About “Operator-Angels”

“Starting a company is like throwing yourself off a cliff and assembling the aeroplane on the way down.” - Reid Hoffman

Founding a startup is incredibly hard. Having the right investors early in the journey can make a significant difference – even for the most exceptional founders.

Angel investors who are founders themselves or exceptional operators can meaningfully change outcomes. They’ve seen the startup challenges first-hand. It’s the smartest money a founder can take. TOAC exists to catalyse more of that.

We’re looking for

• Founders who recently exited their business or raised VC beyond Series A
• Exceptional operators in the C-Level of a well funded / fast-growing startup or executives at scaleups/tech-firms
• Serious about their ambition to invest in 15+ companies in the next years
• Based in Berlin (for now) – we believe in in-person interactions
• Strong understanding & appreciation for technology – we believe that promising startup opportunities and technology are inextricable
• Intellectually curious and a discerning judge of others

"There probably aren't more than a couple hundred serious angels in the whole of Silicon Valley, and yet they're probably the single most important ingredient in making the Valley what it is. Angels are the limiting reagent in startup formation.” – Paul Graham, Founder of YC

Yet, unlike Silicon Valley, the pool of active angel investors in Europe who have real, first-hand experience building startups is small. This has been a significant barrier to European growth and a problem because early-stage founders are forced to fill cap tables with investors who are useless at best and destructive at worst.