Do Angels support US market entry?

My particls feed picked up an article in iTnews entitled “Angels give wings to Australian start-ups” by Liz Tay.

Before Australian start-ups start flocking to Boulder Colorado to make their fortunes . . . I should provide a little perspective.

The article devotes considerable space to a program in Colorado called TechStars as an example of US angel investment activity. TechStars looks like a great program, organized by entrepreneurs and VC firms in Colorado, which provides up to $15,000 in cash, 3 months on-site mentoring, and an opportunity to pitch to local VC (all this in return for 5% of the company).

However, TechStars is by no means representative of the angel investor scene in the US. Rather it represents a relatively new approach which combines an incubator setting with a small amount of cash. Y Combinator is perhaps the best known example. They got started in 2005. Josh Catone lists nine similar "Seed Fund Incubators". They typically focus on web companies that require relatively little capital to get started.

Are they useful for overseas start-ups? First, bear in mind that these are designed for very early stage companies. Is this the right fit for your stage of development? To get an ideas you can read a post on the YC experience by Matt Maroon.

Practicalities: Do you have a US corporation? Are you authorized to work in US? Can you relocate and support yourself for many months after the program ends?

My second thought is: Why would anyone move from Australia to Boulder Colorado because they want to access Angel or VC tech investment? No offence to Boulder, they have a thriving community, but it would be like moving to Melbourne because you want to meet movie producers. If you want the "Hollywood" of tech investing then come to Silicon Valley.

Third and final thought: Will US Angels invest in overseas companies?  Strictly speaking, the chances are slim. The good news is that you can become a US company.  There are people and organizations here that can help you, regardless of your stage of development. There are even investors interested in helping you make the jump.

And of course, as Michelle Deaker notes in the original article, the government can help you with a little cash . . .

Bottom Line: I will put more information in a future post.