Heavenly help - Web resources - Internet/Web/Online Service Information - Brief Article

Software Magazine, Dec, 1997 by Julekha Dash

They've made their money. Now they want to aid struggling start-ups through divine intervention. Known as "Business Angels," this elite group of millionaires takes entrepreneurs under their wings when venture-capital firms look the other way, investing anywhere from $50,000 to $10 million in projects that suit their fancy. Angels include former leaders at such established high-tech firms as Hewlett-Packard, Sun, and Cisco.

According to The U.S. Small Business Administration, about 250,000 angels have funded 30,000 companies with a total investment of $20 billion. This is double the dollars spent by venture-capital firms in 1996.

A number of divine resources--Web sites, networking organizations, and publications--are available to aid both the needy and the philanthropists. That's just in time for the holiday season.

* http://www.thevine.com or info@thevine.com; for those interested in listing themselves as an angel investor;

* http://venvest.comlavia.html; networking group for angels;

* http://www.venturesite.co.uk/alist.html; a list of 65 angels looking for investment proposals in various categories;

* The Guide for Venture Investing Angels Financing and Investing in Private Companies, Arthur Lipper III, Missouri Innovation Center, 560 pages;

* Technology Capital Network, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Capital Network; nonprofit groups helping entrepreneurs raise capital.