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List of Angel Investors for Startups in 2026

Connect with angel investors who offer not only capital but also valuable advice and industry experience to help startups succeed.

Last update: June 14, 2026

List author: Shaun Gold

Shortlist investors, submit pitch decks, and get replies

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1,161 investors 

What is an angel investor?

An angel investor is an individual who invests their own money into early-stage startups—usually at the pre-seed or seed stage. They’re often entrepreneurs or operators themselves, using their capital (and occasionally their expertise) to help founders get started.

Unlike venture capital, angels don’t manage outside funds. They make decisions faster, move more personally, and often invest based on instinct, passion, or their network—more so than relying on formal pitch decks or due diligence processes.

If you’ve watched Shark Tank, you’ve already seen angel investors in action.

Above, you'll find the OpenVC database of 1,000+ angels, including solo angels, angel groups, angel networks, and angel syndicates. You can browse them (completely free) and start reaching out to fundraise today.

If you want to learn more about raising from angels before contacting them, we'll cover it all next. Let's dive in.

How do angel investors decide what startups to back?

There’s no single formula, but most angels are betting on three core things:

  1. The founder — Do you have the grit, clarity, and execution chops?
  2. The narrative — Can you clearly explain why now, why this problem, and why you?
  3. The upside — Even if it’s early, is the opportunity big enough to be worth the risk?

Some angels want traction. Others just want a warm intro and a gut feeling. If they believe in your ability to figure it out, they’ll back you (sometimes even pre-product).

How much do angel investors usually invest?

Check sizes vary based on geography, wealth, and risk tolerance. But here’s a general range:

  • Typical angel check: $10K–$100K

  • Super angels/syndicates: $100K–$500K+

  • Friends & family: <$25K (and often not formalized)

At the pre-seed stage, you might close a round entirely from angels. At seed and beyond, they usually complement institutional investors—or lead small rounds when conviction is high.

Who are the top angel investors?

Well-known names include:

1. Edward Lando

Edward Lando is a French-American entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder of Pareto Holdings, a startup studio that has launched dozens of ventures across fintech, SaaS, and consumer tech. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School, Lando began his career building and backing startups before emerging as one of the most active angel investors of his generation.

Since 2016, he has invested in over 200 companies globally, with a focus on early-stage founders pushing the edges of technology and consumer behavior. His portfolio includes notable startups such as Ramp, Deel, Eight Sleep, and Remote.

2. Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder of AngelList, the platform that transformed how startups and investors connect. His career began in 1999 with Epinions, later acquired by Shopping.com, and he went on to launch Venture Hacks, a blog that demystified venture financing and laid the groundwork for AngelList in 2010.

As a top angel investor, Ravikant has provided capital to more than 200 companies, including household names such as Uber, Twitter, Postmates, and Yammer, with dozens of successful exits and over 10 unicorns. In addition, he co-founded the Spearhead fund in 2014, empowering founders to become angel investors themselves.

3. Cyan Banister

Cyan Banister is best known for spotting breakthrough startups early, including Uber, SpaceX, Postmates, and Thumbtack. Her instinct for unconventional founders and bold ideas has made her one of Silicon Valley’s most influential angel investors.

Before becoming a full-time investor, Banister co-founded Zivity, a platform for artists and models, and taught herself to code—an unconventional path that shaped her appreciation for scrappy, creative founders. She later joined Founders Fund as a partner, continuing to support companies across consumer tech, fintech, and frontier industries.

4. Elad Gil

Elad Gil is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor renowned for shaping the growth strategies of some of the world’s most successful startups. He has invested in Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, Square, and Pinterest, helping early-stage companies scale with both capital and operational guidance.

Before turning to angel investing, Gil co-founded Mixer Labs, acquired by Twitter, and later served as a key advisor and executive in high-growth tech venture funds. Beyond his investments, he’s widely recognized for his writings and frameworks on scaling startups, including the widely read guide High Growth Handbook.

5. Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is an entrepreneur, investor, and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, widely recognized for his bold investments and media presence on Shark Tank. Cuban takes a highly hands-on approach to angel investing, often advising startups on operations, marketing, and fundraising.

He has invested in hundreds of companies, including CyberDust, Unikrn, and Ten Thirty One Productions, and is especially active in tech, media, and consumer-facing innovations. Cuban’s value to founders goes beyond capital—his insight, network, and outspoken advocacy are assets that accelerate early-stage growth.

6. Hesham Zreik

Hesham Zreik is a seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor with a focus on SaaS, fintech, and enterprise technology. A former startup founder himself, Zreik brings operational experience to his investments, helping early-stage teams structure growth, define product-market fit, and navigate fundraising.

His portfolio includes notable startups like Kustomer, SeatGeek, and DataRobot. Known for his meticulous diligence and founder-first approach, Zreik is sought after for both capital and strategic guidance, often bridging technical vision with scalable execution.

7. Gokul Rajaram

Gokul Rajaram is a product and growth mentor who has scaled teams and platforms at Facebook, Google, and Square, and now brings that experience to seed-stage investing. He looks for startups that solve real problems with elegant product design and measurable growth potential. Early bets like DoorDash, Brex, and Postmates show his knack for spotting founders who can turn complex operations into simple, scalable systems.

8. Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk (also known as Gary Vee) is an American entrepreneur and investor best known as the CEO of VaynerMedia, a digital marketing agency he grew from his family’s wine business into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. His entrepreneurial journey began in the late 1990s when he transformed Wine Library, a local liquor store, into a $60 million online retailer through e-commerce and social media.

Vaynerchuk’s investing journey began in the 2000s as he started making early-stage investments in technology and consumer companies. Over the years, he has invested in notable startups including Twitter, Facebook, Uber, Tumblr, and Venmo.

