London Business Angels
The London Business Angels network has been entirely dedicated to funding and advising seed and early stage companies for 25 years. It comprises an exclusive and experienced membership of 200 private individuals from Southern England and early stage venture capital funds.
The members represent a cross section of successful entrepreneurs and former CEOs, chairmen and non-executives of large private and public companies from multiple industries who are interested in investing their time and money into new, cutting edge, start-up companies. London Business Angels members have made angel investments in companies such as Pret a Manger, Cobra Beer and more recently one of the fastest growing companies in America, Vibrant Media, which produced a seventeen times return.
The group meets seven times a year to formally consider presentations from 42 early stage companies, annually selected from more than 1000 business plans that are screened each year by the network’s co-investment fund London Seed Capital.
This represents the top 5% of applicants who are looking for between £250,000 and £750,000. Entrepreneurs can expect a thorough preliminary due diligence meeting and, if selected, substantial training and assistance in their preparation to present to the London Business Angels. The network represents over £50 million in potential available investment.
London Business Angels is part of the Seraphim Enterprise Capital Fund along with Advantage Business Angels, PI Capital, Archangel and New Vantage Group.[citation needed]
London Business Angels has won ‘The Investor All-stars Private Equity Network of The Year’ award for the last two years (as of 2007) and the European Business Angel Network award for most promising exit in 2006.[citation needed]
In January 2011, London Business Angels invested £1m in ipadio, a communications company.