The Ultimate Guide to Fundraising for Your Tech Startup

From Crunchbase to Google: How to Use Online Resources to Find Angel Investors

Starting a new business can be exciting, but it can also be a challenge to secure the necessary funding to get your idea off the ground. One potential source of funding for new startups is angel investors, who are typically high-net-worth individuals who invest in early-stage companies in exchange for equity.  

But where do you find angel investors for your startup? Here are some resources that can help:  

Signal NFX: Signal NFX is a platform that connects early-stage founders with experienced angel investors. The platform is focused on companies in the technology industry and provides resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to funding.  

Crunchbase: Crunchbase is a database of companies, people, and investors in the startup ecosystem. The platform allows users to search for investors by industry, location, and funding stage. It also provides information on recent funding rounds and investor portfolios. It’s also best to get the Pro version of Crunchbase for full access.

Wellfound: Wellfound is a platform that connects founders with investors who are passionate about making a positive impact in the world. You can find startups in your category that are similar like a ‘consumer’ product and find similar investors to reach to. It’s a very organized website that makes it easy to find other companies and those who invested in them. 

Simple Google searches: One of the easiest ways to find angel investors is through a simple Google search. By searching for "Best angels and seed stage investors for X" (with X being your industry or niche). You can also try to reach local investors by writing “Top seed investors in Austin, Texas” or the nearest major city near you. Investors in the early stages love to invest locally! 

Similar interests: One of the easiest ways to close those early checks is finding an investor who aligns with your vision and is excited about the product. Also, you can find an investor who is from your alma mater or went through the same accelerator. Perhaps they even live in your neighborhood! Sometimes you just never know, but it’s great to find a mutual connection to the early-stage investors that can have a strong pull in closing that investor (even if the connection is based on the same college or program you went through). You can also do a similar search for “Angel investors who graduated from X” (with X being your high school, college or graduate program).

RocketReach: If you know the name of the person you’d like to connect with and don’t know what their email is to reach them, RocketReach is a great resource for uncovering the best email to reach them. 

Other resources that can be helpful for finding angel investors include startup accelerators and incubators, which often have connections to angel investors and can provide mentorship and resources to help new startups grow. 

Top Accelerators: YC, 500 Startups, Stanford StartX, TechStars, betaworks, and many others.

It's important to keep in mind that finding angel investors can be a competitive process, and it may take time and effort to secure funding for your startup. But with the right resources and a solid business plan, it's possible to find the investors you need to take your business to the next level.

If you would like to learn more details about fundraising, feel free to check out my last article on it here: Guide to Fundraising a Tech Startup.

Dana Loberg is CEO and Founder of Leo AR, the first augmented reality communications platform that gives anyone the power to enrich the world around them with realistic 3D and 4D animated objects and photogrammetry. Follow her @luckyloberg. You can follow her on Substack too.