March 29, 2004
Send me an angel | Angel investors hold the promise of a new source of capital for Maine's growing small businesses
By Rebecca Zicarelli
When Brian Rigney founded BlueTarp, a Portland company that was developing a purchasing-card system for the building-supply trade, he needed more capital than he could get through Small Business Administration loans and state grants. To raise the necessary capital, Rigney sought a private-equity investor ˆ an angel, in investment parlance.
Rigney found his angel, appropriately, at a 1999 presentation on angel investors hosted by MESDA, the Maine software and technology industry association. Rigney introduced himself to Kip Moore, one of the event's presenters and the principal of Portland-based Little Diamond Island Enterprises. Moore, an investor who specializes in technology startups, was intrigued by Rigney's vision for BlueTarp. Months of talks between Moore and Rigney ensued; Moore introduced other investors to Rigney, potential angels who performed exhaustive due diligence, learning everything they could about Rigney, his business plan, his potential customers and his management team. In the end, BlueTarp received $5 million in both angel and venture-capital investment. "Without angel investment," Rigney says simply, "we wouldn't be around today."
Angel and venture capital money are both equity investments ˆ an infusion of capital in exchange for shares in the business ˆ but there are differences, says Jeffrey Sohl, director of the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire. "The key difference is that angels invest their own money, while venture capitalists are money managers for funds of other people's money," says Sohl. Angels provide the vast majority ˆ about 80% ˆ of the seed money in the United States, while venture capital provides 5%-7%, Sohl says. According to the center's research, approximately 200,000 angels invested $15.7 billion in 36,000 companies nationally in 2002, down from $30 billion in 2001, a decline that reflects the investment hangovers from the dot-com bust of 2000 and the lingering recession. The center tracks angel activity via organized angel groups, but since there hasn't been such an organization in Maine, the center doesn't have data on angel investing in the state.
But that's changing, a development observers say bodes well for more early-stage investment in Maine companies. In October, a group of 14 investors formed Maine Angels, a statewide organization that is actively reviewing companies. And Maine Angels, according to its founder, Charles Sidman, is on the verge of making its first investments. "Maine has plenty of smart and energetic people and sufficient funding sources," says Sidman, a resident of Bar Harbor who is a professor of molecular genetics, as well as an adjunct instructor in management, at the University of Cincinnati. "There just hasn't been an optimal organization for investment. We've got plenty of people, we've got money and we've got an aware and active government. There's a return to the awareness that business growth and economic growth start with small companies."
As Rigney discovered with BlueTarp, angel investment can be the difference between a small Maine business that survives and thrives and one that goes under. As Sohl puts it, "Angels are great for regional economic investment. It's a very powerful force."
Angel traits
From the perspective of potential investors, however, Sohl warns that being an angel has a down side. "Angel investing is higher risk, requires more patience, and takes longer to bring to exit" than other forms of investment, he says. Risk is substantial; about 80% of companies that receive angel investment in the United States go under, Sohl says. The golden carrot for would-be angels is that the companies that survive typically make it big, paying returns of many times the original investment.
Angel investors are what Sohl calls "cashed-out entrepreneurs," people who started and eventually sold their own companies at an enormous profit. "It's what I call the psychic income," Sohl says of the angel experience. "It's the fun part of their portfolios. It's when the juices flow, when they talk to entrepreneurs and get involved with strategy. They get the excitement of a startup but not the sleepless nights worrying about payroll. Over 90% of their deals are made within a half day's travel of their principal residence ˆ it's a regional phenomenon."
It's also a well-heeled phenomenon. Would-be angels need to qualify as "accredited investors" by the Securities & Exchange Commission, which defines the term as people with a net worth of $1 million or an annual income of at least $200,000 a year ˆ $300,000 with a spouse ˆ for the last two years and the expection that that income will continue. To join the Maine Angels, prospective members have to be SEC accredited investors, be sponsored by another member, and be willing to invest as much as $100,000 over the first three years of their membership.
