Gaining the Interest of Angels in 13 Minutes and 10 Slides

With venture capital continuing to constrict, entrepreneurs who want to launch and grow their own companies are increasingly turning to angel investors to get the all-important pre-seed and early stage funding that can bridge the gap between bootstrapping and VC. Meghan Casserly of Forbes.com has dedicated a three-part series to helping entrepreneurs better understand angel funding – where it comes from and how to secure it.

Casserly interviewed Allison Finkelstein, senior director of funds management for TechColumbus and Ohio TechAngels for her stories. According to Finkelstein, finding angel investors is the first step. She recommends researching the online member directory of the Angel Capital Association which breaks down groups according to their investment interest and their geographic location. In addition, Finkelstein suggests seeking out retired business professionals in specific industries who may be looking to re-enter the market on a limited basis, or college professors who may be tapped into a network of business supporters.

Once you’ve found angels and gained a meeting with them, how do you hold their attention? Casserly outlines the parameters of angel presentations that, according to conventional wisdom, should entail 13 minutes and no more than 10 slides covering the essentials:

1. The Hook
2. The Team
3. The Market
4. The Solution
5. The Alliances
6. The Competition
7. The Progress Report
8. The Projections
9. The Funding
10. The Valuation and Exit Strategy

Provided you can make a viable case based on these 10 points and in 13 minutes, you stand a good chance of gaining greater consideration and even funding from the angel group. And if not, it’s probably because you’re business is not the right fit for what they are looking to invest in. So just go back to the directory and find a group that is a better fit.

For more, see the story on Forbes.com.

Access the Angel Capital Association Directory