What is the WV Angel Network?

Over the past 15 to 20 years, the number of angel organizations in the United States has increased significantly from an estimated 10 to over 200 groups. This growth occurred because individual angel investors found many advantages to working together — better investment decisions, enhanced deal flow, the ability to combine their funds into larger equity investments, and group social attributes.

However according to a recent study by the Battelle Memorial Institute; West Virginia does not have an organized angel investment community.  A group of West Virginians, from the West Virginia Vision Shared early stage capital committee, worked to remedy this situation. Spearheaded by the efforts of the I-79 Development Council, they have worked tirelessly to form the West Virginia Angel Network.

The term “angel” refers to high-net worth individuals, or “accredited investors,” who typically invest in and support start-up companies in their early stages of growth.  In the financial world today, angel investors are a critical and essential part of a healthy economy, particularly for the establishment and growth of early-stage companies.