UK Business Angel Syndicates Offered Extra Funds

The UK government’s new Angel CoFund is willing to provide equity or quasi-equity investment of between £100K and £1M into eligible SMEs alongside business angel syndicates.

This action could double the amount of money available for Business Angel investment in the UK in 2012….

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Business Angel Newsround – invest in people – value lies in content – and freelancing founders

Welcome to this months round up of business angel news and ideas. We’ve got three pieces each of which has significant consequences…

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Super Business Angels, Investment Proposal Joke and Startup Business Plan – round up

Some great stories and ideas from this month on the topic of angel investing

• Secrets of super-angel investing
• Joke on investment proposals
• What should be in a startup business plan

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Business Angels: 4 ways to increase investment success

Due Diligence is often seen as not possible or relevant for an early-stage investment. Yet many business angels lose money on the majority of their investments

Can due diligence help?

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Secret of startup success: Does your startup learn?

The Startup Genome report has some surprising findings.

For instance, it all depends on the team and its ability to learn.

Also, the report states that customer acquisition is the priority at all stages (and never product).

Surprised? Then read on…

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3 (Very Different) Approaches to Angel Investing

Even though only 3% of businesses actually consider equity funding from business angels in the UK, three  different models of funding have emerged to try and bridge the gap between start-up entrepreneurs and business angels.

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Don’t Make an Angel Investment before…

Okay, you’ve hunted down the best business proposals, you’ve sorted through the angel networks and found a good supply of deals… now, your network wants you to investment, the entrepreneurs appear credible – and hungry … do you press the button and write the cheque?

Or… do you continue with your due diligence?

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3 Questions every Business Angel must ask – and every Entrepreneur needs to Answer

There are three questions that every business angel (or Venture Capitalist, for that matter) will ask, and hence, these are the three questions that every entrepreneur and investment proposal needs to answer. That is, assuming the entreprenuer wants to get funding.

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The Secret Philosophy of Angel Investing

Can having a grasp of ancient philosophy lead to more successful outcomes for business angels?

The usefulness of studying philosophy at university came up in a conversation I had recently. What is its relevance in today’s world? Can ancient Greek philosophers like Plato teach us anything about how to conduct ourselves in an environment so far removed from Greece thousands of years ago?

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Conversations with Investors – Chapter Two

Many meetings are wasted because founders did not take the time to match their opportunity to the investor’s interest. The lesson for this chapter is the need to match the presentation to the experience and tendencies of the investor – to realize that each investor is unique and will respond better if approached in terms they understand.

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Silicon Valley of the Dinosaurs – Leaner Business Angels Replacing VCs

Has venture capitalism model of investment had its day after a decade of decline?

In venture capitalism, meaningful changes don’t take place overnight. Performance is often measured in decades. Unfortunately the results of the last decade make grim reading, not just for VCs but also for those start-ups who depend on them.

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The 10-Minute Interview – Angelsden Co-Founder Bill Morrow

Bill Morrow, Angelsden co-founder and former city banker, set up the UK speed funding pioneers in 2007 after several years researching the business angel market.

He remains a firm believer that plenty of funding exists out there for good business ideas. He also believes that most business angels will see a return on their investment inside three years…

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How to become a successful business angel

You’re wealthy and you’re ready to invest large sums of money to make a decent return –
so where do you invest your cash in 2010? Should you invest in a start-up business? Is angel investing right for you?

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If personality is no guide to start-up success – what is?

Business angels will already know this in their gut, but a recent survey of entrepreneurial literature has told us, here at iBusinessAngel, that personality is no guide to success.

Various firms have been developing psychometric tests to identify the personality traits of a successful entrepreneur and it turns out, that there is no agreement on whether any of these work. So what can research tell us?

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