Starting Up in Seattle: A Guide to Seattle Angel Investors

They call them “angel investors” for a reason.

In the early days, entrepreneurs can feel like they’re floundering, bogged down by the day-to-day slog of developing an idea and building a business around it. But if the idea is good and the team proves themselves worthy, the angels appear. While they lack the golden aura and feathered appendages of their namesakes, angel investors offer startup founders a level of experience and financial support that must feel heaven-sent.

Seattle’s angel investor networks come in all shapes and sizes, from industry-specific groups to non-profit funds dedicated to helping businesses leading the way to a more environmentally balanced future. Here are ten Seattle area angel investors helping entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground.

 

Investments: 203

Notable locals in their portfolio: OfferUp, Apptentive, Ripl, DroneSeed.

Bio: Alliance of Angels’ network of 140 local investors hand out more than $10 million to around 20 startups each year. Founded in 1997, the group focuses on startups from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and Alaska, and has generated more than $1 billion in returns from the exits of companies like DocuSign, Elemental Technologies and BuddyTV.

 

Investments: 75

Notable locals in their portfolio: Membrion, StormSensor, LevelTen Energy

Bio: E8 Angels invests in North American startups working in renewable energy, batteries, green buildings, smart grid technologies, electric vehicles and other spaces that fall under the “cleantech” umbrella. Founded as the Northwest Energy Angels in 2006, the group was the first angel investment fund to focus exclusively on sustainability.

 

Investments: 9

Exits: 4

Notable locals in their portfolio: JetClosing, Integris Software, HaptX

Bio: Keeler Investments Group grew out of a laundry business founded and managed by three generations of the Keeler family. Based in Mercer Island, the group makes investments of $50,000 to $500,000 in early-stage startups headquartered in the Puget Sound or San Francisco Bay Area, and looks for companies working in the realms of VR, cloud, e-commerce and SaaS.

 

Investments: Over 300 since 2000

Notable locals in their portfolio: Health123, attachedapps, LumiThera

Bio: Keiretsu is the world’s largest network of angel investors, with chapters sprinkled across three continents. Keiretsu Forum Northwest unites the Seattle, Tacoma, Kirkland, Boise, Portland and Vancouver, B.C. chapters for monthly events where startups can give 25 minute presentations in an effort to gain investment. The group tends to focus on tech, consumer products, real estate and life sciences.

 

Investments: 6

Exits: 1

Notable locals in their portfolio: Spiral Genetics

Bio: Outlines Venture Group was started in 2013 by Moz co-founder Gillian Muessig and tech marketing guru Anne Kennedy to help entrepreneurs get their startups off the ground. The pair invests in and mentors early stage tech companies in return for board seats and equity, and provide consultation services at key moments for mid-sized businesses.

 

Investments: Almost 1,000 since 1985

Notable locals in their portfolio: Remitly, Blokable, Amplero, DefinedCrowd, TomboyX

Bio: Puget Sound Venture Club’s network of angel investors has invested over $150 million in early-stage startups since the group was founded in the 1980s. Members tend to be savvy investors, business executives and entrepreneurs, and make their business experience available to help startup founders. The group has picked quite a few winners in the past — including Amazon, DocuSign and Starbucks.

 

Investments: 16

Notable locals in their portfolio: Utrip, Matcherino, Olis Robotics, Keepe, Ad Lightning

Bio: Formerly known as the Seattle Angel Fund, SeaChange leverages the business experience and skills of almost 100 investors and collaborates closely with its entrepreneurs. Headed by angel financing veteran Susan Preston, the fund works with startups headquartered in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia.

 

Investments: 9

Notable locals in their portfolio: Invio, Inc., TomboyX

Bio: The Seattle Angel Conference is a recurring “American Idol”-style event where startups vie for investment from assembled angels. After passing an initial screening, startups go through an extensive due diligence process before fronting the investors, who pool funds to invest in the winner. On the day of the conference, finalists give a final pitch before investors vote to determine which startup will win the prize.

 

Investments: 3

Notable locals in their portfolio: Versium, Glencoe Software

Bio: Founded in 2000, TiE Seattle is the local arm of The Indus Entrepreneurs, originally started by a group of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs and professionals with ties to South Asia. The group hosts programs and presentations designed to stimulate entrepreneurship, and occasionally provides startups with support in the form of funding.

 

Investments: 24
Notable locals in their portfolio: Valant, Cyrus Biotechnology, Pillsy

Bio: WINGS is a non-profit angel network looking to make early-stage investments in healthtech startups from the Pacific Northwest. The fund was founded in 2009, and selects the companies it works with through a three-step application process, including a screening committee with medical technology industry experts and investors.