Angel Investors and Venture Capital Investors can both provide funding but the differences are important for startups looking to find the right partner.

Angel Investors are typically individuals – They typically don’t have other decision-makers in their investments and they are usually investing their own money. This gives them flexibility in terms of deal terms and it also means that they often don’t have external requirements on how they get their money back or if they need a seat on the board.

Venture Capital investors are typically not individuals, but rather LLCs or firms. They are most typically investing other people’s money in a Fund. VC’s will raise this money from people referred to as Limited Partners or LPs. LP’s are typically writing million-dollar checks and expecting VC’s to invest that money and get a return.

Because VC’s are investing other people’s money they have general expectations on how long it may take to get their money back, most typically in 5-7 years.

Both Angels and Venture Capitalists look for companies that can grow and be successful but each may look at companies at different stages and be interested in making different types of investments.