Business Angel Assistance and Metoring  
An Commercialisation Service

Sometimes if a company, product or concept is at a relatively early stage, a business angel pathway with a focus on mentoring and skills transfer may be a better approach at that stage to assist the company to progress to its next stage of development.

Angel investors are individuals who invest in businesses looking for a higher return than they would see from more traditional investments. Many are successful entrepreneurs who want to help other entrepreneurs get their business off the ground. Usually they are the bridge from the self-funded (founders, family and friends) stage of the business to the point that the business needs the level of funding that a venture capitalist would normally offer. Funding estimates vary, but for individuals, can range from $10,000 to $150,000 and upwards.

The term "angel" comes from the practice in the early 1900's of wealthy businessmen investing in Broadway productions. Today "angels" typically offer expertise, experience and contacts in addition to money. Less is known about angel investing than venture capital because of the individuality and privacy of the investments, but the US Small Business Administration estimates that there are at least 250,000 angels active in the United States, funding about 30,000 small companies a year. The total investment from angels has been estimated at anywhere from $20 billion to $50 billion as compared to the $3 to $5 billion per year that the formal venture capital community invests. In fact, the potential pool of angel investors is substantially larger. There are about two million people in the United States with the discretionary net worth to make angel investments.