Customer Reviews

Angel Investing: Matching Startup Funds with Startup Companies--The Guide for Entrepreneurs and Individual Investors (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I began to raise money for my medical internet start-up I needed quick advice on the arcane world of angel financing. Angel Investing gave me all the answers from how to find investors to negotiating the deal as well as an understanding of complicated issues such as "convertible debt." The appendix on Angel matching services is the most complete and best I have seen and the appendix on preparing a business plan is invaluable.

We successfully raised $800,000 and we are preparing for our first VC round. My only criticism is that the book should have been called Angel and VC Investing because it contains a wealth of information on VC fundraising as well.

this is a comprehensive but very basic description of start up investing. if you don't know what VC stands for, this is an excellent book. however, if you have some understanding of new ventures and their finance than you won't find much of value. the authors fills 400 hundred pages with such gems as "the tough part about negotiating equity is that at the end of the day, there's only 100%". the prevalence of referenced quotes is also annoying. "whenever possible, try not to back an inflexible, one product firm" is referenced to "Gordon, 1999". is the reference, or even the thought itself, really necessary to include? any angel that needs this sort of advice should just put his money in the stock market. and why bother with the "whenever possible?" last time i chceked investing was at the discretion of the investor. this book is comprehensive, but most sections are overly simple and ignore important subtleties. if you want a much more useful, insightful and informative book, and particularly if the space you're looking at is >$10M, try "high stakes, no prisoners" by charles ferguson

"Angel Investing" is a terrific reference for anyone preparing to seek early-round financing for a business. As the co-founder of a start-up, I have been searching for practical, real-world information on the capital market and the differences between the various options.

This book has been useful throughout my research. It contains an eye-opening comparison of Venture Capital groups and Business Angels. It also gives practical advice on what capital investors look for, what to include in your business plan, what to look for in an investor, as well as how to value your company and negotiate with the capital firms. I have found it invaluable and it has saved me countless hours in my search for seed money.

If you are planning to go after Angel funding, this book is a must-read. The book contains interviews with a broad spectrum of Angels, who discuss their investment experience, the thinking they go through, and key things they look for, when evaluating an opportunity. This book would serve as an excellent reference for anyone preparing to be in front of Angels.

One of the very few books that describes both the entrepreneur and the angel side of early stage deals. Anyone interested in understanding early stage investing will benefit from a thorough read. This book has excellent contact details for matchmakers and others.

After reading a book review sent to me from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram ("Angels with Golden Wings", September 4) which labeled this book as the "bible of angel investing" I was skeptical, but decided to buy the book anyway. Since receiving it three weeks ago, I have read through most of it and overall have been very impressed. The authors' insights on the US angel market and on angels' investment behavior are very complete and all together impressive - their findings and advice are certainly aligned with my ten years of experience as an investor in three entrepreneurial firms. To top it all off, the resource section in the back is a jewel - for both entrepreneurs and angels alike. I have not been able to find a better book on the angel market.

I am the Founder & CEO of a business that within the next 8 to 12 months was seeking to raise between $2M and $5M to fund our expansion. I always thought of going straight to Venture Capital firms or Private Equity divisons of Invmt Banks that I have already been in touch with. This book, Angel Investing, was a truly priceless read to me. The education delivered by authors has helped me re-strategize my approach to inviting external investors and also the amount that I should try to raise and the schedule of funds. What I thought was most helpful was the detailed comparisons between Angel Investors and Venture Capitalist, as well as understanding the psychology behind their thinking and how an entrepreneur seeking outside funds should try to prepare every aspect of their presentation (themselves, their product and overall business plan). The book has given me tools to have most questions covered and more importantly has prepared me to become an angel myself in the years ahead.

This book is one of THE BEST books on this subject matter that I have read in recent years. Having been in the venture capital industry for many years I was very interested to read what van Osnabrugge and Robinson had to say. I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical because the book was written by academics. However, after a careful read it became clear that these authors have done their homework and know what they are talking about. This book is an enjoyable read that has some of the most useful information I have found to date. I urge anyone interested in entrepreneurship and investing to read this book. You won't be sorry.

Whoa! What an awesome book! Not only does it cover angel investing, it also covers such things as how to valuate your business, exit strategies, etc.

It also covers a lot on Venture Capital firms!

This book is a MUST HAVE for the serious Entrepreneur who needs funding!

The data contained within this book is excellent as are the referrences. This in itself makes the book worth owning. The book is a little lengthy because the authors add a lot of commentary. Their analysis at times doesn't seem to match the data, which was disappointing.