It's also a good idea to "have gone through the whole investment cycle one or more times," Sidman says. An angel's industry knowledge and entrepreneurial know-how are as important to a company as their money. "Maine Angels has a concentration of former entrepreneurs and CEOs, often from the computer and IT world. That's descriptive of every angel group in the country," Sidman says. "Our group is unusual in that it has a substantial subset of people with financial and investment backgrounds. They've chosen Maine, they love it here, and they've brought their experience with them."
Diane Sammer, a Harpswell resident and a founding member of Maine Angels, went through the investment cycle with Systems/Link, a New Jersey-based telecommunications software and networking company she co-founded in 1985 and sold in 2000. Since moving to Maine in 1995, she's made three investments: Saltwater Marketing, a Portland-based company that develops and licenses value-added seafood products; Accord Music, a Waterville-based company that includes a record label and produces a midcoast music festival; and a third venture Sammer admits "wasn't a good investment," declining to discuss details.
"From my perspective, doing a startup is different than anything else you might do professionally ˆ until you've done it, it's difficult to know what it's like," Sammer says. "Lots of startups are under capitalized, and they go in with assumptions that need to change when the facts don't bear them out. A lot of the time you're dealing with new markets, new products, and you learn as you go. Sometimes [the startup] needs an outsider's perspective ˆ an outsider who understands the plan and has an interest in the outcome."
Sammer says the Maine Angels idea appealed to her because of the critical mass it creates for both available capital and collective investing experience. "I will be a much better angel investor because I have the benefit of the wisdom of the group," she says. "These are smart, experienced people with experience I don't have, and that's valuable in analyzing an opportunity for investment."
Angels in Maine
Sharing her experience, as well as experiencing the entrepreneurial thrill, are both reasons Sammer says she invests. "I do it because it's interesting and fun ˆ I enjoy solving problems and creating something that's meaningful," she says. "To the extent that I can do that, it's fulfilling. It gives me the opportunity to help other people ride the same roller coaster, or maybe one that's a little less bumpy, than I rode."
Economic development experts say the presence of such investors can be an invaluable addition to the state's economy. In its 2002 report, "Promoting and Supporting an Entrepreneurship-Based Economy in Maine" (www.econdevmaine.com/news/kaufman.pdf), the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation identified the lack of an organized angel group in Maine as one of the key barriers to entrepreneurial growth in the state. The report says, "There appears to be little civic leadership from Maine's business community in fostering a culture of entrepreneurship. There is a general consensus that the problem in the capital area is not the availability of capital, but the amount and quality of deal flow in Maine to attract capital.ˆ We recommend that Maine improve the capital availability for entrepreneurs through better organization of angel investors."
Sidman says Maine has all the pieces to catalyze more investment, including money, potential investors, entrepreneurial experience, social awareness and the public-sector support ranging from technology incubators and seed tax credits to organizations like the Maine Technology Institute, the Maine Investment Exchange and the Finance Authority of Maine. The problem was that those pieces weren't coming together in an optimal way, he says, a problem the organized angel model can solve. A group allows shared due diligence and a sharing of expertise in vetting potential deals, Sidman says, adding that he "wanted to take the best practices [of other groups] and replicate them here, taking advantage of what's been proven to work."
With a solid management team, a good product, clearly defined markets and a demonstrated understanding of what investors need (see "Angels 101," this page), Sidman says entrepreneurs are likely to get funding ˆ if they persist. That's when the roller coaster ride begins. "After an investment is made, an angel's skin is in the game," Sidman says. "Then the investment is less about money than it is the recruiting of experience and business management skills ˆ entrepreneurs often don't realize that that's actually what's going on. If it's always just about money, the business is less likely to be successful."
By bringing angel investors and entrepreneurs together, Maine Angels and organizations like it could play a significant role in jumpstarting small-business growth in Maine. Sidman and others say such activity could dispel the myth that the problem in Maine is a lack of capital, or that the state's relative lack of technology firms makes it less appealing to angel-style investment. "I think it's actually easier to raise money in Maine than in the technology centers," Moore says. "Maine investors will make investments in projects the venture capital firms would walk away from. We'll stretch a bit because there aren't enough investments here. I'd like to see Maine businesses have a chance to get funded and succeed."
