Angel Insights: Marcelo De Santis

Welcome to the Angel Insights newsletter from Angeles Investors. Each week, we bring you exclusive interviews with angel investors, offering valuable insights, strategies, and tips on early-stage investing. Know someone interested in learning about angel investing? Share this newsletter with them! or invite them to join our friends at VITALIZE Angels and get a free quarter to invest $1K+ into early-stage startups! ??

This edition features Marcelo De Santis, a C-suite executive with over 6 years of angel investing experience, participating in 2 deals annually.

Become a Member | Refer a Member

As a co-founder of Angeles Investors, Marcelo focuses on funding minority-owned technology startups. He has held prominent roles, including Chief Digital Officer at Thoughtworks, Group CIO at Pirelli, and CIO for North America at Mondelez. He also serves as a board member for UNICEF, advancing ESG goals and fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.

Marcelo is an ICF-certified executive coach who has empowered over 130 leaders and entrepreneurs, and he has been recognized as one of HITEC's Top 100 Hispanic Professionals in Technology.

How and why did you become an angel investor?

I wanted to explore different asset classes and due to my background on digital technologies. I am also inspired by the mission of Angeles Investors to support entrepreneurs that belong to the fastest-growing cohort in the US economy. - Marcelo De Santis

What type of deals do you like to do?

Companies in where technology and data and AI are significant parts of the business model, and CPG with clear differentiation of positioning, product and branding. - Marcelo De Santis

What is your favorite thing about being an angel investor?

The ability to learn from many colleagues that are founders, investors and corporate leaders. - Marcelo De Santis

What is one lesson you've learned as an angel?

When you say “no” to a company, keep following that founder, many companies might not be ready today but Latino founders are resilient and progress rapidly. A “no” to invest today is mostly likely a “yes” in the future. - Marcelo De Santis

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting as an investor?

Join an angel group, and cut your first 5k check on a deal that you like. There is no other way to learn than “doing it”. Take the 5k as a learning fee that returns skills and relationships in he short term, and might even have a financial return in the longer term. - Marcelo De Santis

Become a Member | Refer a Member

What is the most important part of your diligence process and why?

I want to see strong financial fundamentals with a focus on revenue growth and profitability, along with product differentiation.

What is one change or adjustment you've made after angel investing for a while that made a difference?

More attention to the due diligence, compare company, team and product with others in the industry.

What do you think the future of angel investing will look like?

I see it will be more supported by digital platforms and assisted by AI assistants with the curation of investors with expertise, closer to crowdsourcing but with the intimacy of the network of an angel group.

If you’re an angel investor and would like to be highlighted through this newsletter series, please fill out this form.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ve been inspired today!

#angelesmembers

Become a Member | Refer a Member