How to Get Into Adventure Capital: Guide for Aspiring Angels

Published on
January 27, 2023
How to Get Into Adventure Capital: Guide for Aspiring Angels
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Are you looking for how to get into adventure capital and take your investments to the next level? Investing in startups can be a lucrative opportunity, but it requires knowledge of the market, an extensive network of investors, and a well-structured syndicate.

In this blog post, we will cover how to identify potential investment opportunities, develop a network of angel investors for your syndicate, structure an effective angel investor group, raise capital, and manage your portfolio. Get ready to dive deep into how to get into adventure capital.

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How to Get into Adventure Capital

The first step in how to get into adventure capital is identifying the right investment opportunity. There are many different types of investments available and each has its own set of risks and rewards.

When it comes to angel investing, there are a variety of options available including venture capital funds, private equity funds, seed funding rounds, convertible notes, bridge loans, crowdfunding campaigns, and more. Each type offers unique advantages and disadvantages so it’s important to understand the differences before committing any money.

Once you have identified a few potential companies, conduct thorough research into how the company operates and do a background check on its founders or management team. This includes reading through their business plan, industry background, and financial history. You should also consider talking to other investors who have already invested in similar deals.

The next step is to evaluate the potential risk versus reward associated with the deal. Consider factors such as expected return rate (ROI), exit strategy, and liquidity before deciding whether or not this particular investment makes sense for you.

Key Takeaway: When it comes to angel investing, research and evaluate potential deals carefully before committing money. Consider ROI, exit strategy, liquidity and other factors.

Developing a Network of Investors

Once you have identified potential investment opportunities, the next step in how to get into adventure capital is building your angel syndicate.

Find the Right People

Identifying and connecting with potential investors is key to building a successful angel syndicate. Start by researching local venture capital firms, angel groups, and other organizations that specialize in early-stage investments. Attend events such as pitch competitions or networking mixers to meet people who may be interested in investing.

If you already have a network of contacts, find out how you can expand your reach and find new connections.

Build Relationships with Investors

Once you’ve identified potential investors, it’s important to build relationships with them. Take the initiative to stay in touch regularly via email or phone calls so they remember you when opportunities arise. Make sure to provide valuable insights about the industry and share relevant news articles or research reports that could benefit their portfolio companies.

Building trust and credibility is essential for any investor relationship, especially when it comes to raising money for an angel syndicate. Demonstrate your commitment by providing detailed financial projections on potential deals and showing how each investment will generate returns for all parties involved. Be transparent about the risks associated with each deal so investors are aware of what they are getting into before committing funds.

With these relationships established, it's time to move on to structuring an angel syndicate.

Structuring an Angel Syndicate

Structuring an angel syndicate requires careful consideration of roles and responsibilities. It is important to define the roles of each member such as who will be responsible for sourcing deals, managing investments, and making decisions on follow-on funding rounds.

Each member of a syndicate should have a clear understanding of their role in order to ensure success. The lead investor typically takes on more responsibility than other members. The role includes researching potential deals, evaluating risk/reward scenarios, negotiating terms with entrepreneurs or companies seeking investment capital, and ultimately deciding whether or not to invest in a particular startup.

Other members may take on more passive roles by providing additional capital but leaving most decision-making authority with the lead investor.

Once roles are established, it is important to create legal documents that clearly outline expectations between investors as well as any third parties involved in transactions (e.g., entrepreneurs). These documents should include information about how profits will be distributed among investors if an investment succeeds, how losses will be allocated if an investment fails, and what rights each party has regarding voting power.

All these details must be agreed upon before any money changes hands so that everyone understands their obligations.

In addition to setting up legal agreements, it is necessary to establish rules for how the syndicate will operate. This includes things like who can participate in certain deals (i.e., only accredited investors) and what types of opportunities they are willing to consider investing in (e.g., early-stage startups vs later-stage growth companies).

Having these guidelines written down helps ensure everyone remains aligned throughout their journey as angel investors.

Now let's look at how to raise capital for your syndicate.

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Raising Capital for the Syndicate

Raising capital for an angel syndicate is a critical step in the process of building and scaling a successful investment vehicle.

The first step in raising capital is determining how much money needs to be raised and setting terms that will attract investors. It's important to consider both short-term goals as well as long-term objectives when deciding on an appropriate amount.

Factors such as expected returns, risk tolerance, liquidity preferences, timeframe, and other considerations should all be taken into account when setting terms for investments.

Once the desired investment amounts have been determined, it is time to create a pitch deck that can be used to attract investors. This document should include information about the syndicate's mission statement, team members involved in managing investments, portfolio strategy details (including past performance), exit strategies, legal documents related to the management of funds, and financial projections based on current market conditions.

Raising capital for an angel syndicate is an essential step in how to get into adventure capital, and it's important to have a plan for managing investments once funds are secured. Next, we'll look at how to manage an angel syndicate portfolio.

Key Takeaway: Raising capital for an angel syndicate requires careful consideration of investment amounts and terms, creating a pitch deck, and leveraging social media platforms to connect with potential investors.

Managing an Angel Syndicate Portfolio

Portfolio management is an important part of running a successful angel investment syndicate. This involves reviewing financial statements and staying up-to-date with industry trends so that you can identify any potential risks or opportunities in the market that could affect your investments.

When deciding whether or not to invest additional funds into a company, it’s important to consider factors such as the company’s current progress and future prospects.

You should also evaluate if there are any changes needed within the organization in order for them to reach their goals more effectively.

Finally, you need to determine if investing additional funds will be beneficial for all parties before committing further capital to a deal.

Conclusion

Learning how to get into adventure capital can be exciting and rewarding. By taking the time to identify the right investment opportunities, develop a network of investors, structure an angel syndicate, raise capital for the syndicate, and manage your portfolio properly, you can make sure that you are making smart investments and maximizing returns.

About AngelSchool.vc

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After that, they’re invited to join our Investment Committee (IC) to get real deal experience AND earn carried interest. Apply for the next cohort of our Syndicate Program here.

The AngelSchool.vc Syndicate is backed by 1000+ LPs and deploys $MNs annually. Subscribe here for exclusive dealflow.

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Jed Ng
Author:
Jed Ng

“Jed is the Founder of AngelSchool.vc - a program dedicated to helping angels build their own syndicates.

He has a track record of exits and Unicorns, and is backed by 1000+ LPs.

He previously built and ran the world's largest API Marketplace in partnership with a16z-backed, RapidAPI".

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