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An angel investor is a high net-worth individual who invests in a startup, seed-stage or early-stage company in return for an ownership stake. Angel investors usually invest their own money (unlike venture capital firms, who, for the most part, invest other people’s money) and may do this individually or as part of an angel group. According to the  Angel Capital Association, the amount a typical angel invests in  a single company ranges from $5000 to $100,000.

The following links will take you to the websites of angel investor professional associations and angel investment groups:

ANGEL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND WEBSITES

Angel Capital Association – A professional association for angel investors.

Wisconsin Angel Network – WAN fuels the growth of capital in Wisconsin by operating as an umbrella organization providing services and resources to the early-stage investing and entrepreneurial communities.

ANGEL INVESTMENT GROUPS – ILLINOIS

Central Illinois Angels – A not-for-profit corporation that facilitates the introduction of entrepreneurs to potential investors interested in startups.

Cornerstone Angels – Based in Northbrook Illinois, Cornerstone Angels is a private investment group that provides financial capital, mentorship and advisory support to high-growth organizations, primarily in the Midwest.

Hyde Park Angels – Chicago-based Angel Network founded by classmates of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive MBA Program.  Focuses on innovative information technology, business services, industrial technology, financial services, consumer or industrial products and healthcare services and technology.

Stateline Angels – Based in the “Stateline” region of Winnebago County, Illinois, and Rock County, Wisconsin, Stateline Angels provides investment capital to start-up and early stage companies, with the goal of fostering growth in the “Stateline” area and the throughout the Midwest.

Sustainable Local Food Investment Group – A network of angel investors who share the mission of using private investment to re-establish a robust, sustainable local food system in the Greater Chicago Area.

Urbana-Champaign Angel Network – Angel network focused on furthering economic development in Champaign County, Illinois.

West Suburban Angels – Angel network in Naperville, Illinois, and focused on investing in promising, high-growth, early-stage businesses.

Wildcat Angels – Angel Network in Evanston, Illinois, and focused on investing in the innovative ideas of Northwestern University student, faculty and alumni entrepreneurs, as well as in startups founded by other entrepreneurs in the Greater Chicago Area.

ANGEL INVESTMENT GROUPS & FOUNDATIONS – WISCONSIN

Angels on the Water – An angel investment fund that focuses on startups in northeastern Wisconsin with high-growth, high-impact potential, especially in advanced manufacturing, information technology, aeronautics, advanced materials and clean technologies.

BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation, Inc. – A new charitable foundation in Milwaukee currently seeking 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status that plans to invest donors’ contributions in early-stage companies.  To learn more, see this recent article in the The Business Journal.

Golden Angels Network – A group of Marquette University alumni and friends who promote and advance entrepreneurship in Wisconsin, Illinois and beyond.

Phenomonelle Angels Fund – An early stage fund based in Madison, Wisconsin that invests in women and minority-owned or managed businesses in Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Silicon Pastures – Invests in early-stage, high-tech companies in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.

Stateline Angels – Based in the “Stateline” region of Winnebago County, Illinois, and Rock County, Wisconsin, Stateline Angels provides investment capital to start-up and early stage companies, with the goal of fostering growth in the “Stateline” area and the throughout the Midwest.