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Meet the Angels: Silicon Valley’s Most Well-Known Investors
These respected names may be able to help you raise funding for your startup.
Table of Contents
Silicon Valley, the tech capital of the United States, draws investors seeking to fund the “next big thing.” The proliferating ideas, expertise and funding have turned the area into a breeding ground for some of the biggest companies in the world. As a result, Silicon Valley is home to some of the most powerful investors in the nation.
If your startup wants to find investors for early-stage capital, this list of some of the most well-known investors in the Valley will give you a place to start.
Silicon Valley’s most well-known investors
The following 16 Silicon Valley investors illustrate how diverse the interest has become in pursuing startups across a broader range of industries, particularly new business segments with the greatest potential for sustainable and profitable growth.
The list also shows the emergence of new types of funding vehicles, including equity crowdfunding and accelerators, and investors who previously were part of other successful companies as executives or founders but are now seeking success through investing in new business ideas.
1. Naval Ravikant, Wellfound
Naval Ravikant is the founder of Wellfound (formerly AngelList), a platform for startups to recruit others and seek investors. Ravikant is an active angel investor. His investments include X (formerly Twitter), Uber, Postmates, Unsplash, Zaarly (acquired by Airtasker in 2021) and Vurb.
2. Mark Cuban, Mark Cuban Companies
Mark Cuban is best known for the hit television show “Shark Tank,” but he’s also invested in hundreds of startups via Mark Cuban Companies. Some of his notable investments include SlideShare, Soundwave, Upstart, Bot-It, Nature’s Wild Berry and Tones of Melanin.
3. Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz
Marc Andreessen is an entrepreneur, investor and software engineer. From developing Mosaic, the first web browser, and going on to found other software companies that he later sold, Andreessen has an experienced technical background. His investments include former headset developer Halo Neuroscience and Savvy. Andreessen’s venture capital (VC) firm, Andreessen Horowitz, was ranked the No. 1 venture capital firm in 2024.
4. Ron Conway, SV Angel
Ron Conway is a Silicon Valley angel investor and philanthropist. Conway ran Angel Investors LP Funds for seven years. He is currently the founder and managing partner of SV Angel, a San Francisco-based angel investment firm. Conway was also an early-stage investor for Google, Facebook and PayPal. Other projects include One Concern, Overlay and Tomorrow Farms. Conway was featured in the Forbes magazine Midas List of top dealmakers.
5. Gary Vaynerchuk, Vayner/RSE
Gary Vaynerchuk is best known for being an influencer in the area of digital marketing. However, he’s also an angel investor via Vayner/RSE. He has invested in more than 70 companies, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Tumblr and Shopify. His current investments include OpenFortune, Metalink and SlamBall.
6. Peter Thiel, Founders Fund
Peter Thiel is a partner at a venture firm, Founders Fund, that invests primarily in science and technology companies. Thiel is a social critic and dedicates himself to finding innovative solutions to world problems. Thiel co-founded PayPal and is part of the PayPal Mafia, a group of former PayPal employees and founders who started new tech companies. He was also an investor in LinkedIn and Yelp.
7. Alexis Ohanian, Seven Seven Six
Alexis Ohanian co-founded Reddit. He is also a bestselling author and angel investor through his firm Seven Seven Six. The company has funded Dispo, Airhouse and Splendid Spoon, as well as Pipe, an online platform that connects entrepreneurs to investors.
8. Reid Hoffman, Greylock
Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, the professional networking website, and an early investor in Facebook and Flickr. Hoffman was also part of the PayPal Mafia. Hoffman is now a partner at Greylock Partners, one of the oldest VC firms. Hoffman co-founded Inflection AI and Manas AI and is on their boards.
9. Paul Buchheit, Y Combinator
As the 23rd employee of Google, Paul Buchheit created Gmail. Aside from being a programmer, Buchheit is also a renowned Silicon Valley investor and group partner at Y Combinator, which has funded more than 1,000 startups, including Dropbox, Airbnb, Instacart and Reddit. More recently, he has funded SiPhox, dNovo and Perplexity AI.
