Startups benefit from the wings of ‘angels’

The following is an excerpt from an article in the Elkhart Truth that quotes Larry Abdo of IrishAngels, an alumni group associated with the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurship, about the importance of angel investors for new startups. To read the entire article visit: Startups benefit from the wings of ‘angels’

“Angel” investors are an increasingly important source of capital for early-stage companies. Angel investors take the form of high net worth individuals investing on their own, groups of angels working together to fund deals and seed-stage angel funds. Angels look to provide capital to start-ups with potential for fast growth — normally well before traditional venture capital funds are willing to invest and banks are willing to lend money.

Angel investors often take an active role in company management, providing experience, guidance and access to their networks — all highly valuable resources far beyond money alone. Active angel investors are often the difference between success and failure in many start-up companies.

Excerpt

Larry Abdo, Irish Angels: “There is no entrepreneurship without angel investing somewhere along the line. If you want to be an entrepreneur you don’t have to have the world’s biggest plan or have the largest market share. You have to have guts and the heart to do it. Once your growth is faster than your income or your need for overhead is stronger than your profit, then you need to bring in an angel from a different path.” (Irish Angels began in 2000 and mentors young companies to help them grow and find possible sources for funding. Irish Angels does invest in Notre Dame ideas through an investment fund called The Fish Taco Fund.)

This article also appeared in the South Bend Tribune.

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