AngelList: Changing The Landscape of Investing

By Robert Siegel, Yin Li
2014 | Case No. E520 | Length 26 pgs.
The case follows AngelList, an online platform connecting entrepreneurs with investors, as it searches for product/market fit and business models. Founded in 2010 by entrepreneurs Naval Ravikant and Babak Nivi, AngelList begins as a project to give back to the start-up community. Ravikant and Nivi write a blog that provides founders with advice and then build AngelList to give them access to investors. However, investors often have incentives to interact with entrepreneurs using traditional modes of communication in order to protect their access to top startups, limiting trackable activities and outcomes on AngelList.

Learning Objective

• Identifying product/market fit in platform businesses • Understanding the different players within the angel/venture capital ecosystem • Evaluating AngelList as an option for entrepreneurs seeking early stage financing
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