Back startups,
anywhere in the world.

Backing a startup means putting money into an early-stage private company in exchange for equity (or a right to equity, via instruments like a SAFE or convertible note), usually alongside other investors. As an angel investor you are betting that the company grows enough for your small ownership stake to become valuable — while accepting that most early-stage companies fail.

It varies by route and region. Direct angel cheques are often US$10,000–50,000, but syndicates and equity-crowdfunding platforms let you back startups with as little as US$100–1,000. Angel groups typically expect members to invest across many deals over time rather than one large cheque.

In the US you generally need to be an accredited investor to invest in private rounds, though Regulation Crowdfunding lets non-accredited investors participate within annual limits. Europe, LATAM and APAC each have their own "sophisticated / professional investor" tests and crowdfunding regimes. Our regional desks explain the rules that apply where you invest.

Early-stage investing is high-risk and illiquid: returns follow a power law where a few big winners drive nearly all the gains, and many companies return nothing. Angels manage this by diversifying across many startups, investing only money they can afford to lose, and expecting to wait 5–10 years for any exit.

Angels invest their own money at the earliest stages, often writing smaller cheques and moving quickly. Venture-capital funds invest other people’s money (from limited partners), usually at larger sizes and later stages, with formal processes. Many founders raise from angels first and VCs later.