Ask YC: What's the best way to meet an angel investor?

Hi,

We're a startup based in Palo Alto. We've been working on our project for more than 6 months and now close to a private beta. The problem is, my partner went to a full time job to pay rent, and can only work on the project on weekends. He does all the development and thus our progress was stalled.

I figure if I can get some money (15k~20k) to support him to work on our project for a few months, it would go live pretty soon. A little money would really help a lot.

I wonder if you guys know how to get in touch with a angel investor? We have presentation movie and prototype but can't find someone to pitch.

I've tried:

- Email VCs

- YC winter funding

- http://gobignetwork.com

- Also considering taking a loan.

Thank you,

Leo Lin

>He does all the development and thus our progress was stalled.

My suggestion: Learn to code.

1) Don't take out a loan, especially not one where either of you are personally guaranteeing it. Creditors will drive your company into ruin faster than investors, and you'll be left paying for it.

2) Talk to an accountant to see if there's any extra money you need (e.g. income tax withholding, etc.) to keep things legal.

15-20k could be mustered with friends and family, I think. Meebo maxed out credit cards before their A round.

If the angel route is where you want to go, then referral is best. VCs and anges love recommendations from professors, especially if you have a new tech. Try also contacting people you know in startups.

If that doesn't work, go through an angel network to see their process and a screening. A lot of angels are becoming more open to small YC type investments.

This post got gscott the money he was asking for... you could try doing the same.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=73346