SV Angel Growth

SV Angel is a San Francisco-based angel firm that helps startups with business development, financing, M&A, and other strategic advice. It provides capital investments to early-stage companies focused on the Internet, e-commerce, and information technology markets. 

Founded by Ron Conway, the firm pioneered the approach of building relationships and leveraging them to harness the human potential to make an impact in society. Over the last 25 years, the firm and partners have invested in and advised companies such as Facebook, Google, PayPal, Dropbox, Airbnb, Pinterest, Twitter, SnapChat, Square, Cloudera, and many more.

SV Angel Growth is a San Francisco-based angel firm that provides business development strategies to startups. The firm was founded in 2009 by Ron Conway and David Lee, two prominent angel investors in Silicon Valley. Since its inception, SV Angel Growth has been known for its focus on early-stage investments and its ability to identify promising startups before they become widely recognized.

The origins of SV Angel Growth can be traced back to Ron Conway's early days as an angel investor in Silicon Valley. Conway had made a fortune as an early investor in companies like Google, PayPal, and Facebook, and he was looking for ways to continue supporting the next generation of startups. In 2009, he decided to team up with David Lee, another prominent angel investor, to launch a new firm that would focus on providing startups with strategic advice and guidance.  In 2011, the company added more than 80 new companies to its portfolio, which then included 290 active investments

SV Angel Growth quickly became one of the most active angel firms in Silicon Valley, investing in a wide range of startups across a variety of industries. The firm's portfolio includes companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, Twitter, and Stripe, among others. One of the keys to SV Angel Growth's success has been its ability to identify promising startups early on and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.

Over the years, SV Angel Growth has also become known for its hands-on approach to working with startups. The firm's team of experienced advisors work closely with portfolio companies to help them develop their business strategies, build their teams, and navigate the challenges of scaling a startup. SV Angel Growth also offers a range of resources to its portfolio companies, including access to its extensive network of investors and entrepreneurs.

In recent years, SV Angel Growth has expanded its focus beyond early-stage investments and has started to make growth-stage investments as well. The firm has also expanded its team, adding several new partners with expertise in areas like marketing, product development, and operations. Despite these changes, however, SV Angel Growth remains committed to its core mission of helping startups succeed.

Overall, SV Angel Growth has played an important role in the development of the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley and beyond. Through its investments and strategic guidance, the firm has helped to launch and grow some of the most successful companies of the past decade, and it will likely continue to be a major player in the startup world for years to come.

SV Angel Growth provides business development strategies to startups. The firm has a reputation for being highly selective in its investment decisions, and it has a clear set of criteria that it uses to evaluate potential investments. Here are some of the key investment criteria that SV Angel Growth uses to evaluate potential investments:

• Strong founding team: SV Angel Growth looks for teams with a strong track record of entrepreneurship, technical expertise, and industry knowledge. The firm also looks for teams that are highly motivated, have a clear vision for their company, and can articulate that vision effectively.
• Large and growing market opportunity: SV Angel Growth looks for companies that are targeting large, rapidly growing markets, and that have the potential to disrupt established industries. The firm also looks for startups that are working on solutions to real-world problems and that have the potential to create significant value for their customers.
• Innovative product or technology offering: SV Angel Growth looks for companies that are developing innovative products or services that have the potential to transform their industries. The firm also looks for startups that can demonstrate a clear competitive advantage over other players in the market.
• A clear path to revenue and profitability: SV Angel Growth looks for startups that have a solid business model and a plan for generating sustainable revenue to succeed in the long term. The firm also looks for startups that can demonstrate strong traction and growth potential, and that has the potential to attract additional investment from other sources.
• Fit with SV Angel Growth's investment thesis: Finally, SV Angel Growth looks for startups that fit with the firm's overall investment thesis and strategic focus. The firm tends to focus on early-stage investments in technology companies but has also made growth-stage investments in some cases. SV Angel Growth also looks for startups that are a good fit with its team and resources, and that has the potential to benefit from the firm's guidance and support.

According to its website, the mantra for SV Angel Growth is:

Be the advocates for founders: SV Angel Growth puts founders first. It trusts founders to run their companies with integrity, and in turn, founders trust SV Angel Growth to be there when need be. The firm recognises the human element behind each company and aims to provide full-spectrum support for the company’s success.

Do the right thing, always: It thinks of itself as stewards of the tech ecosystem. SV Angel Growth believes in fostering a strong and inclusive community as the best business model. It chooses to work with founders who feel the same about their companies and team.

Maintain an unparalleled relationship network: SV Angel Growth has built a vast relationship network that it leverages on behalf of portfolio companies and partners. Fostering deep and genuine relationships often results in its ability to help produce unexpected results. It strives to provide tactical support and to help reduce friction in the larger tech ecosystem.

Employ an Inflection Point Approach: The firm's approach allows it to be available for its portfolio partners. The firm is known for providing tactical support at strategic inflection points in company growth, most commonly in fundraising, corporate development/M&A, and business development.

Sweat the details: Over its long history, it has encountered quite a lot of experiences and has developed pattern recognition that allows it to confidently provide insights to founders across a broad range of situations. SV Angel Growth believes that commitment to executing the little things makes a big difference in the success of an organisation, both internally and externally. It is, therefore, committed to look after all things, large and small, through to the finish line.

According to its social media channels:

“Over the last 25 years of early-stage investing, our core values of trust, loyalty, and integrity along with our founder-first approach have driven our strategy. We are a service organization, investing in founders who share these values. We support entrepreneurs in building lasting companies by assisting at key inflection points and leveraging our network to help them propel their businesses forward.”

SV Angel Growth has an impressive portfolio of companies that includes some of the most successful startups of the past decade. The firm's portfolio spans a wide range of industries, including technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and more. Some of the most notable companies in SV Angel Growth's portfolio include:

• Airbnb: The world's largest home-sharing platform, Airbnb has revolutionized the travel industry by allowing individuals to rent out their homes to travellers. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which is now valued at over $100 billion.
• Twitter: The social media giant Twitter has become one of the most influential communication platforms in the world, with over 300 million active users. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which went public in 2013.
• Slack: The workplace communication platform Slack has become an essential tool for millions of businesses around the world. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which was recently acquired by Salesforce for over $27 billion.
• Stripe: The online payment processing platform Stripe has become a leader in the fintech industry, with a valuation of over $95 billion. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which has grown rapidly since its founding in 2010.
• Pinterest: The social media platform Pinterest allows users to discover and save ideas for everything from recipes to home decor. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which went public in 2019.
• Dropbox: The cloud storage and file-sharing platform Dropbox has become an essential tool for millions of individuals and businesses around the world. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which went public in 2018.
• Optimizely: The website optimization platform Optimizely helps businesses improve their websites and increase conversions. SV Angel Growth was an early investor in the company, which was recently acquired by Episerver.

Overall, SV Angel Growth's portfolio includes some of the most successful and innovative companies in the world, and the firm has a track record of identifying and investing in startups with significant growth potential.