helping fund early-stage capital in startups and small businesses. ACA has over 15,000 member accredited angel investors with connections to over 250 angel groups and offices.

The ACA's website allows you to find angels and learn more about angel investments while staying current on events and news. It offers a wealth of knowledge and has accreditation to help startups make an informed decision on who they want to back them. The most practical use for founders is the member directory of angel groups, which is one of the best ways to find organized angel groups in your city or region.

InvestorHunt

InvestorHunt is a categorized database of 100,000 angels and VCs to raise your seed round. Investors come with contact details and filters which make it easy for you to build a relevant list of investors in minutes. It is the right fit if you’d like to export the lead list and do the outreach using your own email or external email outreach platforms.

Gust

Gust is unique in that it is a SaaS platform connected to angel groups around the world and provides a more flexible means to obtain investment. Gust gives you a platform to tell your startup's story in one place, then use that single profile to apply to angel groups, incubators, and accelerators. If you plan to approach organized angel groups rather than individual angels, Gust saves you from rebuilding your application for each one.

Other Tips to Find Angel Investors

Utilizing platforms and networks to find angel investors can connect you with an abundance of opportunities to connect with the right investor for you. There's no right or wrong way to secure funding. It depends on what works best for your startup. Here are some other places you can look for angel investors beyond online platforms.

Friends and Family

One of the best places to start before you even begin looking elsewhere is to reach out to your friends and family, especially during seed rounds. Do you have high net worth friends and family that might be willing to invest in your startup? Having a connection that can be mutually beneficial and friendly gives you an advantage with a friendly person who is likely to be more flexible to work with. Ask around, and you might be surprised to find a family member who may be willing to invest.

Networking

Networking with former colleagues or meeting with business owners you already have established connections with. It can be similar to cold calling, but it may be worth the effort and could lead to a long-term business relationship. You can also find startup events where founders can meet investors and other startups in their industry and begin to develop connections and potentially secure meetings with angel investors. The strongest version of this is a warm introduction from someone the investor already trusts, and we cover exactly how to get one in our guide to getting a warm introduction to investors.

How to Get an Angel Investor to Invest in Your Startup

Finding angel investors is just the beginning of your journey to find funding for your startup. You need to present your startup's story and key bits of information compellingly to get them to sign on. Follow these steps to help you secure funding from an angel investor.

• Craft Your Elevator Pitch – Your angel investors need an upfront short and sweet explanation of your startup, the problem you intend to solve, and the market potential. This is just an introduction.

• Develop a Pitch – The pitch deck is a more in-depth look at the projects of your startup. Send your potential angel investors a link to your pitch deck so they can review and ask for more information if they see the value.

• Schedule Meetings – After you've managed your initial pitches and your angel investors are interested in learning more, you get the opportunity to meet with your potential investors. In your meeting, you will go over your pitch deck and answer any questions they might have.

• Repeat – You will likely have to meet with several angel investors before you are able to secure funding. If you get a no, keep going and try again with the next potential angel investors.

Raising funds for your startup can be stressful and finding an angel investor can be even more stressful. Building your network and vetting potential angels is a time-consuming task. Being prepared with information and utilizing the top networks and platforms can get you well on your way to securing funding with less stress and in a much faster timeline. The effort will pay off when you connect with the right angel investor to help you shape your startup into a successful venture.