Thanks for your interest in angel funding for your startup.
Unfortunately, I do not have the availability to evaluate companies that I am not personally involved with already. Please do not reach out to me with funding solicitations unless we are already working together, such as through mentoring at TechStars or Evonexus.
I run an Angellist syndicate, which depends on investors choosing to invest individually in each startup. I also have connections with other angel investors to whom I can refer people. I generally no longer invest directly into startups independently of my syndicate.
First, I only syndicate or refer companies where I have gotten to know the founders and have seen them in action. We may start with a pitch deck, but that will never be enough. I only consider companies I already know through local (San Diego) incubators or otherwise a part of my network where I can spend time with and observe the founders.
Second, I have a better chance of doing a successful raise on my syndicate with a well-known angel investor already onboard, preferably as a lead, as "social proof." Examples of celebrity investors include Mark Cuban, Jason Calcanis, Sahil Lavingia, and many others. If I get to know you and your business early enough in the process, I may be able to help introduce well-known investors, but you will need to secure their investment before I bring you to my syndicate.
In addition, my focus is on companies that have at least one and preferably two or more of the following characteristics:
Multi-sided platform plays such as marketplaces with network externalities (see the below book for more on this topic)
SaaS or PaaS solutions that can be easily understood by the general public (not deep IT solutions that don't have a practical benefit to the public)
Democratization of access, audience, and income opportunities for niches of creators
Commercialization of practical solutions to help solve the climate crisis
Commercialization of practical applications of innovations that the general public can easily understand
Web and app solutions with excellent experiential aspects, such as solid theming, great design, and even narratives
I am not limited to the above, but these types of businesses are easiest for me to understand and explain to potential investors.
This is in addition to my being convinced that you have strong potential for success and very high long-term value. For more on this, see the section below on submitting your startup.