Angel Investing Professionals to Know 2025

Dr. Igor Ryabenkiy is an author, entrepreneur and investor. He signed his first angel check in 1998 and founded AltalR Capital in 2005 to support early stage companies across the US, Europe and Israel. With $600 million in AUM, AltaIR Capital has invested in over 400 tech companies across B2B SaaS, Future of Work, FinTech, InsureTech, and Digital Health. Its portfolio includes 10+ unicorns, most of which (Miro, Deel, PandaDoc, OpenWeb, Socure, Turing, Fundamental, etc.) were backed at an early stage. In 2025, AltaIR Capital was ranked among the Top 2.5% venture capital firms in EMEA by Dealroom as part of its Power Law Investor Ranking, which evaluates over 22,000 investors based on portfolio outcomes. Igor Ryabenkiy also founded AltaClub, a global investor community, and AltaLab, a program that helps founders think clearly and build better. He is the author of books Adventures in Venture Capital and Unicorn Focus.

Raising capital is broken for most teams: investor lists are random, decks read like brochures, and leadership spends months in “fundraising mode” without leverage or real investor demand. Whether you’re a startup, a private company, a listed business or a fund, the outcome is the same: Weak terms, dragged‑out timelines and an uncomfortable dependence on luck and introductions. As Partner at spectup, a capital advisory firm with $120M+ raised across startups, private and public companies and funds, the focus is to fix exactly that. What I do: → Structure capital raises and private placements so the deal is clear, credible and easy to underwrite → Build institutional‑grade materials (pitch decks, memos, narratives) that stand up in IC rooms → Run targeted investor outreach using a tech‑enabled engine and an active capital network My background: → Operator side: worked inside a unicorn (N26) and with BMW’s startup / innovation programs, seeing how growth and corporate decision‑making actually work → Capital side: years of working directly on fundraising, investor materials and dealflow for companies and funds across multiple stages This mix means your story, numbers and “fundability” are pressure‑tested before you walk into high‑stakes investor conversations. I’m also the host of Deal Makers (& Fakers): → A podcast where founders, operators and fund managers unpack the real stories behind their raises → Deals that closed, deals that died, and the signals serious capital actually responds to right now

Shannon Beatty, the esteemed and compassionate founder of House Buying Girls, brings over 20 years of real estate expertise to her firm. With a diverse portfolio of hundreds of successful residential and commercial deals across Texas, Shannon is renowned for providing fair, transparent cash offers. As a licensed real estate agent in TX, she is also able to offer additional selling strategies that other investors cannot. Shannon's heartfelt commitment to her client's well-being and personable approach has made her a trusted figure in the Texas real estate community.

Sridhar Arunagiri is the Founder and General Partner at 16VC, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on backing technology-driven founders building scalable, category-defining companies. With deep experience across AI/ML, enterprise software, and digital transformation, Sridhar works closely with founders on strategy, product-market fit, and go-to-market execution. Prior to founding 16VC, Sridhar built and scaled technology initiatives across startups and growth-stage companies, advising leadership teams on capital strategy, business model design, and operational execution. He brings a founder-first approach to investing, combining hands-on mentorship with disciplined capital allocation. Sridhar is a frequent voice on entrepreneurship, venture capital trends, emerging technologies, and leadership in the age of AI. Journalists seek his perspective on startup ecosystems, fundraising strategy, and how technology is reshaping modern businesses.

Pitch us: https://pitchus.vcConsulting: intro.co/BrettCalhounTwitter: @brettcalhounnNewsletter: https://redbud.beehiiv.com/Medium: https://medium.com/@brett_Tcalhoun

Championing visionary founders who dare to blaze a new path. Looking for funding? Fill out our pitch us form: https://tally.so/r/mYRD2B

Real estate investing industry expert and digital strategist.Investing | Investor…

Iris Duan is a dynamic venture partner and operational leader specializing in early-stage investments, decentralized technologies, and sustainable innovation across international markets. As a Venture Partner at a $50M+ AUM VC firm, she successfully chaired weekly investment committees, managed cross-border deals, and fully returned Fund 1 with a 2.4x MOIC. Her investment focus includes renewable energy, cloud computing, medtech, and Machine Learning. Concurrently, as COO and Co-founder of Immutable Labs, Iris drove the creation of an operating model generating $25M in revenue, leading the integration of advanced packaged technology across edge computing, FLLMs, secured oracles, and explainable AI, delivering significant compute and cash reductions. Fluent in English and Mandarin, Iris leverages a global perspective from her experience in Zurich, Beijing, and Milan, blending deep financial acumen (BBA in Finance, Minor in Economics from Emory University) with practical, high-growth startup leadership. Her expertise lies in translating complex client needs into tangible business requirements, orchestrating R&D, and building robust client bases that support hybrid cloud and idle computing solutions. Iris is a two-time TEDx speaker and a passionate advocate for social enterprise, having led non-profit consulting teams focused on strategic PR and market research for diverse international clients.

