Thanks for your interest in angel funding for your startup.
I run an Angellist syndicate, which depends on investors choosing to invest individually in each startup. I also have connections with other angel investors I can refer people to. 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. Generally, I invest in companies in local (San Diego) incubators or that are otherwise a part of my network where I can spend time with and observing the founders, but in this age of zoom, this is not a hard and fast requirement.
Second, I have a much 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 would include Mark Cuban, Jason Calcanis, Sahil Lavingia or many others. If I get to know you and your business early enough in the process, I may be able to help with introductions to 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 strong theming, great design, and even narratives
I am not limited to the above, but these types of businesses tend to be 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. See the section below on submitting your startup for more on this.
I typically syndicate: