Many people are familiar with the idea of angel investors from the television show Shark Tank. As the show portrays, angels provide their money, effort, and experience to help new businesses grow. Many of the most successful businesses in American history got off the ground with the help of angel investors.

Today, there are 335,000 wealthy angels across the nation who take large risks to fund a diversity of startup businesses. Angel‐backed startups often pioneer breakthrough products and technologies that create broad‐based benefits to society, a role that goes back to the Industrial Revolution. Young companies funded by angels are making advances today in biotechnology, energy, transportation, financial services, space travel, and many other industries.