Rigney found his angel, appropriately, at a 1999 presentation on angel investors hosted by MESDA, the Maine software and technology industry association. Rigney introduced himself to Kip Moore, one of the event's presenters and the principal of Portland-based Little Diamond Island Enterprises. Moore, an investor who specializes in technology startups, was intrigued by Rigney's vision for BlueTarp. Months of talks between Moore and Rigney ensued; Moore introduced other investors to Rigney, potential angels who performed exhaustive due diligence, learning everything they could about Rigney, his business plan, his potential customers and his management team. In the end, BlueTarp received $5 million in both angel and venture-capital investment. "Without angel investment," Rigney says simply, "we wouldn't be around today."
Angel and venture capital money are both equity investments ˆ an infusion of capital in exchange for shares in the business ˆ but there are differences, says Jeffrey Sohl, director of the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire. "The key difference is that angels invest their own money, while venture capitalists are money managers for funds of other people's money," says Sohl. Angels provide the vast majority ˆ about 80% ˆ of the seed money in the United States, while venture capital provides 5%-7%, Sohl says. According to the center's research, approximately 200,000 angels invested $15.7 billion in 36,000 companies nationally in 2002, down from $30 billion in 2001, a decline that reflects the investment hangovers from the dot-com bust of 2000 and the lingering recession. The center tracks angel activity via organized angel groups, but since there hasn't been such an organization in Maine, the center doesn't have data on angel investing in the state.
But that's changing, a development observers say bodes well for more early-stage investment in Maine companies. In October, a group of 14 investors formed Maine Angels, a statewide organization that is actively reviewing companies. And Maine Angels, according to its founder, Charles Sidman, is on the verge of making its first investments. "Maine has plenty of smart and energetic people and sufficient funding sources," says Sidman, a resident of Bar Harbor who is a professor of molecular genetics, as well as an adjunct instructor in management, at the University of Cincinnati. "There just hasn't been an optimal organization for investment. We've got plenty of people, we've got money and we've got an aware and active government. There's a return to the awareness that business growth and economic growth start with small companies."
As Rigney discovered with BlueTarp, angel investment can be the difference between a small Maine business that survives and thrives and one that goes under. As Sohl puts it, "Angels are great for regional economic investment. It's a very powerful force."
Angel traits
From the perspective of potential investors, however, Sohl warns that being an angel has a down side. "Angel investing is higher risk, requires more patience, and takes longer to bring to exit" than other forms of investment, he says. Risk is substantial; about 80% of companies that receive angel investment in the United States go under, Sohl says. The golden carrot for would-be angels is that the companies that survive typically make it big, paying returns of many times the original investment.
Angel investors are what Sohl calls "cashed-out entrepreneurs," people who started and eventually sold their own companies at an enormous profit. "It's what I call the psychic income," Sohl says of the angel experience. "It's the fun part of their portfolios. It's when the juices flow, when they talk to entrepreneurs and get involved with strategy. They get the excitement of a startup but not the sleepless nights worrying about payroll. Over 90% of their deals are made within a half day's travel of their principal residence ˆ it's a regional phenomenon."
It's also a well-heeled phenomenon. Would-be angels need to qualify as "accredited investors" by the Securities & Exchange Commission, which defines the term as people with a net worth of $1 million or an annual income of at least $200,000 a year ˆ $300,000 with a spouse ˆ for the last two years and the expection that that income will continue. To join the Maine Angels, prospective members have to be SEC accredited investors, be sponsored by another member, and be willing to invest as much as $100,000 over the first three years of their membership.
It's also a good idea to "have gone through the whole investment cycle one or more times," Sidman says. An angel's industry knowledge and entrepreneurial know-how are as important to a company as their money. "Maine Angels has a concentration of former entrepreneurs and CEOs, often from the computer and IT world. That's descriptive of every angel group in the country," Sidman says. "Our group is unusual in that it has a substantial subset of people with financial and investment backgrounds. They've chosen Maine, they love it here, and they've brought their experience with them."
