Selected Investment Criteria |
Ranking by
Business Angels |
Ranking by
Venture Capitalists |
People or
entrepreneur |
Enthusiasm of the
→
entrepreneur
(s) |
1 |
3 |
Trustworthiness of the
entrepreneur(s) |
2 |
1 |
Expertise of the entrepreneur(s) |
4 |
2 |
Investor
liked entrepreneur(s) upon meeting |
5 |
9 |
Track
record of the entrepreneur(s) |
10 |
8 |
Market or product |
Sales
potential of the product/service |
3 |
5 |
Growth potential of the market |
6 |
6 |
→
Quality of the product/service |
7 |
10 |
Niche
market
>>> |
9 |
13 |
Informal
competitive protection of the product/service (know-how) |
12 |
14 |
Nature of competition in the industry |
17 |
16 |
Overall competitive protection of the product/service |
21 |
11 |
Formal competitive
protection of the product/service (patents) |
27 |
20 |
Financials used to
screen for potential gains |
Perceived financial rewards |
8 |
4 |
Expected
→
rate of return |
11 |
7 |
High
margins for business |
15 |
15 |
Financials to
monitor the operating firm |
Low overheads |
16 |
21 |
Ability to break even without further funding |
18 |
19 |
Low
initial capital expenditures needed (on assets) |
19 |
24 |
Size of
the investment |
20 |
23 |
Low cost
to
test the market initially |
22 |
22 |
Other business attributes (vital to hands-on role) |
Possibility of investor's involvement in
→
business development |
13 |
18 |
Investor's strengths in filling gaps in the business |
14 |
26 |
Venture
is local |
23 |
27 |
Other business attributes (miscellaneous) |
Potential
exit routes (liquidity) |
24 |
12 |
Investor's understanding of the business or industry |
25 |
17 |
Presence of (potential) co-investors |
26 |
25 |