Angels Den
Angels Den connects business owners looking for funding with Business Angels.The company was founded on April 2007 in the United Kingdom and is now Europe and Asia’s largest Angel network with over 4000 registered investors.[1][2]
History
Bill Morrow and Lois Cook founded Angels Den because "there weren’t enough good ideas for people to invest in while start-ups are always struggling to find funding." [3] The process of matching business owners and investors was initially done online, but in July 2008 Angels Den introduced the concept of Speedfunding where entrepreneurs pitch to Angel investors on a one-to-one basis.[4]
In 2010 Angels Den expanded into Singapore.[5]
In September 2011 Angels Den expanded into Hong Kong and Malaysia[6] and in Mach 2012 into Qatar and Dubai.[7]
Model
Angels Den matches established businesses that are seeking funding with investors. The Business Angels invest the required amount in exchange for an equity stake in the business. The process starts with entrepreneurs attending an advisory Business Funding Clinic where they receive a one-to-one half hour consultation with a business-funding expert.[8] Entrepreneurs get to discuss their business model and whether Angel funding is the appropriate type of funding to benefit their business growth plans. Angels Den screens the applications it receives before presenting them to investors.
After the Business Funding Clinic, the entrepreneurs Business Summary is made available online to Angels Den's angel network.[9] The entrepreneurs also attend a regional SpeedFunding event where they present a short pitch to numerous investors on a one-to-one basis.[10] On average Angels Den facilitates over 5,000 pitches to investors each year.
Angels Den also offers Angel Clubs event, enabling pre-screened established businesses to pitch to a team of potential shareholders.
Angels Den works with a law firm, Edwards Wildman, to provide an Investment Documentation Service to business owners free of charge.[11]
EIS
The Enterprise Investment Scheme was launched in 1994[12] . According to Michael Portillo, the EIS' purpose is "to recognise that unquoted trading companies can often face considerable difficulties in realising relatively small amounts of share capital. The new scheme is intended to provide a well-targeted means for some of those problems to be overcome".[13]
The EIS covers five separate forms of tax relief: Income tax relief, Capital Gains Tax Deferral Relief, CGT Freedom, Loss Relief, Inheritance Tax Relief [14]. Most businesses presented to angels via Angels Den and especially via the Tech Club are EIS eligible.[15]
See Also
References
- ^ http://www.crowdsourcing.org/site/angels-den/wwwangelsdencom/26052
- ^ http://www.angelsden.com/Angels/AngelOne.aspx?tag=1229
- ^ http://realbusiness.co.uk/article/797-move_over_dragons_denangels_den_has_arrived
- ^ http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00002492697
- ^ http://www.youngupstarts.com/2010/01/04/angels-den-sets-up-in-singapore/
- ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0a7e2fe0-bc01-11df-a972-00144feab49a.html#axzz2YYo0dKBN
- ^ http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20120313/content.asp?section=first1_4
- ^ http://www.bl.uk/bipc/workevents/fundingclinic.html
- ^ http://realbusiness.co.uk/article/797-move_over_dragons_denangels_den_has_arrived
- ^ http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/business/business-owners-to-pitch-ideas-at-speed-funding-event/1811.article
- ^ http://www.career-tss.com/business-career/angels-den-tech-club-invests-six-figure-sum-in-intelligent-positioning
- ^ http://content.alliotts.com/cms/filelibrary/Enterprise_investment_scheme_and_venture_capital_trusts.pdf
- ^ http://enterpriseinvestmentscheme.co.uk/history_eis_17.html
- ^ http://www.angelsden.com/Applicants/AppOne.aspx?tag=945
- ^ http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/angels-den-tech-club-invests-six-figure-sum-in-intelligent-positioning.html