What Pasadena Angels does

Pasadena Angels is a Pasadena, California-based nonprofit 501(c)(6) angel investing organization founded in 2000 and one of the longest-running angel groups in Southern California. The organization comprises nearly 100 individual investor members with over 4,000 years of combined business expertise, who invest individually and directly into early-stage startups. Pasadena Angels itself does not invest as an entity or act as an investment agent; rather, it curates deal flow, runs a structured screening and due diligence process, and facilitates co-investment among its members. A $1.5 million co-investment fund, PA Fund III, was formed in 2024 to participate alongside member-subscribed deals.

The group targets early-stage technology companies, typically at Seed through Bridge-to-Series A, with a working prototype or MVP and some market traction. Typical per-startup investment ranges from $100K to $1M, with the PA fund adding an additional $100K when at least four members invest $100K or more. Entrepreneurs apply through a self-serve web portal; the group runs monthly evaluation cycles culminating in final-round presentations. Pasadena Angels regularly syndicates with the Tech Coast Angels network (TCA Venture Group, six regional member groups), MEDA, the Angel Syndication Network, and Pegasus Accelerator.

Commercially, Pasadena Angels generates revenue exclusively through membership dues; it does not charge application fees to entrepreneurs and does not capture investment returns at the entity level. Portfolio companies have raised over $1 billion in follow-on capital from VCs and private equity, and notable exits include Mind Body Software (NASDAQ:MB), Bluebeam Software (acquired by Nemetschek for $100 million), and Vydia (acquired by gamma for $1 billion). The group is consistently ranked among the top ten U.S. angel investing organizations by Forbes, CB Insights, and the Angel Resource Institute.

Name

Pasadena Angels

Legal name

Pasadena Angels

Website

https://pasadenaangels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pasadena Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) angel investing group in Southern California, founded in 2000, with ~100 investor members deploying $100K–$1M checks into 250+ early-stage technology startups and operating a 2024-vintage co-investment fund (PA Fund III).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investing Services

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Angel investing group
• Early-stage venture funding
• Startup mentorship network
• Angel capital investment
• Seed-stage startup financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Altadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Angel Investment Returns: Pasadena Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)6 organization. Members invest individually and directly in startups. The organization does not invest or act as an investment agent. PA Fund III ($1.5 million, formed in 2024) co-invests exclusively in deals subscribed by Pasadena Angels members. Revenue comes from membership dues, not investment returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pasadena Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) angel investing organization whose roughly 100 accredited investor members deploy capital directly into early-stage startups, typically $100K to $1M per company, supplemented by the PA Fund III co-investment vehicle. The organization runs a structured monthly evaluation cycle covering application, screening, due diligence, and funding, and pairs capital with active mentorship from members with operating expertise.

Product overview

Pasadena Angels is an angel investing organization, not a product company. It provides early-stage startup funding through individual member investments and the PA Fund III co-investment vehicle, along with mentorship from investor members. The organization does not offer commercial products or services in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investment Funding (early-stage startup funding) Member-funded angel capital deployed directly by individual investor members into US-incorporated early-stage startups, typically ranging from $100K to $1M per company. Targeted at Seed to Bridge-to-Series-A stages with companies having an MVP or working prototype and demonstrated market traction or pilot outcomes.
• PA Fund III $1.5 million co-investment vehicle established in 2024 that tops up member-led rounds when at least four individual members invest $100K or more, adding an additional ~$100K from the fund into the round.
• Startup Mentorship and Screening Service Structured monthly evaluation process combining application review, internal pre-screening, screening presentation, final-round company evaluation meeting, and due diligence, plus ongoing post-investment mentorship from approximately 100 investor members with over 4,000 years of combined business expertise.
• Cross-Group Deal Syndication Syndication of investments and follow-on rounds with Tech Coast Angels, MEDA, the Angel Syndication Network (ASN), and the Pegasus Accelerator to enable larger combined rounds than Pasadena Angels members alone could underwrite.