10. Garry Tan, Initialized Capital
Through Initialized Capital, Garry Tan has invested in Coinbase, Flexport, Instacart and Cruise. Besides his position as a board member and advisor at Initialized Capital, he’s the president, CEO and partner at Y Combinator. Through his investor journey, he advised and funded over 1,000 companies and their founders. He has also funded Opendoor, Trusted Insights and Zenefits (now TriNet Zenefits).
11. Tim Draper, DFJ
Tim Draper is the founder of DFJ (Draper Fisher Jurvetson), a 40-year-old venture capital firm. In 1996, Draper and partner Jurvetson had the idea to attach advertising messages at the end of emails, which led to what we now know as “viral marketing.” Aside from being an advisor to other startups, Draper found his own university, primarily focused on entrepreneurship. He has also invested in Robinhood, Coinbase and eShares.
12. Chamath Palihapitiya, Social Capital
Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Canada, Chamath Palihaptiya is a Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneur. Palihapitiya is the founder and CEO of Social Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to transforming society with technology. Social Capital focuses on investments in healthcare, education, financial technology (fintech) and frontier technology.
13. Max Levchin, SciFi VC
Max Levchin is the founder of fintech company Affirm and was an early employee at PayPal. He has invested in Yelp, Evernote and Slide and currently runs SciFi VC, a fund that focuses on fintech, marketplaces and science, including machine learning, CRISPR, robotics and quantum computing.
14. Esther Dyson, Wellville
Esther Dyson is an investor, author and philanthropist interested in healthcare, biotech and space. She’s the founder of Wellville, a nonprofit initiative focused on improving public health through long-term community-based projects. As an angel investor, Dyson has backed companies, such as 23andMe, Evernote, Flickr and Space Adventures. She’s a trustee of Charity Navigator, a board member at The Commons Project Foundation and an investor and director of Avanlee Care.
15. Fabrice Grinda, FJ Labs
Fabrice Grinda is an entrepreneur and angel investor. As the founding partner of FJ Labs, a venture capital firm that specializes in marketplace and consumer-facing startups, he has supported more than 1000 investments. Grinda has backed notable companies, such as Alibaba, Airbnb, Flexport, Dropbox and Instacart. He has built and scaled multiple successful businesses, including OLX, a global classified ad platform.
16. Scott Belsky, A24
Scott Belsky is an author, executive and entrepreneur. He is a partner and founder at A24, an independent studio. He founded Behance, a platform for creative professionals that was acquired by Adobe in 2012. Belsky headed Behance at Adobe before serving as their chief product officer and chief strategy officer, executive vice president of design and emerging product. Belsky is also an angel investor, with investments in companies, such as Pinterest, Uber and Airtable.
What is an angel investor?
An angel investor provides seed money for startups and takes an ownership interest in the company. They are high-net-worth individuals and usually invest their own money in companies and ideas that intrigue them. They understand that their investment is high risk and are therefore looking for a high rate of return.
Some angel investors just provide money, while others provide advice and help with managing the company and its growth. “Angel investors are typically affluent individuals who provide capital to startups at early stages, often in exchange for equity or convertible debt,” said Wes Lewins, chief finance officer at Networth. “These investors are looking not just for a financial return but often seek to provide mentorship based on their own experiences and to contribute to the startup community.”
When starting a new business, entrepreneurs often seek angel funding instead of applying for a business loan from a bank because they can usually get more favorable terms.
Tips for securing an angel investor
To secure angel funding, you must be prepared, find an angel investor who’s a good fit and give a winning pitch. Here are some tips for securing an angel investor.
Create a business plan
Before approaching an angel investor, you must ensure you have a solid plan for building and growing your business. “Your business plan is your blueprint that outlines your business model, plans for growth and financial projections,” said Connor Mcdougall, chief operating financial officer at MapleWorthy. “A robust, well-articulated business plan is crucial to convincing potential investors of the viability and potential of your startup.”
