What you need to know about the LAN Angel Fund
You may have heard of us as LAN, a.k.a the Lankan Angel Network. Simply put, LAN is Sri Lanka’s largest network of angel investors. Our aim is to help would-be entrepreneurs turn their ideas into well-run businesses that can collectively power Sri Lanka’s economic growth over the next few decades.
LAN consists of angel investors from varied backgrounds. There are entrepreneurs, investment bankers, engineers, doctors, and more amongst us. But what binds us all together is a shared passion to see Sri Lanka succeed on the global stage through innovation and ingenuity. And the best way to get there is to give a helping hand to promising entrepreneurs. After all, they’re the ones who can actually create jobs, promote R&D, drive innovation, and make a measurable difference to Sri Lanka’s GDP.
The LAN Angel fund is a result of that vision we harbour. Through the fund, we plan to invest in scalable, high growth potential startups and businesses in any industry. This doesn’t mean you have to aim to put a rocket on Mars. For instance, if you run a startup that has patented a better way to make candy floss, we’ll be happy to have a look. Who knows, maybe you can make a dent in the $230 billion global candy market 🤷♀️
LAN Angels possess direct experience in more than 40 industry verticals, which means we have a very good understanding of each industry’s dynamics. We can help you anticipate trends and sidestep problems, so that you can focus on the one thing that matters: sustainable growth. Our angels also bring with them a vast network of connections from around the world, and wherever possible would spare no effort to introduce them to you. Each and every one of those connections has equal chances of being your next big customer, supplier, partner, investor, or even…acquirer!
Once you gain access to the Angel Fund, you will get to work with our team of resource and support personnel, who can help you find regional and global mentors, and guide you towards receiving follow-up funding. Each startup will also be assigned a mentor picked from our pool of 100 angel investors, and the mentors know that they’re supposed to do more than just chat with you over a cup of coffee. They will help you with strategy and a host of other business-related discussions as much as possible.
We will also support you in planning your growth blueprint and future fundraising cycles. Smart entrepreneurs know that taking an idea to market is not enough. They understand that investors judge startups differently based on where they are in the life cycle, and plan their product roadmaps and features so as to be able to make the best use of funds raised at every stage.
We at LAN understand this, and will help you every step of the way. As a result, your chances of securing funding (be it seed, angel, Series A, B, or C) become greater, which means you can spend more time doing what you want to do — building your business. Awesome, isn’t it?
How can a startup apply to the Angel Fund?
The LAN Angel Fund accepts applications all year round, and are collectively evaluated on a monthly basis. Applications which satisfy all our criteria are then forwarded to our Investment Committee for a final evaluation. Promising applications which meet some, but not all of our criteria won’t be rejected outright either. Instead, we offer such applicants the guidance and mentoring they need to fine tune their applications. Once up to mark, the revised application will be looked at by our Investment Committee. Full confidentiality from start to end is a given, so don’t stress yourself out.
Before the Investment Committee stage, each qualifying startup goes through a prep process which we call “office hours”. Through these sessions, we will help you clearly articulate your story, value proposition, and growth potential to the Investment Committee itself and any other potential investors. Think of these sessions as a tutorial on how to sell your idea (in a good way, and definitely NOT like a certain Jordan Belfort).
What are the startups that we’ve funded so far?
Since it was set up last year, the LAN Angel Fund has gone on to invest in Niftron, while a few other investments in Edtech, Fintech, and Deeptech are also being finalised. You will hear about them soon, we promise.
The LAN Angel Fund is not just a pot of cash, and we don’t dole out money just because your idea came packaged in a PowerPoint with slick graphics. Our overarching mission is to invest in ambitious, dedicated people and well-thought out ideas. We believe in the transformative power of capital and want the Angel Fund to serve as a springboard for promising Sri Lankan startups to reach for the moon.
To apply to the LAN Angel Fund, CLICK HERE
If you’re an entrepreneur and want to find out how LAN can help you, contact us at info@lankanangelnetwork.com
