February 8, 2023 – On Wednesday morning, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing entitled “Sophistication or Discrimination? How the Accredited Investor Definition Unfairly Limits Investment Access for the Non-wealthy and the Need for Reform.” The purpose of this hearing was to examine policies designed to expand investor access to our private markets.

Among those testifying were ACA Board Member and the Founder & Managing Partner, Investors of Color Network, Eli Velasquez as well as ACA Member David Olivencia, CEO & Co-Founder, Angeles Investors. Other experts included Omi Bell, Founder, Black Girl Ventures and Jennifer Schulp, Director of Financial Regulation Studies, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, Cato Institute.

Learn more:

ACA’s Innovation Funders Showcase (IFS) is like no other. This is not your traditional pitch event. The ACA community represents the most comprehensive investment segment of the early stage asset class with 250 Angel Groups representing more than 15,000 accredited investors. In a typical ACA Summit, investor representation exceeds 50% of our total group population.

This means that investors are in attendance not only to make personal investment decisions, but also to bring the next hot commodity back to their home angel group for further investment consideration. We regularly see groups that received IFS exposure still getting screening invites from ACA member groups 12+ months after their initial pitch. ACA offers an incredibly efficient and economical path to capital that can pay dividends for months following the presentation.

Please reach out to Partnerships Director Damien Delgado to get started!

Summit of Angel Investing Agenda Now Published; Early Bird Pricing Ends Soon!

With the Early Bird pricing deadline quickly approaching, go online to secure your spot for Las Vegas, May 15-18, 2023. The full agenda is now available and features some of the hottest topics and brightest presenters in angel investing and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

On this episode of The Angel Next Door, host Marcia Dawood, Chair, ACA Board of Directors, introduces listeners to Alisha Griffey, the founder of Daintree Capital.

Marcia and Alisha discuss Donor Advised Funds (DAF) and how these funds can be used for investing in these often overlooked companies through providing loans. Alisha tells us how she learned how DAFs can be used to invest in early stage companies before they enter the raising capital death trap and how she launched 2 charitable DAFs, including an impact fund that serves as a balance sheet to make loans to underrepresented founders.

Listen online here or get the episode anywhere you get your podcast content.

On May 17, 2023, the Angel Investor Foundation will be hosting our first silent auction at the ACA Summit of Angel Investing, benefiting AIF programming, in addition to the Hold ‘Em or Fold ‘Em Celebration hosted by Rick Timmins. All funds raised at this special event will go to our Foundation, having a direct impact on tomorrow’s leading innovations, products, and services.

Please support our efforts in one of two ways:

Your generosity will be featured on event programming, on our event registration site, and on social media. Gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. EIN 86-1212274. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time. To participate, or to learn more, please email Development Director Katelynne Staehnke.

The Hans Severiens Award: recognizing an individual’s or team of individuals’ work in advancing the field of angel investing, named after the founder of the Band of Angels. The Hans Severiens Award is presented annually to recognize an individual or team of individuals’ work in advancing the field of angel investing.

The Luis Villalobos Award: recognizes the most ingenious and innovative ideas recently financed by members of the Angel Capital Association. Two category winners will be selected to attend the ACA Summit and honored live and throughout the event. The award is presented to the winning CEOs during the annual awards ceremony at the 2023 ACA Summit (May 16-18, 2023).

Go online to learn more about the incredible work of Luis Villalobos and Hans Severiens or for information and forms on how to nominate your portfolio company or angel leader. If you have further questions, please reach out to Membership Director, Sarah Dickey.

Ann and Bill Payne’s ACA Angel University will continue to deliver its high quality angel investor curriculum in a convenient, virtual format. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from experienced angels with decades of experience in navigating the ups and downs of private markets.

Participants who complete the first six courses will earn the Basics of Angel Investing Certificate. Participants who complete all nine courses will earn the Advanced Angel Investing certificate. Certificates of completion with professional angel investing training hours will be awarded upon program completion.

We invite ACA members and all investors to join this group of peers for deals (free for ACA members). We are getting started at 3:30p ET but register today as there is homework before we start. Investor attendees receive advance information about presenting companies so that everyone is prepared for a great session.

Wednesday, February 22, 12:00-1:00pm ET

Free to ACA Members

$100 Non Members

Join Juan Thurman and listen to your fellow angels and startup CEOs discuss climate tech investment opportunities enhanced by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 12:00-1:00pm ET

Free to ACA Members

$100 Non Members

Do Angel Investors Always Have to Purchase Equity?

Former ACA board member Kevin Learned and his partners decided to pilot revenue-based capital as an alternative to typical equity. Now in their fourth year, Sage Growth Capital provides capital to early-stage companies in exchange for a small share of their revenue until Sage has received an agreed upon return. Kevin will discuss the Sage experience, including how deploying this type of capital may leverage the angels’ equity investments.

The ACA Summit in 2023 is moving west to Vegas! Join us for three days of quality content, interactive discussions and vibrant networking to elevate your angel investing experience. Whether you are a new or experienced investor, angel group leader or part of the broader community supporting entrepreneurs and early stage investments, you’ll learn the latest on trending topics and meet new people, all to help improve your outcomes.

Our all-star lineup of speakers will kick off informative and interactive discussions to help you reach new heights. The welcome reception, breakout sessions, and networking breaks are designed for maximum engagement to make more connections.

Thank You to ACA Business Partners

As we enter a new calendar year, ACA would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all our partners for their dedication and commitment to our growing community. These partners offer myriad products and services that can aid in the investor journey be it by group or individual. We hope you will take the opportunity to consider all the possibilities and engage directly with those partners who provide solutions that align with your needs.

If you’re interested in sponsoring ACA annually or for the Summit of Angel Investing, please reach out to Partnerships Director Damien Delgado.