Pre-seed VC in b2b SaaS, digital consumer health, fintech and web3 at Hustle Fund. I spend a lot of time in and around vertical SaaS and AI, healthtech, marketplaces and consumer. I was formerly the COO of a b2b SaaS content marketing agency. Hustle Fund has invested in >650 companies to date including Webflow, Gamma, Flex, Niural and Agree.com.

Patrick Schultz brings a sharp analytical edge to real estate investing, shaped by his experience as a research analyst for Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money. His deep understanding of financial markets, asset valuation, and investment strategies allows him to identify undervalued properties and optimize yield across his real estate portfolio. Alongside his wife, Hilary Schultz—a licensed real estate agent in Texas and Florida— their small family owned portfolio of businesses operate across every stage of residential real estate. They acquire homes, execute strategic renovations in SFR properties, and selectively retain assets that align with their long-term investment strategy. For Patrick and Hilary, real estate isn’t just about buying and selling—it’s about crafting solutions for homeowners. Whether purchasing homes for cash, revitalizing physically distressed properties, or helping sellers move forward with confidence, they approach every transaction with a problem-solving mindset. Their goal? Delivering outsized returns for investors while creating a delightful real estate experience for Texas home sellers.​

Jay Sunde is an accomplished entrepreneur with deep experience across multiple industries. He began his career in financial analysis, producing complex forecasts and strategic projections for regional and national companies in commercial real estate, residential real estate, and healthcare. Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Jay founded a custom homebuilding company in his mid-20s and grew it into a multi-million-dollar business, developing both custom and speculative homes throughout central North Carolina. During the 2008 housing crisis, he successfully pivoted by acquiring two pool and spa retail and service companies. He scaled both operations, overseeing all aspects of the businesses, and later exited through sales in 2012 and 2018. Since 2009, Jay and his wife, Danielle, have partnered to launch, grow, and acquire preschools, daycares, and elementary schools across the Southeast. Along the way, they also acquired the commercial real estate occupied by their schools and built a growing portfolio of residential real estate holdings. Today, their education platform generates more than $5 million in annual revenue, employs over 70 team members, and serves nearly 500 families. Jay is active in numerous entrepreneurial and small business organizations and, for the past eight years, has consistently mentored and advised founders, business buyers and sellers, and individuals seeking greater financial and time freedom through business ownership.

Patrick Schultz brings a sharp analytical edge to real estate investing, shaped by his experience as a research analyst for Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money. His deep understanding of financial markets, asset valuation, and investment strategies allows him to identify undervalued properties and optimize yield across his real estate portfolio. Alongside his wife, Hilary Schultz—a licensed real estate agent in Texas and Florida— their small family owned portfolio of businesses operate across every stage of residential real estate. They acquire homes, execute strategic renovations in SFR properties, and selectively retain assets that align with their long-term investment strategy. For Patrick and Hilary, real estate isn’t just about buying and selling—it’s about crafting solutions for homeowners. Whether purchasing homes for cash, revitalizing physically distressed properties, or helping sellers move forward with confidence, they approach every transaction with a problem-solving mindset. Their goal? Delivering outsized returns for investors while creating a delightful real estate experience for Texas home sellers.​

Real Estate Investing - Andy has been investing in real estate since 1990, and in 2006 formed an educational company called Regular Riches and travels the country teaching the “Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High” investing model. Andy and his real estate partner have authored two best-selling real estate investment books, and the “Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High” model was profiled and recommended by Fortune Magazine. . His first book was featured and profiled by Fortune Magazine. Andy is an expert in REOs, foreclosures, land-lording, investment financing, rehabbing, and lease-options.

Jake Geiger has expertise in financial modeling, investment evaluation, and strategy. With a background working in family offices, private equity, and his own company, he has a proven track record of leading teams to assess international business opportunities and drive growth. Jake specializes in business valuation, financial analysis, and strategic development. He is available to provide expert insights on family offices, strategy/management, and alternative investments.

Jack Gardner is a serial builder and investor specializing in taking technical products from 0 to 1. Currently the Founder of a stealth venture in the Bay Area, Jack previously led engineering and product initiatives at 11x.ai, where he was instrumental in launching the "Julian" and "Alice" AI agents and securing top-tier venture funding. His career is defined by technical versatility—having optimized race strategy for Formula 1 teams, built consumer gaming retention engines at Titan Academy, and deployed massive-scale features at Amazon. He writes and advises on high-growth engineering, sales AI, and biomimicry in business.

Hi, I’m Keane Angle, and I help founders and entrepreneurs win the hearts and minds of investors by creating powerful pitch decks that land funding.I spent the first decade of my career in ad agencies as a global creative strategist for Fortune 500 brands like Coca-Cola, GE, IKEA, Burger King, Diageo, P&G, and many more.I became a full-time presentation writer and designer in 2017, and in 2020 I started focusing exclusively on my passion: creating incredible startup pitch decks that land funding. I come from a family of entrepreneurs going back several generations, and firmly believe that entrepreneurs are the gateway to a better future for us all.My skill set combines cross-industry business acumen, strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and visual design. So, let’s land you that investment » http://storypitchdecks.com

Passive real estate investor focused on multi-family, mobile home, storage, and ATM asset classes. Co-Host of The Gentle Art of Crushing It Podcast, and Founder for Impact Equity.