Angel Insights Blog

By: Marianne Hudson, ACA Executive Director

While I was preparing our ACA Member eNews this morning, I was especially struck by how much ACA member angels have helped create a great library of education and insights on ACA’s website.  Here are just of few of these resources for your investigation:

• Rising Tide Education Program – Videos, Webinars and Articles on Angel Fundamentals

If you are looking for content on the building blocks of angel investing, go to ACA’s education resource center. There you can find videos, webinars, and articles on critical angel processes from portfolio building to valuation to due diligence and more.  The latest video is Introduction to Cap Tables, by ACA Board Member Kevin Learned, and he has also provided a model basic cap table to experiment with.  These programs are done in partnership with the Rising Tide Education Program, with support from the Kauffman Foundation.  In addition to Kevin, ACA member instructors include Victoria Barnard, Brigitte Baumann, Barbara Clarke, Marcia Dawood, Angela Jackson, Bill Payne, and Wendee Wolfson.

Gold star content is on @ACAAngelCapital site because members share knowledge w/ #angels & #treps. Mine the gold at https://t.co/he7cLFJgQG

— Angel Capital Assn (@ACAAngelCapital) August 22, 2016

• GameChangers.tv – Interviews of Top Investors and Entrepreneurs

ACA Board Member Jim Connor is producing a television series GameChangers.tv, which includes a robust set of 15 minute interviews with leading entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley – and increasingly throughout the world.  Earlier this month, Jim interviewed VCs Cindy Padnos and Ephraim Lindenbaum on current trends in the VC market or Why More VC Money is Going to Fewer Deals.  They offer insights on why 2016 so far has the lowest number of early-stage deals in 10 years, as these investors are more cautious on deploying seed and follow-on investments by size and scope – but also offer insights into sectors with strong opportunities. Jim sums up the issue and adds his two cents in his blog post.

• Christopher Mirabile’s Inc Column – Demystifying Angels

ACA Chair Christopher Mirabile rocks with a two-year series of educational articles for entrepreneurs to better get into the heads of angel investors.  This is a goldmine for understanding early-stage trends, getting into important details of pitching or negotiating deals, and much more.

• ACA’s Column in Forbes – Insights on Smart Angel Investing

I have had the pleasure of interviewing many ACA members on important trends and “how-to” advice on angel investing.  Just in the last few months, I’ve interviewed:

• Craig Mullett – Follow These Tips to Get the Best Acquisition Price for Your Startup
• Christopher Mirabile – The Biggest Unforced Error in Early Stage Investing (closing deals)
• Brigitte Baumann – Will it Thrive or Die? Assessing Startup Financials
• Alejandro Cremades – 7 Red Flags: Is the Startup You’re Considering About to Fail?

There are so many other members I could mention from event speakers, webinar speakers, and their own blog posts.  Thank you to our members!  And if you’ve missed any of this good content, take the time to check out these free resources.