Frequently Asked Questions

According to US federal law, an angel investor is someone who is "Accredited."

To be "Accredited," you need a net worth over $1M or you need an annual income over $200K. Many in our community are accredited, but don't know it. You can see the full definition here.

Angel investors can invest in early-stage companies.

Investing in early-stage companies does 2 things:
* It gives investors access to exciting new companies that can have more potential than the standard public offerings.
* It helps accelerate the early stage startups that drive the next economy.

By working together as a group, we learn about habits and techniques that make Angel Investors more effective. With a research-based process, we help new Angels explore Company Selection, Due Diligence, and Portfolio Construction.

For the vast majority of Accredited Investors, group based investing is an effective approach to this asset class.

APIS is founded by successful health investors using a proven methodology. Investors and companies that have gone through this process have become successfully financially, driven health innovation, and often go onto leadership roles in the angel ecosystem as fund managers.

Our goal is to develop your skills in Company Selection, Due Diligence, and Portfolio Construction

You will start to ask questions like:
Is there a large unmet need? Will this create a traceable, high ROI? What is the competitive advantage? What is the cost of customer acquisition?

You will define your Investment Thesis -- what kind of companies do I want to invest in e.g., sector, size, social return, etc.

As you develop your skills in Portfolio Construction, you may decide to train as an LLC Organizer or create your own fund.

40 Investors will create a fund. We are aiming for $200,000.

We are virtual, so you can join anywhere plus save travel time.

Developing angel investing skills requires commitment.

If you cannot devote the whole time, you can sponsor a novice angel investor who does the due diligence and consults with you prior to final decision making.

Every participating startup gets a review of their company and the opportunity for feedback. As Angel Investors ask harder and harder questions, the company materials and narrative becomes more robust.

In addition, companies get introduced to dozens and dozens of active Angel Investors. Finding an investor champion among these investors is a great win for participating companies.

Apis Health Angels Conference Business Plan/Pitch Competition will be best suited to early stage companies

Apis Health Angels Conference is targeted to early-stage founders and companies. Our goal is to look at companies that are at, or near, first revenue, who would find an Angel Investment valuable. The ideal is an early-stage company where both an investment of finances and education will make an impact in moving the business forward. Companies should be in the health sector space in areas such as biotechnology, pharmacology, medical devices, provider technology, payer technology, digital health, health tech and software. Not sure if you qualify? Please contact us.

Our GUST profile is really just a placeholder and we don't have a refined pitch. Are we too early?

Through the Angel Conference process, founders will develop their Data Rooms, understand what is needed to pitch to Investors, meet with due diligence teams and watch the pitches of other participants. Startups focus and focus their efforts, and get to funding much faster.

Over the last decade the Seattle Angel Conference has mentored sector-agnostic companies who have reported great company traction with market revenue and funding whether or not they have been conference finalists. The Apis Health Angels program is following the same model, with a tighter focus on the unique aspects of health.

Apis Health Angels is a new event modeled after the Seattle Angel Conference (SAC).

Previous SAC companies have focused on a variety of strategies including medical devices, virtual reality, and connected health information.

We recognize that startups have a lot of activities to accomplish.

Nothing is more apparent to us than the need to focus activities on what really matters to move the company forward.
Having your other founders and 1-2 key personnel participate with you at key events shows TEAM and ensures you are all operating in the same framework.

Finances are helpful. Preparing for finances is critical

Finalists take home $100-$200K in investments. There are often adjunct deals to finalists.
All teams finish with a better Data Room, a more coherent Pitch, and a broader Network of startup founders and investors.