This plan should identify your executive team, share an executive summary and include detailed information on the following:
- Your product or service and how it’s unique
- Your sales and marketing plan
You’ll also need pro forma financial statements showing:
- How much money you need
- How you plan to spend it
- What your cash flow will be
- How much revenue and profit you are projecting to earn
- When you project you’ll break even
“A thorough and compelling business plan is crucial,” said Lewins. “This document should not only detail the business idea and model but also include market analysis, financial forecasts, a marketing strategy and an operational plan. It should clearly articulate your value proposition and how you intend to achieve business success.”
Prepare an elevator pitch and a pitch deck
An elevator pitch is a quick and to-the-point summary of why someone should invest in your startup. Theoretically, it should take about 30 seconds — the time it takes for an elevator to get to your floor. A compelling elevator pitch will attract a potential angel investor’s attention and interest, allowing you to schedule a time to tell them more about your business and make a longer, more formal and confident sales pitch.
“Your elevator pitch should be a concise, persuasive argument that captures the essence of your business and its potential,” said Lewins. “Accompany this pitch with a well-designed pitch deck that highlights key points of your business plan visually and succinctly, tailored to capture the interest of busy angel investors.”
You’ll use a pitch deck when making your formal pitch to an investor. A pitch deck is a PowerPoint presentation (or similar) showing angel investors what your company does, its market, team, strategy and financials. Ensure you have a professionally designed deck and a well-practiced delivery. It’s also crucial to be well prepared and able to answer any question potential investors may have.
Create interest on social media
Post about your startup’s journey on social media, recounting its successes, failures and lessons learned. Share information about the founders and their (your) knowledge, expertise and passion. “Regular updates about your progress, insights into your industry and engagement with your audience can create a compelling narrative,” said Mcdougall.
Some angel investors may find you via social media. However, you can also use social platforms to pursue investors by connecting with them, commenting on their posts and, when ready, giving them a written version of your elevator pitch. “Leveraging social media platforms can help generate buzz and demonstrate market interest,” explained Lewins. “Use these channels to share updates, successes and testimonials that reflect the potential and progress of your startup.”
Talk to wealthy friends and family members
Many angel investments come from people close to home, including family members, friends, friends of the family and mentors. “Engaging friends and family can not only help raise initial funds but also build a network of advocates for your startup,” said Mcdougall.
Find out if anyone in your social circle has invested in startup companies or is interested in doing so. If so, arrange for mutual friends to discuss your idea enthusiastically. When appropriate, give them your elevator pitch to determine if there is any interest. “Often overlooked, friends and family can be invaluable early supporters of your business,” said Lewins. “They can provide not only initial funds but can also help spread the word within their networks, increasing your visibility.”
Compete in pitch competitions
“Participating in pitch competitions can provide exposure, validate your business idea and attract the attention of angel investors who are actively seeking new opportunities,” Mcdougall told business.com.
Startup competitions and pitch competitions allow you to connect with angel investors while getting a chance to practice and hone your pitch. If you win a pitch competition, you will get invaluable investor exposure. “These competitions are not only platforms for funding but also for feedback,” said Lewins. “They offer the opportunity to refine your pitch, understand what investors are looking for and gain exposure in the startup and investor communities.”
Network with other founders
Talking to other entrepreneurs can give you valuable insights into the investment landscape and individual angel investors. You can ask other founders for investor introductions, learn details about what specific angels are looking for and leverage mutual connections.
“Building relationships with other entrepreneurs can lead to shared insights, experiences and introductions to potential investors,” said Lewins. “Often, a recommendation from a fellow founder can open doors that would otherwise remain closed.”
Investigate incubators and accelerators
Local incubators and accelerators often seek startups that meet specific criteria. If you find one that fits your company and needs, use it to get access to experienced mentors and industry experts, network with other entrepreneurs, leverage alumni networks and participate in demo days where you can pitch your product and company.
“These programs are designed to help startups succeed, offering not just capital but also mentorship, resources and networking opportunities,” said Lewins. “Participation in a reputable incubator or accelerator can significantly enhance your credibility and attractiveness to potential investors.”
Amanda Hoffman and John Rampton contributed to this article.
