2025.1.15
Press Release
We, the Association, are committed to improving the angel investment environment in Japan and helping startups grow. Once a month, we share our latest activities, news, pitch event reports, and various other information about angel investing.
We are pleased to announce the launch of Angel Link on January 15—a new platform that connects angel investors with entrepreneurs. Angel Link focuses on providing smooth access for entrepreneurs to angel investors, with strengths in “ease of making first contact” and “high response rates.” By creating a streamlined path for entrepreneurs to secure the most critical element—funding—we aim to support the overwhelming growth of new ventures.
While there are several existing platforms that connect angel investors with startup founders, Angel Link has been simplified to the utmost degree. We have eliminated any superfluous elements, leaving only the essential features to deliver an interface that’s both straightforward and user-friendly.
Feature 1: A UI/UX Perfected for “Ease of Communication and Simple Operation”
We are all used to dealing with various messaging tools, which can be a hassle to keep track of. To keep conversation flows smooth, Angel Link doesn’t have its own dedicated messaging feature. Instead, you can communicate directly via Facebook Messenger.
Feature 2: Filters for Investors’ Areas of Interest and Investment Status
By tagging investment categories, entrepreneurs can quickly locate investors whose interests match their area. Moreover, filtering by “investment status” allows you to target only active angel investors in your approach.
Feature 3: Active Angel Investors Displayed Randomly on the Top Page
Entrepreneurs often tend to approach only well-known angel investors who have large investment portfolios. However, Angel Link spotlights active angel investors who are eagerly seeking new opportunities by randomly displaying them on the TOP page under “ACTIVE ANGELS,” creating unexpected new connections.
Angel Link is the only platform that offers “complete free access” while also having carried out checks to ensure that no anti-social elements are involved. Being listed on Angel Link indicates these angel investors are safe and reliable to connect with. This is reassuring for both entrepreneurs and newly active angel investors.
Raising funds from venture capital (VC) alone can take at least three months. Moreover, randomly approaching angel investors without knowing their interests or current investment status can be highly inefficient. On the investor side, it is also exhausting to be contacted about sectors in which they have no intention of investing.
With Angel Link, entrepreneurs can quickly and safely find angel investors and also check the investor’s background on Facebook. Angel investors, on the other hand, benefit from fewer irrelevant inquiries and can efficiently respond via Messenger.
Many of you may already be entrepreneurs or company leaders. In your first year as an angel investor, you might wonder how to build credibility and recognition as an angel investor. On Angel Link, even if you have invested in dozens of companies, you can only feature up to five companies in your portfolio, and if you don’t have any successful IPOs yet, none will be shown. However, by connecting your Facebook account, you can display your track record so you don’t have to start building trust from zero.
Why not make your debut as an angel investor on Angel Link?
We have a message for angel investors from our representative director, Toshi Yamamoto, that we would like to share:
**Toshi：**There is nothing like an “Angel List” in Japan. With Angel Link, we plan to expand and strengthen an angel investment platform here. Recently, startup support has become quite a trend, but I sense an imbalance in the focus on founders alone. To cultivate more angel investors to support entrepreneurs, it’s crucial to empower potential angel investors—especially current business owners—so they can draw on their knowledge and experience to nurture new ventures and eventually earn returns. By establishing such a cycle, we can foster a sustainable increase in angel investors.
Since I myself am both an entrepreneur and an angel investor, my goal was to create a platform that both sides would truly want to use. By the end of 2025, we aim to reach 500 angel investors and 1,000 entrepreneurs on the platform!
