Y Combinator’s AngelConf Teaches Would-Be Investors How To Get Started

13
Feb

Y Combinator’s AngelConf Teaches Would-Be Investors How To Get Started

author: editor category: TechCrunch

It’s no secret that Silicon Valley is teeming with wealthy tech veterans, many of whom are eager to try their hand at angel funding a few new startups. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them are put off by the logistics of figuring out exactly what they’re supposed to do (handing out money isn’t as easy as it sounds). In light of this, Paul Graham and the team at Y Combinator are putting on a special event, dubbed AngelConf, that will bring together some of the Valley’s most prominent investors to tell these prospective Angels how it’s done – and hopefully help give a new wave of startups a chance to make it big. The event will be held on March 5th at Y Combinator’s office in Mountain View and will be free of charge, though you’ll need to request an invitation from its homepage.

Graham believes that there are probably 100 times as many would-be angels who haven’t actually gotten around to investing as there are actual ones. He should know – he spent seven years after selling Viaweb before he started his Y Combinator incubator. And during the time since founding Y Combinator he’s also found that the number of startups emerging is directly related to the amount of angel funding available. Even a modest boost in the number of angel investors could be a boon to the startup community, especially in light of the economy.

From the event’s homepage:

Have you thought about investing in startups, but didn’t know how? You’re not alone. Investing in startups seems mysterious and difficult. How much are you supposed to invest? What legal agreements do you need? Where do you find startups to invest in? How do you pick winners?

AngelConf was designed to answer these questions. Silicon Valley’s most prominent angels have generously agreed to spend an afternoon explaining the secrets of angel investing, from mundane matters like deal terms to questions we all still wonder about, like how to tell which startups will succeed.

Here’s the roster for the event, which includes our own Michael Arrington:

Paul Buchheit
Jeff Clavier
Ron Conway
Paul Graham
Dave McClure
Mike Maples
Ariel Poler
Aydin Senkut
Jim Young
Andrea Zurek
Michael Arrington