Investing in a startup is akin to a marriage. It's about investing in people and confidence in the entrepreneur's commitment and resilience is paramount. At the same time, we cannot downplay the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing among ourselves as angel investors.

Being part of a network allows investors to collaborate on due diligence, share expertise, and build a stronger portfolio more quickly. It also provides a support system and helps protect your rights.

To explore this topic further, today I’m joined by my friend and long-time investor, Pieter Dorsman. Pieter is a seasoned angel investor, advisor and mentor, who is President and CEO of Redpeaks Management Inc., a consulting firm focused on advising technology companies on capital raising and restructuring activities. Pieter is also a Director and CFO at eFund, a Vancouver-based seed stage investment fund which has invested in 42 tech companies to date. Since 2018, he has also been an owner and director of Vancouver's Angel Forum.

In this conversation, Pieter and I discuss the benefits and challenges of angel investing, advantages of joining an angel investor network, the importance of education and mentorship for new angel investors, how he addresses the challenges with finding quality deals, realistic time horizons of investments, and more. Enjoy the episode!

Highlights

• Pieter’s transition from banking and motivation to become an angel investor
• The importance of providing support and capital to startups
• The distinction between angel investors and venture capitalists (VCs)
• Diverse motivations and backgrounds of angel investors
• How collaboration with the government can improve the entrepreneurial environment and increase deal flow
• Why Pieter emphasizes the founder's character and commitment when making investment decisions
• How angels and angel networks can build trust with founders
• Different methods commonly used for valuing startups
• The long-term nature of angel investing and realistic time horizons for exits
• How involved angel investors typically get with founder
• Challenges with founders who are not equipped to run their companies
• Upcoming webinar series on angel investing

Ready to learn more?

Apply to be a member of the next cohort of RevUP Caribbean, the Caribbean’s first virtual business incubator for high-growth start-ups at ⁠⁠https://www.revupcaribbean.com/⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram @RevUPCaribbean ⁠https://www.instagram.com/revupcaribbean/⁠

Composer: Seretse Small, Founder, Avant Academy of Music