The Angel Investment Thesis for Focused Startup Investing
Silvia Mah PhD, MBA
Published Author | 2 x TEDx speaker | Igniting Innovation, Impact & Investing through Action & Intentionality | VC | Associate Professor | Keynote Speaker | Advocate 4 Diverse Founders | Investor | Servant Leader
An investment thesis is a compass for angel investors to guide them on their own startup investment journey, guide entrepreneurs they seek to invest in to find their way to them & find guidance, advice, and funding, as well as for their ecosystem to gain insight into their guiding principals to join them along the journey. The thesis is a roadmap for investing, a sense of gravity around what an investor cares about. It guides the investor towards the investments that fit their objectives.
As one of the most useful and insightful tools in the innovation economy, the INVESTMENT THESIS guides, connects & clarifies. From angel investors having their own personal statements to angel groups developing a collective affirmation to VC funds, this simple yet impactful statement should be used as a trust-building tool. For investors, you can keep clear on your objectives for being an investor and not falling in love with a charismatic founder and investing in a deal that you cannot bring any value to and thus, should not be investing in. A strong investment thesis will help guide you to your true north star along your winding path as an investor, will inform how you will source deals, how you will make critical decisions, and ultimately, build a more diverse, impactful, and growing portfolio. For entrepreneurs, you can ask an investor what their investment thesis is to start a wonderful discussion about their passions, aspirations, and experience, allowing for deeper conversations and better investor relations.
Some Caution, bias & patterns.
A good investment thesis sits at the intersection of experience, aspirations, assets, passion, values, and opportunity.?It should fit the financial objectives & goals of the investor. You, as an investor, bring so much value to a founder & company, on top of your $$. This will inform your investment thesis. However, be aware of the unconscious bias that our society has placed in front of us from birth about what "successful" patterns to "bet on" and remember diversification. While you should focus on a particular industry or sector that you are familiar with, you can diversify other variables, such as geography, business model, technology, or customer segment to create a more balanced portfolio of angel investments. This should also be calibrated with your personal net worth.?Developing a personal angel investment thesis will guide you towards what you want to invest your time, treasure and talent into and guide others to find you, collaborate with you, and syndicate deals for more values-aligned opportunities.
“As an investor, people are always talking about what’s your thesis. And a thesis is important, but it can be really intimidating. You may not know your thesis right away. So think about your why, what do you want to accomplish in investing?” (05:41) -Caitlin Wege, President of TCA on the She Invests! Podcast, Episode 37
Creating an Angel Investment Thesis.
Have a clear, simple purpose for the why and what you are investing in. Consider the following considerations to outline:
Then, put this all together:
?“I invest [typical check size]
at the [typical stage of company] stage
in [geography]
to fund [specific adjective] startups in
[sector / market]
with [Secret Sauce].”
You can add some more specificity if you would like…
“I provide [assets you can bring to the company] to all portfolio companies because I am [your background/interest] to [Secret Sauce]."
"I like to [how do you interact with companies/founders], I [prefer/ not prefer] a board seed, and request [typical asks of founders, like information rights, etc]"
"I look for liquidity in less than [typical horizon of investment periods]."
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HERE IS MY PERSONAL INVESTMENT THESIS:
"I invest typically $10,000 - $25,000 each deal at the seed stage in the US to fund women-led or BIPOC-led or LGBTQ+ impact-driven startups. I am industry agnostic but prefer tech-enabled solutions. I focus on looking for difficult problems that I believe can be solved with the right team. I can either lead a round* if it is in my wheelhouse of expertise or follow on. I like to take an active role in the advising of the founder, prefer a board seat but not necessary, & request information rights. I look for a liquidity event in 3-5 years and 5-7 years for life science." -Dr. Silvia Mah (*note: for me, personally, to lead a round, the startup has to be at the right stage (typically pre-seed) & the right funding opportunity (syndicaion with other individual angel investors or angel groups who accept individual due diligence) or platform (like Wefunder) to bring other investors on board for the benefit of the founder - I know, super-specific, but it's what it takes.)
Having a focus can help you stay efficient and become a better angel investor
Here is some insight from another angel investor about their investment thesis:
“We want to invest in companies with underrepresented founders which means women, people of color, LGBTQIA+. The CEO herself needs to be diverse, but also the founding team needs to represent diversity.” -Sonia Steinway, Stella Angels, TCA, & Village Up San Diego, speaking about her & her wife's investment thesis on the She Invests! Podcast, Episode 31 (22:36)
The Benefits of an Investment?Thesis for ALL
A. For the Investor
An investment thesis keeps you disciplined on your selections and focused on where you want to go with your investments. With a deep understanding of the types of industries and businesses you want to invest in, the risks you’re willing to take (and those you’re not), and the parameters you want to see in companies, you are much better equipped to find the right fit for your money.?
B. Benefits for the startup founder:
An investment thesis, from very high-level thesis' to super specific, also benefits the entrepreneurs seeking funding. It assists them in gaining a glimpse into the mindset of an investor and understanding if there is a good fit for investment. This can only happen when expectations are delineated clearly from the beginning.?so, entrepreneurs, as your investors about their investment thesis and also compile the thesis from what you know about the investor.
C. Benefits for the Innovation Ecosystem
A clear investment thesis signals professionalism, intentionality, openness, and reciprocity to your growing innovation ecosystem, from other investors to entrepreneurs to service providers to mentors.
Remember, all early-stage investments are risky and can fail even with the best idea, perfected product, aligned product-market fit and amazing team. Building a way to guide you through fantastic & passionate entrepreneurs and their transformational products is key. An investment thesis will decrease your risk as an investor and increase the probability of investment success aligned to your own beliefs & experience.
Do not rush it.
Developing & refining a personal investment thesis as an angel investor should take thought, research, and time.?An angel investor's investment thesis is very important to get right because if seriously considered the right investor finds the right entrepreneur in the right industry to make magic happen.
Investors should invest in the innovation & impact they want to see in the world.
There are tangible and intangible benefits not only for the angel investor but for the startups they serve and the ecosystem they collectively build with their trusted network of other investors, experts, mentors and advisors.
Developing and using a compelling investment thesis as an angel investor not only minimizes their risk and exposure but also increases an investor's ability to help more companies scale, increasing return on investment. As a dynamic tool, the investment thesis can evolve and be refined as an investor grows their portfolio and talks to more founders. Intentionality from the beginning makes for more efficient sourcing, better decision-making, and an efficient way to build the right portfolio with the right types of innovation to make the most impact.
Co-founder & CEO at startup WEALTHAWK
2 年Thanks for this. I appreciate that you included a section to discuss benefits for the startup founder. Also, I enjoyed your advice to founders at last night's event – it was informative and fun.
Large Corporates at HSBC
2 年Love this Silvia Mah PhD, MBA! Thank you so much for spreading around the knowledge :)
Government & Community Relations
2 年Silvia Mah PhD, MBA thanks for this thorough walk-through of how to create ones own investment thesis. I appreciate the real world examples you provided.