Diane Sammer, a Harpswell resident and a founding member of Maine Angels, went through the investment cycle with Systems/Link, a New Jersey-based telecommunications software and networking company she co-founded in 1985 and sold in 2000. Since moving to Maine in 1995, she's made three investments: Saltwater Marketing, a Portland-based company that develops and licenses value-added seafood products; Accord Music, a Waterville-based company that includes a record label and produces a midcoast music festival; and a third venture Sammer admits "wasn't a good investment," declining to discuss details.
"From my perspective, doing a startup is different than anything else you might do professionally ˆ until you've done it, it's difficult to know what it's like," Sammer says. "Lots of startups are under capitalized, and they go in with assumptions that need to change when the facts don't bear them out. A lot of the time you're dealing with new markets, new products, and you learn as you go. Sometimes [the startup] needs an outsider's perspective ˆ an outsider who understands the plan and has an interest in the outcome."
Sammer says the Maine Angels idea appealed to her because of the critical mass it creates for both available capital and collective investing experience. "I will be a much better angel investor because I have the benefit of the wisdom of the group," she says. "These are smart, experienced people with experience I don't have, and that's valuable in analyzing an opportunity for investment."
Angels in Maine
Sharing her experience, as well as experiencing the entrepreneurial thrill, are both reasons Sammer says she invests. "I do it because it's interesting and fun ˆ I enjoy solving problems and creating something that's meaningful," she says. "To the extent that I can do that, it's fulfilling. It gives me the opportunity to help other people ride the same roller coaster, or maybe one that's a little less bumpy, than I rode."
Economic development experts say the presence of such investors can be an invaluable addition to the state's economy. In its 2002 report, "Promoting and Supporting an Entrepreneurship-Based Economy in Maine" (www.econdevmaine.com/news/kaufman.pdf), the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation identified the lack of an organized angel group in Maine as one of the key barriers to entrepreneurial growth in the state. The report says, "There appears to be little civic leadership from Maine's business community in fostering a culture of entrepreneurship. There is a general consensus that the problem in the capital area is not the availability of capital, but the amount and quality of deal flow in Maine to attract capital.ˆ We recommend that Maine improve the capital availability for entrepreneurs through better organization of angel investors."
Sidman says Maine has all the pieces to catalyze more investment, including money, potential investors, entrepreneurial experience, social awareness and the public-sector support ranging from technology incubators and seed tax credits to organizations like the Maine Technology Institute, the Maine Investment Exchange and the Finance Authority of Maine. The problem was that those pieces weren't coming together in an optimal way, he says, a problem the organized angel model can solve. A group allows shared due diligence and a sharing of expertise in vetting potential deals, Sidman says, adding that he "wanted to take the best practices [of other groups] and replicate them here, taking advantage of what's been proven to work."
With a solid management team, a good product, clearly defined markets and a demonstrated understanding of what investors need (see "Angels 101," this page), Sidman says entrepreneurs are likely to get funding ˆ if they persist. That's when the roller coaster ride begins. "After an investment is made, an angel's skin is in the game," Sidman says. "Then the investment is less about money than it is the recruiting of experience and business management skills ˆ entrepreneurs often don't realize that that's actually what's going on. If it's always just about money, the business is less likely to be successful."
By bringing angel investors and entrepreneurs together, Maine Angels and organizations like it could play a significant role in jumpstarting small-business growth in Maine. Sidman and others say such activity could dispel the myth that the problem in Maine is a lack of capital, or that the state's relative lack of technology firms makes it less appealing to angel-style investment. "I think it's actually easier to raise money in Maine than in the technology centers," Moore says. "Maine investors will make investments in projects the venture capital firms would walk away from. We'll stretch a bit because there aren't enough investments here. I'd like to see Maine businesses have a chance to get funded and succeed."
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments