New investor report: Women-led startups more likely to get angel support than VC backing
October 30, 2018 | Austin Barnes
Angel investors support 10-times more women-led companies than venture capital-backed investors, revealed a first-of-its-kind report by the Kansas City-based Angel Capital Association.
“It didn’t shock us,” said Marianne Hudson, executive director of the ACA, the world’s largest cohort of angel investors.
Hudson cited previous ACA research that indicated 21 percent of angel investors had been identified as women.
“We could really see some growth there,” she said. “Any events and activities that were giving women momentum had a lot of interest.”
Newly released, the pilot for the ACA’s Angel Funders Report polls 26 angel groups from 17 states and examined factors that impact investor returns and overall entrepreneurial success.
“[Angel Groups] are very excited about this. They can see some real, potential benefits,” Hudson said.
Other highlights of the report include angel investors eager to support first-time entrepreneurs, investment opportunities located in more than twice the number of states as angel investors, and multiple angel investors collaborating to infuse startups with investments in the million-dollar range, Hudson revealed.
Click here to view the full Angel Funders Report.
“I think [collaboration] is a growing trend in that it really shows that angel groups need to work with each other to invest in entrepreneurs so they get the capital that they need,” she said.
Moving forward, the ACA plans to release the report quarterly, Hudson said. Beyond the release of the pilot report, an official launch timeline has not yet been determined.
“An angel investment is only successful if the company is successful,” she added. “I think over time this will give us the kinds of insights that everyone can learn from.”
Routine study of trends in angel investment will further cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem, by alerting investors and entrepreneurs to new opportunities in the startup space, Hudson said.
Featured Business

2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Rawxies founder: ‘I didn’t give up’ on fundraising in KC
Vegan snack manufacturer Rawxies is en route to closing a funding round that will significantly increase its production. The Kansas City-based company has now raised $512,000 of its seed round, which will boost manufacturing of its raw, vegan snacks by roughly 400 percent. Investors thus far include England’s family, Liz and Brian Kelly, the Women’s…
Meet KC’s Cisco Smart City leaders
Kansas City Mayor Sly James announced on Friday 11 people to serve on the city’s Smart City Advisory Board. With a mixture of corporate, non-profit and civic experience, the board will manage and guide policies for Kansas City’s public-private Smart City project. Announced in the summer of 2014, the project will turn downtown into a…
ClaimKit’s Cheatham: listening scored big business
Adaptability is a cornerstone of launching a successful business. Without that — and a willingness to listen — ClaimKit CEO Chris Cheatham said he would’ve been pursuing a much smaller market with his company’s tech product. ClaimKit, which created a document management system for insurance claims professionals, recently pivoted its model to create a collaborative…
Some like it hot: KC named top startup town
You’re hot, Kansas City, and it’s not just your sweltering summer heat. Entrepreneur Magazine recently named Kansas City — Mo. and Kan. — as one of nine “hot startup cities” that are outside of San Francisco and New York City. Although Kansas City is also known for its tech prowess, the magazine largely noted the…