9. David Tisch

David Tisch is an American entrepreneur and angel investor best known as the co-founder of BoxGroup, a seed-stage investment fund. His entrepreneurial journey began with founding and operating startups before moving into investing. In 2007, he co-founded BoxGroup, focusing on early-stage seed investments in technology and consumer internet companies.

Through BoxGroup, Tisch has invested in over 100 startups, including Warby Parker, ClassPass, Vine, and Flatiron Health. The fund has helped many companies scale from initial traction to market leaders.

10. Jason Calacanis

Jason Calacanis is an American entrepreneur, angel investor, and media personality best known for hosting This Week in Startups. His entrepreneurial journey began in the early 2000s, when he founded and scaled Weblogs, Inc., a network of blogs that was acquired by AOL in 2005.

Calacanis’s angel investing journey began shortly thereafter, focusing on seed-stage tech startups. He has invested in companies such as Uber, Robinhood, Calm, and Thumbtack. Several of his investments have reached unicorn status, and he remains a highly active figure in the seed-stage investing community.

*Important note for founders

The list includes people who’ve consistently backed some of the largest success stories in fundraising. But those names are exceptions.

The most valuable angel for your startup might be:

  • A former founder in your space

  • A domain expert with relevant network access

  • Someone local who’ll roll up their sleeves for you

Don’t optimize for clout. Focus on fit, trust, and follow-on potential.

How do you find active angel investors?

We get it—finding investors for your startup can be a long, grueling process.

The problem? Most founders waste time chasing the wrong people.

Investors who look good on paper but aren’t writing checks, aren’t active in your stage, or aren’t a fit for your space.

That’s where OpenVC comes in!

We give you a real-time, filtered list of angel investors actively investing in startups like yours. Browse hundreds of profiles you can sort by:

  • Stage
  • Geography
  • Check size

Whether you’re raising $300K or filling out your pre-seed round, OpenVC helps you skip the guesswork and go straight to the angels who match your raise.

Want to go deeper? Start with our guide to building a targeted fundraising strategy.

How should I conduct angel investor outreach?

Outreach isn’t blasting emails into the abyss. A modern and effective strategy starts with knowing who to pitch, and how.

Once you’ve built your list of angel investors on OpenVC, you can:

  • Get warm intros through common connections
  • Use verified contact details to reach out directly
  • Build your pitch deck based on what potential investors actually care about

When you send that first message:

  • Keep it short (1–2 paragraphs)
  • Lead with clarity, not hype
  • Include your deck, round size, and traction

And remember: angels fund people, not just ideas. Be clear, be honest, and be human.

How many angel investors are in the United States?

The U.S. has an estimated 300,000+ active angel investors—more than any other country. Cities like San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Miami have dense networks of angels writing early-stage checks across nearly every vertical.

Some invest solo. Others write checks through syndicates, angel groups, or rolling funds. Many fly under the radar, which is why targeted discovery tools like OpenVC matter.

If you’re outside the USA, our list also contains hundreds of international angel investors actively seeking funding opportunities!

Start Fundraising with OpenVC’s Angel Investors List

If you’re kicking off your raise, don’t waste time guessing who’s active. With OpenVC, you get filtered access to angels who are writing checks right now. Browse the list of angel investors above, then apply filters by geography, sector, or check size to find the best matches. From there, build your shortlist, manage outreach, and track your entire raise—all in one free platform.

Create your free OpenVC account now to start pitching angel investors today!

Start building your shortlist

Save investors, manage outreach, and run your fundraising in one platform.

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Frequently Asked Questions

OpenVC is a free startup fundraising platform that helps founders find the right investors and manage their entire raise. Search 20,000+ verified investors, including venture capitalists, angel investors, family offices, accelerators, and more. Build your target list, send your pitch deck, and track your pipeline all in one place.

Founders raise with OpenVC because it is designed to cut through the noise and get founders in front of the right investors, fast. With built-in tools for CRM, analytics, and warm intros, it helps you stay organized and improve your chances of getting a reply.

OpenVC is for early-stage startup founders who want to raise capital efficiently. Find investors from dozens of industries including SaaS, AI, fintech, biotech, and more. Whether you’re pre-seed, seed, or Series A, OpenVC helps you find and pitch aligned investors without paying intro fees, aimlessly cold-emailing, or scraping databases.

Yes, OpenVC is completely free to use. You can search investors, submit your pitch deck, track engagement, and manage your raise—all without paying a cent. Premium features are available, but the core platform is free and always will be.

To start pitching investors on OpenVC, create a free account and submit your pitch deck directly through our startup funding platform. Investors receive a unique link to view your deck, and you get analytics on who opens it and how long they spend on it. No cold emails, no guesswork. For more info, check out our complete guide to fundraising on OpenVC.

Absolutely, OpenVC is designed for early-stage fundraising. You’ll find thousands of angel investors, pre-seed VCs, accelerators, incubators, and family offices who are actively backing startups across sectors and geographies. Use OpenVC’s filters to narrow your search and find the right investors for your startup.

Some examples of startups that successfully secured funding through OpenVC include Mobly (2.5M seed), Paxum ($1.2M seed), and Laennec AI ($400k pre-seed). OpenVC startups have gone on to raise more than $1 billion from top venture capital firms like YC, Sequoia, Google Ventures, and M12.

OpenVC was created by Stephane Nasser and Lucas Roquilly—two founders building tools to make startup fundraising more transparent and accessible. We launched OpenVC to help founders find investors, get replies, and raise smarter. The platform is bootstrapped, community-driven, and built with a lot of heart.

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