Since 1997, the Alliance of Angels (AoA) has connected a community of over 100 investors with the most promising early-stage companies in the Northwest to invest, mentor and enable their success.  The AoA has provided over $60 million of early funding for more than 160 Northwest entrepreneurs over more than a dozen years and celebrated more than 30 exits, making the AoA one of the preeminent angel groups in the world.  With an unsurpassed flow of excellent deals, a top-notch screening process, and the experience to help entrepreneurs understand appropriate market-based valuation and terms, our members are well positioned to work as a team to not only find great companies, but also help them achieve remarkable success.

The AoA membership consists of over 100 individual accredited investors and representatives of investment firms, many of whom have been part of Seattle’s leading companies including Amazon, aQuantive, McCaw, Microsoft and T-Mobile, as well as many decades of startup experience. The AoA screening and investment process has been well honed over the years to be both efficient for the angel investor and respectful to the entrepreneur, resulting in 95% of our members making at least one investment over the last two years and 100% of our portfolio companies persisting since 2006.

AoA members willingly share their knowledge and experience with other members. Typically one of our members will step up to lead a new deal and will be assisted by other members who are interested in considering an investment. Together they conduct due diligence, guide the entrepreneur, and negotiate the deal terms. Each member then makes their own investment decision. It is typical that one of the AoA members will then take a board seat.

The AoA has a number of resources that help angels become better investors and help entrepreneurs become better positioned to accept angel investment.  Among them are:

• a $4.4 million Seed Fund which invests alongside our members;
• a simplified term sheet for angel deals that is widely accepted by the Seattle legal community;
• regular workshops on topics that matter to our members, including deal terms, board effectiveness, setting valuations, getting to exits;
• “10 minute pitch clinics” for entrepreneurs to learn how to pitch to angel investors;
• educational events on market trends and technologies that will shape good investments;
• admission to the Technology Alliance’s Innovation Showcase, a program featuring tomorrow’s companies today.

The AoA meets 10 times a year for a members-only luncheon, during which investors typically see 3 new investment opportunities.