Quantifiable outcome

• $75 million invested in 250+ companies with over $1 billion in follow-on funding raised by portfolio companies

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tech Coast Angels (TCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a member of the Tech Coast Angels (TCA) network, Pasadena Angels regularly syndicates deals among the six regional member groups. Both organizations are now part of TCA Venture Group, which has assisted over 550 companies raise hundreds of millions of dollars in angel funding.
• Angel Syndication Network (ASN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPasadena Angels is affiliated with the Angel Syndication Network (ASN) for deal syndication, including both new investments and follow-on investments with angel groups in the ASN network.
• Pegasus AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPasadena Angels is affiliated with Pegasus Accelerator for deal syndication.
• MEDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPA regularly syndicates with MEDA including angel groups in the ASN network for both new investments and follow-on investments.
• CTIminorOthersCTI is a leading provider of tax credit and incentive solutions, specializing in helping startups and early-stage companies leverage these incentives to extend their runway and accelerate growth without sacrificing equity.
• Scalare PartnersminorOthersScalare Partners US helps early-stage founders scale by providing fractional CFO and CRO services. They deliver senior-level finance and sales expertise without the cost of full-time executives.
• Morton WealthminorOthersMorton Wealth, a Los Angeles-based Registered Investment Advisor founded in 1983, specializes in diversifying portfolios across asset classes beyond traditional securities, including real estate, private credit, asset-based lending, and royalty income streams.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: Premier global accelerator/seed investor with a standardized $500K deal and massive portfolio. Pasadena Angels' $100K–$1M range partially overlaps with YC's seed check, and they occasionally co-invest; YC operates as a broader incumbent with much larger scale.
• Techstars: Global accelerator and early-stage investor that intersects with Pasadena Angels through its accelerator programs (e.g., the Comcast NBC Universal LIFT Labs Accelerator). A broader incumbent offering structured acceleration plus capital versus Pasadena Angels' pure angel model.

Direct peers

• Band of Angels: Long-running Silicon Valley-based angel group investing primarily in technology startups with check sizes and member-driven process similar to Pasadena Angels. Both share a nonprofit, member-led model and Silicon-Valley-rooted founder networks.
• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest and most active angel networks in the U.S., with multiple regional chapters. Pasadena Angels is itself a TCA member group and regularly syndicates deals through TCA, making it the closest direct comparable in both structure and geography.
• Hyde Park Angels: Chicago-based angel network with a member-led investment process targeting early-stage technology and healthcare startups. Comparable in structure (screening committee, monthly cycles, similar check sizes) but operates in the Midwest rather than California.
• New York Angels: One of the oldest and largest angel groups in the U.S., based in New York. Directly comparable in member-driven screening, syndicated investing, and stage focus, though operating in a different geographic ecosystem.
• Golden Seeds: Angel network investing in women-led and diverse founding teams with a member-driven, chapter-based model. Pasadena Angels board member Jennifer Le Blanc is also a Golden Seeds member, reflecting the overlap in structure and LP profile.
• Keiretsu Forum: Large multi-chapter angel network operating across the U.S. and internationally. Comparable in structure (chapter-based, member-funded, syndicated investments in early-stage companies) and competitive in deal flow across the same seed-stage technology segments.
• Sand Hill Angels: Silicon Valley angel group investing in early-stage technology and life sciences startups with a similar member-led model. Comparable deal sizes and a comparable emphasis on mentorship plus follow-on syndication.

Regional players

• Serra Ventures: Early-stage venture fund affiliated with the Serra Ventures angel network, focused on Midwestern technology and life sciences startups. Comparable in early-stage orientation but operates in a different geography (Midwest vs. Southern California).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pasadenaangels
• Facebookfacebook.com/173084534038
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pasadena-angels
• Instagraminstagram.com/pasadenaangels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments62 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pasadena Angels