Angels Should NOT Sit on the Sidelines in Equity Crowdfunding

Angel investors should not sit on the sidelines in equity Crowdfunding rather they should look for opportunities and establish themselves as the key players in this new ecosystem of capital raising. Angels are not to be displaced but embraced as individuals who have experience, knowledge and information that the crowd wants and needs in order to consider an investment.  Think of an angel as a proxy for a transaction that is in addition to what you think of a deal as well as other investors.

Francis Moran wrote an article about this in advance of the National Angel Capital Organization’s (NACO) Annual Summit on November 20 – 22, 2013 in Banff Alberta.  His article is titled “Angel investors cannot sit on the sidelines” and is available here.

I look forward to speaking at NACO’s Annual Summit on November 21, 2013 along with my co-panellist Sandi Gilbert, who is one of the founders of SeedUps (an equity Crowdfunding portal in Canada).

Topics Sandi and I will discuss include:

• what is the difference between equity and non-equity Crowdfunding;
• an update on equity Crowdfunding in the United States;
• an overview of equity Crowdfunding in Canada including,
  • the Ontario Securities Commission’s proposed equity Crowdfunding prospectus exemption,
  • the MaRS VX exemption order that allows selling securities on-line in Ontario to  Ontario-only accredited investors and Ontario-only social impact issuers,
  • Saskatchewan’s proposed equity Crowdfunding exemption for Saskatchewan-only issuers and investors, and
  • the offering memorandum exemption as Canada’s existing prospectus exemption for equity Crowdfunding;
• a discussion of the AngelList accredited investor equity Crowdfunding model and opportunities for angels;
• opportunities for angels to lead equity Crowdfunding in Canada as:
  • investors in specific investments in securities of issuers;
  • investors in portals themselves (for example as an angel portal like AngelList); and
  • as ‘super angels’ in residence to one or more portals by providing information and education about good and bad investment criteria for early stage investments.

For information about how to register for NACO’s Annual Angel Summit press here.

See you in Banff!