Many of our clients are seeking early-stage capital from angel investors. The process can be frustrating if you think there's a secret to it, but there isn't. It's about exactly the things you'd expect: your idea, your target market, your traction, your team, your track record, your commitment to keeping at your business and staying in conversation with prospective investors until you find the ones who say yes.
Angel groups can play a part in the process, but they don't change the fundamentals. They just facilitate conversations with more potential investors. Which is important, because each time you pitch, you will learn and improve (ideally not just your pitch, but your business as well).
As a resource for clients and entrepreneurs, we've taken a little time to compile what I think is a fairly comprehensive list of angel groups in California. If we've missed a group, let us know and we'll be sure to update this post.
1) Investors’ Circle, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.investorscircle.net/
Who it helps: Uses private capital to promote businesses that address social and environmental issues.
2) Band of Angels, Menlo Park, CA
Website: http://www.bandangels.com/
Who it helps: Group of former and current high-tech executives that has invested almost $200 million in early-stage technology companies.
3) Pasadena Angels, Altadena CA
Website: http://pasadenaangels.com/
Who it helps: Provides up to $750,000 in early-stage and seed financing to startups in southern California.
4) Tech Coast Angels, CA
Website: https://www.techcoastangels.com/
Who it helps: Provides connections, knowledge, mentoring and operational assistance to early-stage entrepreneurs in the tech, biotech, consumer products, Internet, information technology, life sciences, media, software and environmental markets.
5) Maverick Angels, Agoura Hills CA
Website: http://www.maverickangels.com/
Who it helps Find, qualify and invest in early-stage companies and provides coaching, training, relationships and other resources.
6) SF Angels Group, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.sfangelsgroup.com/
Who it helps: A group of successful 25+ global accredited investors that help start-ups with mentorship, capital, connections and more.
7) Angel Vision Investors, Los Angeles, CA
Website: http://www.angelvisioninvestors.com/
Who it helps: A collective of entrepreneurs who invest in and cultivate new companies within the realm of entertainment, marketing, and new media.
8) SLO Seed Ventures, San Luis Obispo, CA
Website: http://www.sloseedventures.com/
Who it helps: A group of accredited investors with a variety of backgrounds and business experiences providing resources for early-stage start-ups, in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity.
9) TiE Angels Silicon Valley, Santa Clara, CA
Website: https://sv.tie.org/
Who it helps: Support emerging companies with early stage investment and support. TiE seeks to cultivate and nurture the ecosystem of entrepreneurship and free-market economies everywhere, as it sees this to be the single most powerful instrument of prosperity.
10) Sacramento Angels, LA, CA
Website: http://www.sacangels.com/
Who it helps: Believe in the journey of the entrepreneur and startups; the journey to make the world a better place, to create jobs and to keep America strong, competitive and at the forefront of innovation.
11) The Arcview Group, SF, CA
Website: http://arcviewgroup.com/
Who it helps: Focus on cannabis-related businesses and the development of a responsible, profitable, and politically-engaged legal cannabis industry.
12) Acorn Angels, Santa Clara, CA
Website: http://acornangels.com/
Who it helps: Acorn Angels is a group of Silicon Valley Angel Investors who provide early stage investment capital for hi-tech companies.
13) European American Angel Club, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://euroamericanangels.weebly.com/
Who it helps: A group of angel investors and entrepreneurs whose primary goal is to support early-stage companies from the European community in Silicon Valley.
14) Golden Gate Angels, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.goldengateangels.com/
Who it helps: Provides seed investment and professional mentoring to start-up companies with huge market potential and business growth.
15) Imporium Angels, San Diego, CA
Website: http://www.imporiumangels.com/
Who it helps: Focuses on new technological industries such as telephony, biotechnology, radio frequency identification (RFID), information technology, software applications, medical equipment, and semiconductors.
16) Life Science Angels, Inc., Palo Alto, CA
Website: http://lifescienceangels.com/
Who it helps: Provides seed capital to early stage companies that focus on medical devices and biotechnology industries.
17) The North Bay Angels, Healdsburg, CA
Website: http://www.northbayangels.com/
Who it helps: Invest primarily in early stage equity and venture debt, where participation will have an impact on the success of the company.
18) Sand Hill Angels, Menlo Park, CA
Website: http://www.sandhillangels.com/
Who it helps: Skilled entrepreneurs and successful investors driven to support technology-based industries such as Information Technology, Life Sciences, and the Internet.
19) The Angels’ Forum, Palo Alto, CA
Website: http://www.angelsforum.com/
Who it helps: An exclusive group of 25 private investors, focuses on consumer, health care, and technology-based industries. Provides seed capital funds to early-stage companies as well as second-round and third-round investment to their portfolio companies.
20) Astia Angels, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://astia.org/
Who it helps: Astia is a community of experts committed to building women leaders and accelerating the funding and growth of high-potential, high-growth, women-led startups.
21) Golden Seeds, San Francisco, CA (and NY)
Website: http://www.goldenseeds.com/
Who it helps: A discerning group of investors, seeking and funding high-potential, women-led businesses.
22) HealthTech Capital, Los Altos Hills, CA
Website: http://www.healthtechcapital.com/
Who it helps: HealthTech Capital is a group of private investors dedicated to funding and mentoring new "HealthTech" start ups at the intersection of healthcare with the computer and mobility worlds.
23) Keiretsu Forum, Costa Mesa, CA
Website: http://www.keiretsuforum.com/
Who it helps: Worldwide network of capital, resources and deal flow with 27 chapters on 3 continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities.
24) San Joaquin Angels, Stockton, CA
Website: http://www.sanjoaquinangels.com/
Who it helps: Finance and support local businesses.
25) The Stanislaus-Merced Angels, Modesto, CA
Website: https://gust.com/organizations/stanislaus-merced-angels
Who it helps: Invest in start-up and early stage businesses in a wide range of industries, with preference for businesses in Northern California/Central Valley.
26) Angel Capital Network, Sausalito, CA
Website: http://www.angelcapitalnetwork.com/
Who it helps: Identify, fund and develop new investment opportunities in high growth private companies. Invest in entrepreneurs and companies in a variety of industries and stages of development.
27) Tribe of Angels, Silicon Valley, CA
Website: http://www.tribeofangels.com/
Who it helps: Tribe of Angels (TOA) is the oldest and largest private network of Jewish investors, entrepreneurs, executives, and researchers.
28) 12 Angels, Los Angeles, CA
Website: http://12angels.org
Who it helps: Provide investment capital, consultation and mentorship to support sustainable businesses that hire recovering addicts, giving them a chance to enjoy productive and healthy lives.
29) Angels Corner, Silicon Valley, CA
Website: http://www.angelscorner.com/
Who it helps: Focused on investing in private companies with strong teams, proprietary solutions, and high potentials.
30) Silicom Ventures, Los Altos, CA
Website: http://www.silicomventures.com/
Who it helps: Platform for investing in emerging technologies and producing large-scale, global conferences.
31) VoiVoda Ventures, Glendale, CA
Website: http://www.voivoda.com/
Who it helps: VoiVoda is a technology acceleration fund focused on B2B startup companies. Their unique approach to early stage investing involves working closely with companies based outside of the traditional US technology markets. They combine the resources of their own fund with those of a broad network of angel investors to assist companies in raising their first institutional round.