Hot or Not: What's the current climate for angel financing?

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HOT BUTTON

Hot or Not: What's the current climate for angel financing?

John Cook on Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 2:30am PST

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Economy | Hot Button | Startups | Venture capital

The angel investment market is drying up as the stock portfolios of wealthy Americans who have traditionally bankrolled new startup companies sink, according to The New York Times. The story makes the case that angels are sitting on cash or placing bets on public stocks rather than the bigger gambles on unproven startups.

While that trend is certainly occurring, I've heard counter-arguments, too. Some angel investors actually are rolling up their sleeves and looking for good opportunities in this downturn. Others have said that early-stage startups, with their longer-term horizons and ability to quickly adapt, might actually be a safer place to invest than public stocks.

Getting a good read on the angel market is nearly impossible, since it's a nebulous group of unconnected investors who don't necessarily share similar philosophies. So here's my question. What's the angel market really like in the Pacific Northwest? Are deals getting done? Are angels pulling back? What's been the reception to your startup when talking to angels?

About John Cook

John Cook is co-founder and executive editor of TechFlash. He has been covering the technology beat for nearly a decade, writing about startups, entrepreneurs and venture capital, most recently serving as a reporter/blogger at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

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