Читать книгу How To Become A Business Angel - Richard Hargreaves - Страница 18

There is no doubt that VCs have an image problem.

In May 2012 Coutts – a bank with many entrepreneurial clients – published the results of a survey amongst those clients. The results were interesting. Nearly 25% of those who had never used venture capital believed it would increase the risk of their business failing compared to 19% who believed VC would help deliver sustainable growth. Ironically, of those who had used VC only 13% regretted it. This boiled down to previous users of VC being twice as likely to use it again compared to those with no experience of it.

Coutts acknowledged that for many fast growing companies seeking less than £2m venture capital is not the best form of funding and that capital from wealthy individuals or investment syndicates (i.e. angels) is a better alternative. The research showed a real reluctance amongst many ambitious entrepreneurs even to consider VC support.

The VC community should be deeply concerned by these results. On the other hand the increasing opportunities for angels to prosper are clearly apparent when the once main supplier of equity capital is held in such low regard.