TEAM
We are a team of Founders and Funders - venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs who have all gone through major fundings and exits. We have raised hundreds of millions for our companies, from various sources, using diverse funding strategies. Our collective knowledge gives us a distinct advantage in securing the most capital-efficient funding for the company, so that we can protect the interest of the founders. The lessons we learned, the relationships we built and the credibility we gained enable us to guide founders through the tough decisions of funding and building companies.
As part of vangel, we have created a powerful network of Founders-in-Residence. Every single one has started a company from the ground-up and has gone through major successful funding. That network of founders and the companies they represent bring vast strategic value to each new founder with whom we partner.
Vangel was founded by Todor Dimitrov, who came 16 years ago from Bulgaria to complete his second MBA at UCR/UCLA. His experience both as an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist, and his work with tech startups while at HP, exposed him first-hand to the challenges of early stage funding. Crossing the lines between a founder and a funder (venture investor), he kept thinking of ways to innovate the early stage investment model. In 2004 he envisioned Vangel Capital’s unique model for funding and building startups. To date, he has been involved directly with companies that have exceeded $1.6B in aggregate exits.
OUR STORY
"Entrepreneurs are a creative and innovative breed. They deserve the same level of creativity when it comes to funding their companies."
VALUE BEYOND $
We partner with a small number of founders to fund their companies and build high-performing teams. Our model gives us the incentive and the ability to contribute deeply as an active partner inside the company.
ALIGNED INTEREST
We have a singular objective - what’s best for the company and its founder. It's our shared interest to achieve the highest value for the company with the least dilution for the founders.
FLEXIBILITY
The combination of our own limited partners and a vast, diverse network of global co-investors gives us unmatched flexibility in terms of how we fund our ventures.
Through a co-founder or board role, we bring our Founder-Funder expertise as core competency inside the company. We partner with founders and turn them into highly effective entrepreneurs.
THE MODEL
THE ADVANTAGE
Since 2004, we’ve applied our collective Founder-Funder expertise to turn funding from
a challenge into a competitive advantage for our companies
of our ventures successfully
secured funding
of capital raised by our
companies
aggregate exits of
our companies
Small Heading
Since 2004, we’ve applied our Founder-Funder expertise to turn funding into a competitive advantage for our companies.
of our ventures successfully
secured funding
of capital raised by our
companies
aggregate exits of
our companies
%
MILLION
100
230
1.65
BILLION
That led us to create vangel capital and evolve from a traditional
venture fund to the model we use today.
“When I left Amgen to start my own biotech company, it was literally a basic powerpoint, a scientist co-founder and me. From funding Trinity, to building a world-class team, Vangel played a monumental role as my partner in launching the company”.
- Ed Bjurstrom, Founder, Trinity Therapeutics
OUR APPROACH IS AS DIVERSE AS THE COMPANIES
WITH WHICH WE PARTNER.