Brown Angel Group
Brown Angel Group is a private, membership-based angel investment network of 1,300+ Brown University alumni that pools capital into SPVs to fund Brown alumni-founded startups, having deployed over $14M across 42 portfolio companies since 2019.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Brown Angel Group does
Brown Angel Group (BAG) is a private angel investment network and membership community of Brown University alumni and friends of Brown, founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York. The organization pools capital from its 1,300+ members into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that invest as a single entity on the cap tables of startups founded by Brown alumni, faculty, or students. Investment criteria are stage-agnostic (pre-seed through pre-IPO) and sector-agnostic, with check sizes ranging from $100,000 to $1,400,000 and an average of approximately $300,000. To date, BAG has deployed more than $14M across 42 portfolio companies at a cadence of roughly one investment per month.
The operating model is community-led: deal flow originates from inbound founder applications via the website, member referrals, portfolio company referrals, and targeted outreach to Brown entrepreneurs. The investment process is productized to roughly four weeks from initial email to closing, with a two-week accelerated track available. Membership is free with no annual dues; minimum member commitment per deal is $10,000, and members may participate via self-directed IRAs through a partnership with AltoIRA. A portion of profits from each investment is earmarked for the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University, though BAG is not formally affiliated with the university.
The core team consists of two co-founders, Mathew Farkash (Brown '03) and Rajiv Kumar, M.D. (Brown '05, MD '11), supported by a broader member base that includes serial entrepreneurs, superangels, venture investors, family offices, and corporate executives. BAG does not charge disclosed management or carried interest fees, and it does not publicly report revenue; its economic engine is equity appreciation and exits from portfolio companies, of which Premama (acquired by NYSE:RDY) and RootAI (acquired by NASDAQ:APPH) are the most notable.
Brown Angel Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brown Angel Group
- Legal name
- Brown Angel Group
- Website
- https://brownangelgroup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Brown Angel Group is a private, membership-based angel investment network of 1,300+ Brown University alumni that pools capital into SPVs to fund Brown alumni-founded startups, having deployed over $14M across 42 portfolio companies since 2019.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brown Angel Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Angel Investing Network
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
Keywords
Where Brown Angel Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Brown Angel Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investment returns from portfolio companies: As an angel investment group, BAG generates returns through equity appreciation and exits from their portfolio companies. They pool member capital into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and invest as a single entity on the cap table. A portion of profits from each investment is earmarked for the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Member - Free membership with optional investment participation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Brown Angel Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brown Angel Group is a private angel investment network that pools capital from its 1,000+ Brown University alumni members into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to invest in early-stage startups founded by Brown alumni. It operates a stage-agnostic (pre-seed through pre-IPO) and sector-agnostic investment program, with check sizes of $100,000–$1,400,000 (averaging ~$300,000) and a typical 4-week deal process. Membership is free, and a portion of investment profits is donated to the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.
Product overview
Brown Angel Group is an angel investing network and community of Brown University alumni investors who provide capital, connections, and community support to startups founded by Brown alumni. The organization pools member capital into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to invest in early-stage companies. They are stage and sector agnostic, investing across various industries including digital health, e-commerce, SaaS, consumer packaged goods, and robotics. Their investment process typically takes about 4 weeks, with check sizes ranging from $100,000 to $1,400,000 and an average check size of approximately $300,000.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BAG Angel Investor Membership
- SPV-Based Angel Investment Program
Quantifiable outcome
- ~$300,000 average check size with range of $100,000 to $1,400,000 per investment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Brown Angel Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Brown Angel Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Brown Angel Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown UniversitycoreA portion of the profit from each investment BAG makes is earmarked for the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University. BAG is not officially affiliated with Brown University but has a friendly relationship with many individuals at the university.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brown Angel Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Golden Seeds: Golden Seeds is one of the largest U.S. angel networks actively investing in women-led startups. It is a broad incumbent peer to Brown Angel Group as a structured, member-driven angel platform pooling capital and providing value-added support beyond capital.
- Alumni Ventures Group: Alumni Ventures Group operates a diversified, professionally managed alumni-investor platform backing alumni-founded startups across multiple universities. It is comparable to Brown Angel Group as the largest scaled alumni-angel platform with structured funds, SPVs, and a much larger capital base spanning many schools.
- Tech Coast Angels: Tech Coast Angels is one of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the U.S., backing early-stage companies across sectors. It is comparable to Brown Angel Group as a large, structured, member-funded angel platform with screening and due diligence processes.
Regional players
- New York Angels: New York Angels is a NYC-based angel investing group actively deploying capital into early-stage companies. It is a regional peer to Brown Angel Group's New York-rooted operation, with comparable SPV-style pooled checks and member-driven deal evaluation.
Emerging players
- Pipeline Angels: Pipeline Angels is an angel network focused on increasing women's capital access and investing in women and non-binary founders. It is a thematic/emerging peer to Brown Angel Group as a membership-driven angel platform pooling checks into early-stage companies.
Direct peers
- Cornell Angels: Cornell Angels is a Cornell University alumni-led angel investment group that invests in early-stage startups, often with Cornell ties. It shares Brown Angel Group's alumni-driven deal sourcing, pooled check structure, and emphasis on community beyond capital.
- Wharton Alumni Angels: Wharton Alumni Angels is a university alumni angel network that invests in Wharton-affiliated early-stage ventures. It mirrors Brown Angel Group in alumni-gated deal flow, structured pooled investments, and community-oriented support model.
- MIT Alumni Angels: MIT Alumni Angels is an MIT-affiliated angel network that pools investments from MIT alumni into MIT-founded startups. It is directly comparable to Brown Angel Group in operating model, member composition, and founder sourcing criteria.
- Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs: Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs is a university-aligned angel network connecting Stanford alumni investors with early-stage startups founded by Stanford affiliates. It is a direct peer to Brown Angel Group in alumni-network structure, deal sourcing, and SPV-based investing.
- Harvard Business School Alumni Angels: Harvard Alumni Angels is a university-affiliated angel network that pools capital from Harvard alumni to invest in early-stage startups with Harvard ties. It mirrors Brown Angel Group's alumni-network investment model, SPV-style check writing, and value-added community support.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brown Angel Group social profiles
Digital presenceBrown Angel Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brown Angel Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Brown Angel Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brown Angel Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments12 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brown Angel Group
What does Brown Angel Group do?
Brown Angel Group is a private angel investment network that pools capital from its 1,000+ Brown University alumni members into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to invest in early-stage startups founded by Brown alumni. It operates a stage-agnostic (pre-seed through pre-IPO) and sector-agnostic investment program, with check sizes of $100,000–$1,400,000 (averaging ~$300,000) and a typical 4-week deal process. Membership is free, and a portion of investment profits is donated to the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.
Is Brown Angel Group a public or private company?
Brown Angel Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Brown Angel Group founded?
Brown Angel Group was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Brown Angel Group based?
Brown Angel Group is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brown Angel Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment returns from portfolio companies.
Who are Brown Angel Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Golden Seeds, Alumni Ventures Group and Tech Coast Angels. New York Angels is listed as a regional player. Pipeline Angels is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Cornell Angels, Wharton Alumni Angels, MIT Alumni Angels, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs and Harvard Business School Alumni Angels.
Does Brown Angel Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brown Angel Group.
What industry is Brown Angel Group in?
Brown Angel Group's product category is Angel Investing Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.