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The four-year-old Impact Angel Group is joining forces with Investors' Circle. IC has infused 285 businesses with over $185 million in funding, making it the world's largest and busiest investment hub of its kind.
[ibimage==30178==Small==none==self==ibimage_align-right]"I've wanted to be a part of an Investors' Circle local network since I began impact angel investing,” said Elizabeth Kraus of Impact. “Unfortunately, at that time, there wasn't enough of a critical mass of impact angel investors for IC to start a local network here. I resorted to starting my own angel group, because I desperately wanted a group of intelligent and trustworthy local people to invest with.”
Gradually, the local community gained enthusiasm for Kraus's work. By the time she had the courage to reach out to IC, she knew she could bring plenty of value to the table. After witnessing the strength of its national network, the acquisition was an easy decision, she said.
“Despite the increasing number of more public angel investing forums such as AngelList, most angel investor and entrepreneur connections are still made through referrals,” said Kraus. “It took four years of coffee meetings, speaker engagements and a lot of hard work to build that community, but this partnership makes it all worth it.”
Impact and IC will merge their membership rolls to form the IC Colorado Local Network. IC's roster of local networks also includes the Bay Area, New York, North Carolina, and Philadelphia.
Bonny Moellenbrock, the executive director at IC, said the merger will give Colorado startups more power than before. “Startups will have more opportunities for visibility and funding from impact-focused investors from across the country. Our members build trusted relationships with each other, key to increasing the flow of early-stage capital.”
Kraus said that she strongly encourages local entrepreneurs to get involved with IC. The new group will hold a meeting in Boulder to discuss the transition and the future. All interested parties can contact [email protected] for details.
