Question 1

What are our selection criteria?

Accepted Answer

We focus our resources on startups / sectors that we understand and that will be of interest to our investment community.

These are some of the elements that should help you determine if you are entering our "investment scope".

**The size of the round

We appreciate

Seed round (1st round)
between 300 and €800K
Series A (2nd round)
1M- €5M in co-investment
startups with part of that round secured

**Sectors of activity

We are very generalists!

We appreciate: Fintech, Big Data, IA, VR, SaaS, Marketplace, Machine learning, Medtech, Cybersecurity, Greentech, Cleantech, Mobile, Robotics, 3D, E-commerce…

Team

We appreciate

Complementary and full-time teams

We don’t appreciate

Diluted founders -see why

Valuation

We appreciate

Contractors open to negotiation on their valuation*

Speaking of price, the mistake that founders make (corresponding to investors focusing too much on downside terms) is focusing too much on getting a high price. I have seen many founders price out good investors and put the company in a bad situation facing a down round a year later, all because they were obsessed with getting a high sticker price for their company. I think it's because it gives founders something quantitative to compete on - Sam Altman Y Combinator

We don’t appreciate

The chartered accountants appointed in your place to sell a valuation :)

Question 2

I have questions about a case, who do I ask?

Accepted Answer

We assign a manager to each ongoing deal. This manager is part of the Angelsquare team who selected the deal, so he can answer most of your questions. You will find his contact details on each deal page.

You can also contact us via the chat and the "ask a question" button.

Question 3

Our mission

Accepted Answer

| Rules of start-up investment must be challenge to maximize best entrepreneurs’ chances of success.

A good Business Angel builds long-term relationships with entrepreneurs whose values he shares. He brings them his time, experience, network and money.

These fundamental principles of good governance and integrity will lead to the greatest entrepreneurial successes of tomorrow.

AngelSquare make it easier for the most promising startups to meet the best investors.

=> Click here to join AngelSquare

Question 4

Are investors verified?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We rigorously screen investor applications. This is one of our strength. All our investors are co-opted and/or manually validated by our team.

Question 5

What is a Business Angel?

Accepted Answer

The entire French entrepreneurial ecosystem underlines the importance of Business Angels.

Problem: No one is able to say who the French Business Angels really are, or how to find them.

Incubators, accelerators, investment funds, BPI, fundraisers… All agree that Business Angels are key players in the financing of startups in France, that they invest where no one else invests, that they operate more on a "first sight" basis than other players, that they are necessary in France and that they contribute a lot to the startups on which they focus.

Yet no one is able to clearly tell an entrepreneur who these Business Angels really are, and how to find them.

Not by omission, but simply because the world of Business Angels is impenetrable to those who do not make it their profession!

Reminder: What is a Business Angel?

The meaning of the title Business Angel, almost mystical, is important, because it alone explains the specificity of the Business Angel: it brings much more than money. A Business Angel, by definition, must be able to influence the startup's destiny through the skills it brings, the advice it provides, and the address book to which it gives access.

Moreover, Business Angel rhymes, in a certain sense, with irrationality: if it invests in a startup, unlike traditional financial investors, it is above all because it believes in the founding team and the market that it aims, rather than in a Business Plan. Often, the investment of the Business Angel is a matt

Question 6

When to raise funds?

Accepted Answer

| Seed fundraising becomes necessary as soon as the use of public funds (BPI, regional subsidies, various prices, etc.) and "love money" (personal contribution, friends, family) is no longer sufficient to guarantee the company's growth.

However, certain conditions are necessary to be "eligible" or at least to guarantee the success of a seed round.

Define a solid project

The growth project must be defined and consistent with the market. Your objectives must be clearly defined and quantified.

This project will then be detailed in the Business Plan.

Present significant signs of traction

Significant signs of traction are important in convincing Business Angels to invest in your project. These are tangible signs that the company is taking off, that it has found its market and that the concept is validated.

This can be the growth in turnover / turnover volume / number of users, a good retention rate, the average basket on an e-commerce platform, the signing of the first customer accounts or partnerships… The better these figures are, the faster the raising will be. However, the requirements vary according to the sector, the valuation requested or the market targeted by the startup.

In conclusion, don’t hesitate to postpone a raising of a few months to wait for a better traction because it will allow the startup to be more convincing in front of the Business Angels.

Manage your time

A seed fundraising shall be planned well in advance, as seeking funds in an

Frequently Read Articles

Browse All Categories