What is Angel Investing?

What is angel investing? It appears this particular phrase has gotten quite a lot of attention in recent years and has become the buzz words of alternative small business funding. The “angel” in this scenario is the investor – the person who provides capital for small business start-ups. First, let us examine the technicalities of such investment relationships.

Angel investors are essentially private money lenders; the funds that they provide (in most cases) are from their own capital funds that they have allocated for investment in start-up businesses. This is not to be confused with venture capitalists who manage a pooled collection of funds provided by multiple investors. Further, it is not the same as investment brokers who connect start-up businesses with third-party funds in exchange for a fee. Angel investors are dealing with their own money and, as such, there comes a greater ownership in the process.

Why is this something that an investor would want to do? There are several reasons that angel investing – from the investor’s point of view – can be a sound financial decision. For one, these funds are allocated for investment purposes and what better way to diversify your portfolio than to invest in a variety of lucrative industries? Rather than traditional loan repayment terms, private investors provide funds in exchange for equity in the company in which they are investing, or in exchange for convertible debt which can be converted at a later date, into shares of the company within a set number of years. Surely, there is much risk associated with angel investing. However, provided that the investor is smart and can fully vet the potential of the start-ups that they consider, the rewards can be just as great.

So, what benefits does angel investing offer start-up businesses?

Acquiring funds through angel investing provides start-ups with flexibility and – in some cases, essential tools – that they would not receive through traditional loans. For one, angel investors can offer capital in any form or amount of their choosing – there is no set limit. Additionally, the investor has a vested interest in seeing that company succeed in the long term and they will often bring their expertise to the process; not only helping businesses launch successfully, but also preparing them for continued growth.