Angel investors are high-net-worth individuals that invest in the early stages of a startup company in exchange for equity. They may also be referred to as seed investors, angel funders, private investors, or business angels. Angel investors invest in ideas and entrepreneurs, with profits a more secondary concern. In addition to providing vital early capital and having an appetite for risk, many also offer their industry skills, expertise, networks, and mentorship services.
Wei Guo
Wei Guo is a Chinese angel investor who has invested in more than 400 companies through his investment firm Wei Fund. The fund, which was established in 2004, has been associated with companies such as Scout, Chariot, Worklife, and Vitroid.
Guo subsequently launched a $50 million second fund called UpHonest Capital with an investment portfolio consisting of Instacart, Dialpad, and American satellite manufacturer Astranis, to name a few.
Daniel Curran
Daniel Curran is a Silicon Valley angel investor with an enviable track record of successful exits.
In 2019, Curran was ranked the seventh most successful angel investor based on investment volume and successful exits. Curran invested in 23 companies that made an estimated return of 600% over the previous four years.
Some of Curranโs notable exits include Dollar Shave Club, VetPronto, and Zirtual.
Fabrice Grinda
Fabrice Grinda is a French angel investor and entrepreneur with notable investments including Airbnb, Alibaba, Beepi, Brightroll, and Palantir.
Grinda is also the founder of the online classifieds site OLX. He prefers to invest in similar marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers but is also involved with online travel, social commerce, and location-based services.
Grinda can boast over 250 exits from 700 angel investments.
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is a billionaire entrepreneur and the owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, among other pursuits. Cuban is one of the most successful angel investors on the planet and is reported to receive over 1,000 pitches per day.
According to his AngelList profile, Cuban invests in โcompanies that I think are compelling, differentiated and run by motivated entrepreneurs.โ
Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg is a jazz saxophonist and is also the founder of WordPress.
Mullenweg is an angel investor that tends to invest in startups at the seed stage with some customer traction. Owing to his WordPress roots, he favors companies that are developing open source products.
Mullenweg also provides advice and mentorship at Techstars, an American seed accelerator that has funded companies such as Bench, Digital Ocean, Plated, and Simple Energy.
Saad Alsogair
Saad Alsogair is a University of Jordan graduate who resides in Saudi Arabia.
Alsogair is a practicing dermatologist and has made more than 400 investments in startups such as Buffer, Notion, Ripple, and Unsplash. In 2021, he authored a book called Your Idea, Their Money to help entrepreneurs secure their first round of investment funding.
Key takeaways:
- Angel investors are high net-worth individuals that invest in the early stages of a startup company in exchange for equity.
- Angel investors include Chinese businessman Wei Guo, who manages two investment funds, and Daniel Curran, who has a proven track record of exits.
- WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg is also an angel investor, preferring to invest in open source companies. French entrepreneur and OLX founder Fabrice Grinda, on the other hand, tends to invest in marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers.
Key Highlights:
- Angel Investors: Angel investors are high-net-worth individuals who invest in the early stages of startups in exchange for equity.
- Wei Guo: Wei Guo is a Chinese angel investor known for his investments in over 400 companies through his firm Wei Fund. He also launched a $50 million second fund called UpHonest Capital, with investments in companies like Instacart and Dialpad.
- Daniel Curran: Daniel Curran, a Silicon Valley angel investor, has an enviable track record of successful exits. He invested in 23 companies, generating an estimated 600% return over four years, with notable exits including Dollar Shave Club and VetPronto.
- Fabrice Grinda: Fabrice Grinda, a French angel investor, has notable investments in companies like Airbnb, Alibaba, and OLX. He prefers investing in marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers, as well as ventures in online travel, social commerce, and location-based services.
- Mark Cuban: Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and Shark Tank investor, is one of the most successful angel investors. He receives over 1,000 pitches per day and invests in companies that are compelling, differentiated, and run by motivated entrepreneurs.
- Matt Mullenweg: Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, is an angel investor who prefers seed-stage startups with customer traction. Due to his WordPress roots, he favors companies developing open source products. Mullenweg also provides advice and mentorship at Techstars.
- Saad Alsogair: Saad Alsogair, a dermatologist from Saudi Arabia, has made over 400 investments in startups like Buffer, Notion, and Ripple. He authored a book called “Your Idea, Their Money,” which offers insights to entrepreneurs on securing their first round of investment funding.
Read Next: Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Angel Investors vs. Venture Capitalists.
Connected Financial Concepts
Read next:
- Accounting Equation
- Financial Statements In A Nutshell
- Cash Flow Statement In A Nutshell
- How To Read A Balance Sheet Like An Expert
- Income Statement In A Nutshell
- What is a Moat?
- Gross Margin In A Nutshell
- Profit Margin In A Nutshell
Main Free Guides: