BRIDGE Angel Investors

Overview

BRIDGE Angel Investors is a collective of seasoned private, accredited investors based in Sarasota-Manatee, Florida, dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship by providing capital and mentorship to early-stage businesses. Their mission is to leverage their network of successful business professionals to cultivate and support Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through financial commitments, education, partnerships, and mentorship, BRIDGE represents a unique and valuable resource for driving economic development in the Sarasota-Manatee region and beyond. The group focuses on a broad range of industries, including healthcare, technology, big data, cyber security, government contracting, education, manufacturing, finance, digital marketing, consumer products, and retail. They seek innovative ideas driven by seasoned teams with complementary skill sets, product/service-market fit, proof of concept, and traction in the form of revenue, research, and/or a current or prospective deal pipeline. BRIDGE's investments typically range from $100,000 to $1,000,000, and they collaborate closely with other statewide angel investment groups and syndicate deals. BRIDGE members are typically retired Fortune 500 senior executives and successful entrepreneurs. They can be new to investing or long-time investors. For this reason, BRIDGE provides educational seminars for its members on a wide variety of topics related to angel investing, an asset class of its own. Topics include best methods for screening, conducting due diligence, defining term sheets, and quantifying the risks versus return on investment. If a startup contacts or is referred to BRIDGE, and meets the investment criteria, they will be pre-screened by the Executive Committee. BRIDGE will then provide feedback to the startups during the screening/due diligence phase and continued mentorship post-funding. Even for startups not chosen to move forward to the next phase of due diligence are encouraged to return once they have achieved additional growth. For startups that are funded, BRIDGE members can hold a Board seat or take an active role on the company’s Advisory Board.

Investment Focus

• Innovative ideas driven by seasoned teams with complementary skill sets
• Product/service-market fit
• Proof of concept
• Traction in the form of revenue, research, and/or a current or prospective deal pipeline
• Realistic and organized financials/business model
• Sound exit strategy leading towards venture returns

Portfolio Companies