In the Oct. 24 issue of The Scientist is an informative on angel investors in the life sciences arena. According to the article (available online, but requires subscription), angels fill a critical and growing gap as venture capitalists veer away from seed and start-up companies, and opt instead to fund companies that are already further along, or already have products in the market. Angels are also more likely to invest on medical devices, Diagnostics, and services that can be out in the market without the uncertainty of FDA approval, as is the case with pharmaceuticals.

The article further provides pointers for scientist-cum-entrepreneurs how to find their angels. Good leads can be found in announcements about other company start-ups. The Web also provide valuable resources, the Angel Capital Association and the Angel Healthcare Investors in Boston, Life Science Angels in Palo Alto, California, and Tenex Medical Investors in Burlingame, California, to name a few. Because angles are particularly interested in technologies with a relatively short turn-over time, it is a major advantage to already have a prototype or a proof of concept, and an SBIR or similar grant boosts the credibility of the company.