1. The best angel investors will know the process of angel investing/seed capital and will have made enough angel investments to know what they are getting into without getting cold feet during the process.  You don’t have time to talk someone into being an angel investor (like your Aunt Sally). You want someone that is actively making seed investments each year. They should actually seek investments and enjoy the process and have even successes as an angel investor that they are eager to meet with you. You may find them online or at a gathering of angels, but this is just the starting point.
2. The best angel investors will know the process of angel investing/seed capital and will have made enough angel investments to know what they are getting into without getting cold feet during the process.  You don’t have time to talk someone into being an angel investor (like your Aunt Sally). You want someone that is actively making seed investments each year. They should actually seek investments and enjoy the process and have even successes as an angel investor that they are eager to meet with you. You may find them online or at a gathering of angels, but this is just the starting point.
3. The best angel investors will understand your stage of business and be patient as you work through the inevitable snags in the early stage of a startup. Ideally, they’ve been in your shoes and executed successfully. It can be very frustrating taking money from a big-company executive that has far different expectations and where every interaction is just a throw away because their advice doesn’t your context.
4. The best angel investors will also know your industry and can create tremendous value with their knowledge and contacts. If they can see how they can invest $100k in your startup and then immediately 10x the value by helping you seal a big alliance deal to get you to market, then you’ve got a great angel investor prospect.
5. The best angel investors will know your business model and understand exactly what you are attempting to do. And they will be ready, able, and willing to mentor you. You don’t want to be constantly explaining what you do to your investors. Ideally, they get it and are constantly suggesting ideas and improvements.
6. The best angel investors will know you and be willing to write a check to invest seed capital in you and your business. Even if you don’t know them well, if they know you, like you, and trust you, then you are well over the hump on reeling them in.

Example target angel investor for your startup: Let’s say you’ve been working in industry “X” for several years and the idea for your startup bubbled up from your experience in your industry. Your ideal angel investors will include wealthy executives from the industry that can quickly seize upon your unique idea and value proposition, are excited to be part of your startup, have the resources to invest $50k – $250k in your startup, have the savvy to help you refine your plan, and can help you get to market more quickly through their vast network. Perhaps they were entrepreneurs in the industry and recently sold their company and now have time and resources to invest in exciting startups like yours. And because angels tend to flock together, once you get one, your chances of getting several of their friends is much higher, even if they are not familiar with your target industry or customer set. But even if you do meet the ideal angel investors,our startup fi you will still need to have a highly-credible pitch, which is a combination of your passion, a gorgeous pitch deck that builds enthusiasm, and a highly-credible financial model. With only a few inputs, Pro-Forma Cap table app automatically enables you to model up to four different seed investments – including a convertible note – and see the impact on all of your financial statements, update your cap table while showing the impact of dilution, and create an investor return analysis for your angel investors. Given the ability to show your angel investors your grasp of your business model, the impact of their investment, and the return on their investment is a really critical part of closing your seed capital.