Melbourne Angels is a member run association of active investors. Members are the core of the group, the people who invest, evaluate investments, vote, hold office, recruit new members, attract deal flow and promote the group.
The combination of volunteer effort and the prospect of building substantial personal portfolios mean that we are continuously seeking prospective members who will be actively involved in sourcing, selecting, funding and mentoring high quality growth companies from start-up to exit.
Prospective members are encouraged to meet a current Melbourne Angels member and be recommended for membership. This approach helps us discover members who share our vision, our purpose, our values and who will contribute actively to our process.
If you are an active or aspiring investor interested in being considered for membership, please fill out this form to alert our Membership Team of your interest. Membership is by invitation.
You will be contacted to discuss next steps, which will include receiving more information, attending at least one Monthly Meeting and one Networking Lunch (find upcoming events here), a meeting with one or more Membership Team members, submitting your CV and, when invited, submitting a formal application.
We offer other membership options for those not yet ready to commit to investment but, eager to gain experience on the path to becoming an active investor. There are also membership options for family offices and other private investors who are aligned with our individual members.
Why Join
To enjoy making better investment decisions on a superior selection of investment opportunities with greater confidence in being able to help the ventures succeed.
An Angel group offers four core benefits:
1. Access to a deeper pool of capital which enables each investor to spread their funds across a larger portfolio. Diversification of risk by volume, the primary risk mitigation strategy of a portfolio.
2. The confidence to invest in opportunities outside an individual’s personal experience due to the diversity of experience within the membership. Diversification of risk by scope, another primary risk mitigation strategy of a portfolio.
3. Borrow the time of others to enable an effective execution of the very time-consuming effort of selecting, evaluating, negotiating and supporting a portfolio of startup ventures. There is no other way to create more time!
4. Have fun!! Working together with like-minded peers on a shared mission to realise investment success while making the world a better place for all.
Collectively the members of Melbourne Angels review thousands of opportunities a year from every sector of the economy that supports the startup business model. The members volunteer to work in teams that manage the deals from discovery to exit, supported by processes and experience developed in-house and informed by global best practices. More experienced members are always on hand to advise and support those teams.
Benefits to investment of Melbourne Angels membership include:
• Association with a premier Angel group in Australia
• Greater potential to diversify your Angel portfolio and reduce the risk of investment losses
• Privileged access to quality deal flow of attractive emerging companies across a broad range of industries. Proven, effective investment processes
• Opportunity to collaborate on the evaluation of investment opportunities and to learn from each other during Due Diligence.
• Highly effective deal terms due to investing collectively. Standardised investment documents
• Stay current on new ideas, technologies, emerging markets and disruptive business models
• Access to the Melbourne Angels network of successful founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Pay-it-forward by mentoring founders and helping young, innovative companies grow and succeed
• Have the option to remain private while benefiting from the group’s prominent public profile
• Capital capacity increases the chance that founders will attract sufficient funds to succeed
• Access to a co-investment eco-system that gives portfolio firms a better chance for success
• Collaborate with other leading Angel groups in Australia and around the world
• Exceptional monthly meetings in a community of peers to receive attractive company presentations.
• Free access to all Melbourne Angels meetings and member events
• Free Induction Training for all new members
• Free access to Melbourne Angels training workshops
• Member rates for Angels@Noon and other Melbourne Angels paid events
• Complimentary access to our suite of customised online collaboration tools
and there’s more!
A Member is expected to:
• Behave in accordance with the Melbourne Angels Code of Conduct; and
• Work cooperatively with others in the group; and
• Attend a majority of Monthly meetings (8 or more per year out of 11); and
• Take an active interest in the Deal Evaluation and Investment process.
•• There are opportunities to join the Teams that manage Screening, Investment and Portfolio; and
•• There are opportunities to engage on a deal-by-deal basis as Deal Champion and on Due Diligence teams; and
• Make use of and respond to the Group’s online collaboration systems; and
• Attend Angel education workshops (new members at least one in the first year on top of your compulsory Induction Workshop) that are endorsed by the Group; and
• Disclose any relationship with a presenting company, or any personal benefit relating to or derived from group investments and/or relationships with other members of the group; and
• Members are prohibited from receiving any consideration for bringing deals to, or getting funded by the group; and
• Invest in at least one group deal each year after the first year of membership. Members’ investing activity is reviewed each year as a consideration in approving membership renewal; and
• Complete your member profile on the online collaboration system; and
• Formally agree to release your personal contact details to the membership to facilitate the private investment activities of the membership.
A Member can expect the group will:
• Provide a positive, professional and collegiate environment; and
• Be a community of trusted peers of good character who all abide by the Melbourne Angels Code of Conduct; and
• Provide access to tools, training and information to assist in the development and exercise of Angel investing skills; and
• Actively promote the group and its members to be recognised as a leading source of pro-active, high quality investment in rapid value growth ventures; and
• Provide access to quality deal flow; and
• Be an active voice in the early-stage ecosystem to promote the Angel Investment asset class, to influence government policy that directly affects Angel investors and their investments, and to be a trusted influence which informs founders and others to better align expectations and shared understanding in the ecosystem for the benefit of all; and
• Provide access to trusted syndication partners.
Eligibility
To be a member of Melbourne Angels a person must be:
• A person of good character and integrity; as well as
• A person with the experience to assist a new company grow and succeed; and
• A person with the ability to mentor, or teach entrepreneurs how to succeed in one or more aspects of growing and selling a company; and
• A person who works well in a team; and
• A person with the desire and the financial capacity to apply themselves and their resources to high risk, speculative investments; and
• Have the capacity to invest at a rate of at least $20k per deal, at least two deals per year for at least five years; and
• A person for whom a reputable individual will provide a written reference as to the person’s suitability under these terms of eligibility.
Fees
Each member of Melbourne Angels will pay an annual membership fee and a joining fee. The membership year is the fiscal year. The fee will be renewable each fiscal year, i.e. July 1st. Membership fees do not include GST and are not refundable at any time.
Further Information
Find videos, eBooks and articles for founders and investors on our resources page.