For businesses

We help growing Welsh businesses seeking equity investment with potential investors

The support of our funders means that we now have the capital to make further investment in our technology, helping to scale the business as we accelerate our growth.

Alice Rackley, Polytag

Is angel investment right for me?

If you don’t want to take on debt, equity financing could be a better way to raise capital. Unlike traditional lenders, angel investors are open to riskier investments in early-stage businesses. Plus, they bring valuable experience and mentorship to the table, not just money. Watch our video to find out more.

The AIW platform is only available for high net worth individuals and/or sophisticated investors.

What investors want to see

Early-stage investments come with a certain level of risk. To make the risk worth it, angel investors need to see the potential for a high reward further down the line.

While each investor will have their own criteria, here are a few basics our investors will look for in any business

A pitch deck - your chance to deliver, in your own words, your vision, strategy, and potential to investors

Leadership - an ambitious manager and/or team with the right skills and experience to execute the business plan

Robust financials - show how you will spend the money you get. How long will it last? What is the best case scenario? What is the worst?

Business plan - as the roadmap for your business, a well thought out businesses plan should set out what you want to achieve and how you’re going to achieve it

Exit strategy - including an investor exit strategy is important, particularly for start-ups, to show investors how they can potentially realise a return on their investment

Knowledge - show investors the potential tax reliefs you could offer, and increase the attractiveness of the investment opportunity

Am I ready for angel investment?

As a way of raising capital without having to make repayments on a loan, equity finance can be the best way to scale your business quickly.

People buy from people so if you’re looking to raise investment then your number one priority should be your people. While a strong business plan is a must, investors will definitely want to see your passion and enthusiasm, as these are the essential ingredients for business success.

Find out more about raising investment from senior investment executive Navid Falatoori.

Make sure you have a clearly defined proposition explaining your business strategy and the potential for growth. An investor will want to see a well-written business plan; they mitigate risk and will show the investor where their money will be spent.

Take a look at our guide on how to write a business plan.

A pitch deck is a must-have tool when you’re fundraising.

Essentially a brief presentation in which you provide an overview of your company to investors, if done well, it will capture their interest, get a conversation going, and set you on the path to gaining investment for your business.

In our guide, which includes a video, we give some key tips and break down the various components of creating a pitch deck.

Our guide on pitching to investors covers the three main things to consider before you pitch:

Presenting yourself
Presenting your product
The research you'll need to do beforehand

Our regional managers can offer general guidance on making a business more attractive to investors and provide ‘signposting’ to organisations that can help you get investor ready.

We don’t offer financial, legal or other business advice but if required, we can provide details of professional advisers who can help.

Getting investment

Step 1

Businesses must be based in Wales or actively relocating

Step 2

Investment documents compiled and peer reviewed

Step 3

Get in touch and join our angel network

Step 4

Investment proposition is showcased to investors

Your questions answered

What does Angels Invest Wales offer businesses seeking investment?

We help businesses find the financial investment required for growth. As well as investment, our business angels can add value to their investments by providing skills and contacts that come from years of experience. Our regional managers can also offer advice on making business plans more attractive to investors.

How do I join the network?

Opportunities can be uploaded directly to our investment platform, please contact us for more information. There are no joining fees for registering with us, but a 5% administration fee will be payable on any successful investment being co-ordinated and completed.

We'll need to see your business plan before you can upload your opportunity to our investment platform, so it's best to first contact us to find out if you're investment ready.

What type of businesses do angels invest in?

Business angels invest in a wide range of business sectors and stages of development including, start-ups, expansion, acquisition, and turnaround situations. They invest in unquoted, developing companies where the risks and potential returns are high.

How quickly do investors expect a return on their investment?

This is part of the investment negotiation process. Your business plan should inform investors of the potential return and how and when an investor can exit their investment.

Will I be expected to invest in my own business?

We find angel investors tend to favour business managers who demonstrate their commitment by sharing the risk. But we strongly advise honesty with potential investors, so let them know if your circumstances prevent you from investing.

Are businesses guaranteed investment through Angels Invest Wales?

We can't guarantee you'll find an investor but our success rate is about one in four.

How does Angels Invest Wales guarantee confidentiality and IP security?

Businesses can take steps to protect their Intellectual Property (IP), including patent applications and requiring investors sign a non-disclosure agreement.

You can find out more in our guide: Intellectual Property for start-ups.

How do I value my business?

It's best to get independent professional advice when valuing your business as it it can be tricky to do, especially if you’re a start-up with little or no historical data to be benchmarked against.

While there's no single formula to calculate valuation, it’s still possible to determine a value that both makes sense to you and is reasonable to investors.

To help you do this, we outline some of the most important things to keep in mind and the valuation methods commonly used for pre-revenue and post-revenue companies in our how to value a start-up guide.

Alternatively, you can read our guide on valuing an established business.