Space Angels Network

Space Angels Network

Type	Limited liability company
Industry	NewSpace, Aerospace
Founded	2006
Founder	Guillermo Söhnlein, Burton Lee Ph.D., MBA
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington, United States
Key people	Chad Anderson (Managing Director) Joe Landon (Managing Director)
Services	Angel Investing, Seed Funding
Number of employees	10+
Website	www.spaceangelsnetwork.com

Space Angels Network is an angel investing network which connects investors and entrepreneurs to encourage private investment in commercial space, aerospace, and aviation startups. Its members typically invest between US$250,000 and US$1,000,000 in early-stage companies which are not yet ready for venture capital.

History

In the mid-2000s, commercial space projects began attracting attention following the success of SpaceShipOne and Scaled Composites claiming the US$10mm Ansari X Prize.^[1] The global space economy grew 41% over the next five years, from 2006-2011, fueled by growth in the commercial sector.^[2] At the end of 2012, most existing private space ventures had been financed by billionaires; ^[3] however, institutional investors began to show interest in the sector.^[4] Space Angels Network aggregates both companies seeking investment and Angel investors to create a global network for both, expanding their geographical reach.^[5]

Space Angels Network was created in 2006 by Guillermo Söhnlein, with Founding Members Esther Dyson (EDventure Holdings), Stephen Fleming (Atlanta Technology Angels), David S. Rose (New York Angels) and Ed Tuck (Falcon Fund).^[6]

In April 2007, Burton Lee joined as co-founder, helping to lead the group's Aerospace Venture Forums that showcase entrepreneurial ventures for prospective investors. The first of these forums included 14 presenting companies and was held in Long Beach, California on September 25, 2008.^[7] In 2010, Joe Landon became Managing Director, and under his leadership the group announced its first four investment deals during 2011-2012. As of mid-2012, the group consisted of approximately 25 investor members from the United States and Europe.^[8] In 2012, Chad Anderson joined as Managing Director, and since then the network has grown to 50 members, in nine countries, on four continents.^[9]

Membership

Membership in Space Angels Network is limited to investors who qualify as accredited investors under Regulation D of the Securities and Exchange Commission.^[10] Members enjoy exclusive access to investment opportunities from entrepreneurs from around the world seeking early-stage capital for their aerospace related ventures. Members have been primarily located in the United States, however, as the member base grows it is becoming increasingly international. Many members are not aerospace experts, but instead are people from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about aerospace in one way or another.^[11]

Investment Philosophy

The management team has industry experience ^[12] and aims to use that experience to help aerospace startups succeed. By focusing on industry instead of geography, the subject-matter expertise of both the management team and members allows Space Angels Network to evaluate deals that would never have made it past the initial screening of more traditional^[13] angel groups. Investments are typically companies with experienced teams pursuing large markets with a unique product, service, or business model in the following fields:

Space Angels Network Companies

In addition to private and confidential deals, the following list of companies were funded or founded by Space Angels Network members:

Partners

Sponsors

Associations

Space Angels Network is a member of the Angel Capital Association, the official industry alliance of over 100 of the largest angel investor groups in the United States.

Every year since 2009, Space Angels Network has supported the production of Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace Business Plan Competition. Serving as a contributing sponsor, Space Angels Network screens applicants, serves as a presentation coach for finalists, and provides the first place finisher complementary investment guidance, including an opportunity to meet in-person with Space Angels Network members.

See also

External links

• Space Angels Network official website
• Angels in space: More investors betting on the final frontier
• Financing Space Startups
• Startup spotlight: Investors in space
• Space as a Service

References

Private equity and venture capital Basic investment types Buyout Venture Mezzanine Growth Secondaries Equity co-investment History History of private equity and venture capital Early history of private equity Private equity in the 1980s Private equity in the 1990s Private equity in the 2000s Terms and concepts Buyout Financial sponsor Management buyout Divisional buyout Buy–sell agreement Leveraged recapitalization Dividend recapitalization Venture Angel investor Business incubator Post-money valuation Pre-money valuation Seed money Startup company Venture capital financing Venture debt Venture round Structure Private equity firms and funds Limited partnership Limited liability company Carried interest Management fee Publicly traded private equity Business Development Company Venture capital trust Private investment in public equity (PIPE) Pledge fund Investors Corporations Institutional investors Pension funds Insurance companies Fund of funds Endowments Foundations Investment banks Merchant banks Commercial banks High-net-worth individuals Family offices Sovereign wealth funds Crowdfunding Related financial terms AUM Cap table Capital call Capital commitment Capital structure Distribution waterfall EBITDA Envy ratio High-yield debt IPO IRR Leverage M&A PME Taxation of private equity and hedge funds Undercapitalization Vintage year Private equity and venture capital investors Private equity firms Venture capital firms Angel investors Portfolio companies

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