Entrepreneurial dreams always seem to flourish in the Bay Area, where capital flows in like the steady tides of the Pacific, and new startups spring up in seemingly endless abundance. And there’s no greater entrepreneurial dream than to catch the eye of a top angel investor, many of whom work with startups primarily in Silicon Valley. Those familiar with the angel investment space will recognize names like Paul Buchheit, Dave McClure and Marissa Mayer, all of whom have invested in countless leading startups and have led successful business ventures of their own. And while they may have dabbled in different industries, these investors all have one thing in common — they’re looking for companies fueled by promise, passion and commitment.
Much like San Francisco’s angel investment community, Palo Alto boasts its fair share of business-seeking investors. The city is home to various angel investment groups, comprised of leaders from a wide range of industries who are eager to cash in on Silicon Valley’s newest talent pool. Backed by former CEOs and senior executives, these groups seek out startups creating innovative new products and ideas in areas like software, data, healthcare and new media. For three of Palo Alto’s leading angel investors, capital and counsel go hand in hand, as they help Silicon Valley’s brightest startups achieve global acclaim
Palo Alto Angel Investors To Know
- Symphony Technology Group Partners
- The Angels' Forum
- US Angel Investors
Founded: 2002
What they do: Symphony Technology Group Partners focuses on fueling innovative software, data and analytics market leaders in the mid-market. The group provides capital and transformation expertise to enable its portfolio companies to deliver more value to clients, helping them retain and attract the best talent and achieve best-in-class business performance. Comprised of former entrepreneurs and business leaders, the group has extensive experience in carve outs, private equity investments and public to private transactions. The group is driven by its mission to unlock the potential of innovative companies, building a sustainable foundation for growth that brings value to future and existing stakeholders. In addition to having five exits, Symphony Technology Group Partners has acquired a total of 14 organizations including RSA Security, which was purchased earlier this year for $2.1 billion.
Alumni: AFS Technologies, Connexity, Dodge Data & Analytics, Escalent, RedSeal, Jobrapido and CadmiumCD.
Founded: 1997
What they do: Established by Carol Sands, The Angels’ Forum invests in, mentors and advises Silicon Valley startups from the earliest stages all the way through an exit. The group is made up of former CEOs, founders or senior executives of successful entrepreneurial ventures who have the capital, time, experience and skills to work with other entrepreneurs to build disruptive companies. The Angel’s Forum primarily invests in early-stage companies involved with software, tech and life sciences. Their investment process involves a screening meeting, during which partners decide whether to invite the entrepreneur to pitch, leading to a due diligence process, and if all goes well, an investment. The group co-invests with venture funds like KleinerPerkins, US Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital.
Alumni: Aravo Solutions, Bell Biosystems, DecisionNext, Glue Networks, Kiana Analytics, Sonos, PanTerra Networks and TranscribeMe.
Founded: 2007
What they do: US Angel Investors is a group of accredited private equity investors who provide counsel and capital to startups. Working with companies from a wide range of industries, the group’s members look primarily for investment opportunities in tech, internet, new media, healthcare, medical devices and packaged consumer goods. Comprised mostly of former and current executives and entrepreneurs, the group works closely with Bay Area Startup Network, which provides networking opportunities for early-stage startups. US Angel Investors is guided by its aim to provide a forum where serious active investors will be presented with a continuous flow of high-quality deals, providing access to capital, counsel and networking resources for promising startups.
Alumni: Applied Microstructures, BeVocal, JamBase, Konaware, Convoy Technologies, Sentinel Vision and Kontera.
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