Investors

Why become an early-stage investor?

According to the Center for Venture Research, the total early stage investments in 2023 were $18.6 billion. A total of 54,735 entrepreneurial ventures received angel funding in 2023. The number of active investors in 2023 increased to 422,350, an increase of 14.8%. These “angel investors” have varied motivations but the reasons for angel investing are usually some combination of:

  • Intellectual Curiosity – Angel investing gives one a “front-row seat” to innovative companies bring new products and services to market.
  • Community Development – Small businesses grow into big businesses, and risk-taking entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of a thriving economy.
  • Coaching and Mentoring Entrepreneurs – Angels typically love spending time with entrepreneurs. Many are successful entrepreneurs in their own right, while others have careers in a wide range of fields. But angel have in common a drive to support passionate entrepreneurs and play a sole in their success.
  • Financial Return – Of course, angels want an attractive financial return on their entrepreneurial investments. While a high-risk asset class, angel investing can be an attractive part of one’s overall portfolio, providing the potential for high returns.

Rigorous Investment and Operational Processes

The QCA Ventures (QCA) investment group focuses on continuous improvements, smart practices, and lessons learned! Our Standards and Practices Guide is a comprehensive document on how to improve investment decision making in the early-stage alternative asset class as well as documentation on how QCA operates as an early-stage investment group.

  • Click on the link below for a summary version of the Guide. The complete version of this proprietary document is offered to members only as a guide to making better investment decisions and how to work as an investor/team member in our investment workflow process.
  • Click on the link below to learn more about how QCA is structured, information about various membership types, sponsors, programs, and portfolio companies.
  • Click on the link below to view a brief introduction on how angel groups are structured, how they co-invest with other angel groups, how they drive innovation in entrepreneurial ecosystems, and how they support founders.

Membership in QCA Ventures

Overall, QCA members participate in the range of activities needed to develop and grow a robust portfolio of angel investments. Members spend time:

  • Cultivating relationships with entrepreneurs in the Greater Cincinnati ecosystem, and beyond.
  • Conducting the important screening and due diligence efforts to decide whether to invest or not.
  • Serving on portfolio company boards and providing on-going coaching to our entrepreneurs, helping them achieve their goals.

QCA currently has over 215 member investors. Click here to view our roster of members:

QCA offers a range of membership classes. The two main ones are:

  • Regular membership, which offers voting rights on specific investment decisions, as well as the opportunity to serve on portfolio company boards.
  • Ascent membership is a “starter” tier focused on providing a robust educational program for angel investors. With a minimum investment commitment of $25,000, Ascent membership is designed to help those who want to “learn while they earn” at a relatively modest risk level from a diversified portfolio.

All QCA members have the opportunity to conduct screening and due diligence, coach and mentor, and contribute to the QCA’s deal flow. Importantly, all members must meet the qualification of an “accredited investor” per the Securities & Exchange Commission.*

To learn more about membership in QCA, please click here for our General Information brochure.

Interested?

If you want to learn more about membership in QCA Ventures, please contact QCA Executive Director, Scott Jacobs, etc. or click here to complete a membership application.

*According to the SEC, an accredited investor must:

Have net worth, or joint net worth with the person's spouse, that exceeds $1,000,000, excluding the value of the individual's primary residence; OR Have income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year

Important information can be found by visiting https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-bulletin-accredited-investors.