The Transformation of the Business Angel Market: Evidence from Scotland

Business angel investing – a key source of finance for entrepreneurial businesses – is evolving from a fragmented and largely anonymous activity dominated by individuals investing on their own to one that is increasingly characterised by groups of investors investing together through managed angel syndicates. The implications of this change have been largely ignored by scholars. Based on research in Scotland, which has experienced a particularly rapid growth in angel groups, the paper examines the following issues: the drivers of this change, the characteristics of the groups; their investment activity and outcomes; the investment process of angel groups; and the characteristics and role of group ‘gatekeepers’. The paper concludes with an assessment of the impact of this growth of angel groups on the economy and considers the implications for other regions and countries.