As the most cost effective city in California, Sacramento has become a hub for many angel investors as well as startups.

Unlike traditional investors, the angel investors and VC Firms of Sacramento look for startups with distinctive ideas. They want to make Sacramento home to many unique startups, boosting the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Moreover, these investors have diverse investing interests as the city has talent in many different fields. While some startups show immense growth potential in agriculture, others are more advanced in tech, healthcare, media, entertainment, and the list continues.

So, to find your perfect investor match and help your startups secure funding, let's wait no longer and start discussing the list of top 8 angel investors in Sacramento.

Top 8 Angel Investors in Sacramento

Generally, there are hundreds of angel investors in Sacramento, each with different investing interests. That is why finding an investor who aligns with your business interest may not be such an easy job.

To ease your investor search, we have prepared the following list of angel investors, VC Firms, and startup incubators with different investing interests and screening test criteria. 

Flaming Dao

Being one of the biggest VC Firms in Sacramento, Flaming Dao has been funding many startups for over a decade. The firm has diverse investing interests, focusing on startups that have unique ideas and show the potential to grow over time. 

The network's founder, Jordan Lazaro Gustave, understands the workings of businesses and the problems different startups face at numerous stages. This is why he guides these startups via different mentorship programs and networking events.

Moreover, as a firm, Flaming Dao also organizes its own accelerator programs to ensure different startups meet new investors. As for the investment range, Flaming Dao invests in startups ranging from $200,000 upto $7M. 

Recently, Flaming Dao has invested in Blockgade Games with an investment of $3M. 

Sacramento Angels

Sacramento Angels is another giant angel investing network based in Sacramento. The group focuses on startups that have massive growth potential (to make $50M-$100M) within the next 5 Years. 

Aside from Funding, Sacramento Angles also has experienced entrepreneurs who guide their portfolio companies throughout the startup journey. 

However, the screening tests of Sacramento Angels are known for being tough. They identify different startups based on their goals, ideas, growth, ROI, and chances of surviving the respective markets.

Once the startups make it through their screening tests, the group ensures they can help these startups become future brands in every way possible. The network doesnt have a fixed investment range. They start investing from $300,000 upto several million dollars depending on the startup. 

Eric Ullrich

Eric Ullrich is an individual angel investor in the city of Sacramento who funds startups related to tech, software, healthcare, and the media industry. Focusing on startups that have chances of massive growth, Eric conducts several screening tests throughout the year to ensure he gets the best talent.

Since we're discussing screening tests, Eric Ullrich conducts screening tests based on the criteria of growth potential. He also organizes different networking events and mentorship programs to guide his portfolio companies.

Eric Ullrich hasn't publically mentioned his investing range. However, he usually starts investing in startups from $50,000 to several million dollars. Until now, Eric has invested in over 25 companies and continues to grow.

Black Angels Tech Fund

Found in 2015, Black Angels Tech Fund operates as a network of angel investors determined to change the startup ecosystem of Sacramento. Although it's not one of the biggest investing networks, Black Angels Tech Fund invests very frequently and is the most active investment network in the city.

With a prime focus on tech-based startups, Black Angels supports startups at their early stage and guides them throughout their entrepreneurial journey. 

After investing in several small startups, Black Angels looks forward to making some hefty investments throughout 2023. They also arrange different startup accelerator programs to help startups find investors matching their ideologies.

As for the investment range, Black Angels Tech Fund supports startups from $150,000 to $2.5M.

John Rokos

John Rokos is one of Sacramento's few individual angel investors who only invests in limited sectors. John likes to fund startups related to Tech, Healthcare, and consumer products. 

Although he isn't very active in arranging mentorship programs, John hosts different networking events to help startups connect with other investors and experienced entrepreneurs. 

As for screening tests, John Rokos, like many other individual investors, wants to fund startups that can make significant profits in the upcoming years. He evaluates different factors like the goals of the startups, the ability to withstand tough market conditions, etc.

If the startups pass the screening tests, John Rokos can fund startups ranging from $100,000 to $1M.

Sierra Angels

Operating as one of the biggest Angel Investment Networks in the U.S, Sierra Angels consists of more than 50 investors ready to boost the startup ecosystem of Sacramento.

Since its inception in 1997, Sierra Angels has funded hundreds of startups, from which many have become successful brands. However, Sierra Angeles invests in startups from various sectors. They usually focus on startups related to tech, IoT, and AI.

The investment network also consists of many experienced professionals who provide much-needed guidance to different startups. The investment range of Sierra Angels ranges from $1M to 5M dollars.

David Chao

Another individual investor with many of his investments in Sacramento is David Chao. The investor focuses on startups related to fintech, information technology, financial services, and software.

David Chao, before he started investing, was an entrepreneur himself. This is why he understands the challenges many early-stage startups face in their journey to success. He provides many public services, such as public classes and lectures, to help fresh entrepreneurs learn the secrets of financial success.

Aside from public sessions, David also helps his portfolio companies by guiding them on different occasions. The screening tests of David Chao are also quite difficult compared with other individual angel investors. Since he understands business, David can easily judge startups looking for funding based on their goals and answers to different questions.

The investment range of David Chao depends from startup to startup. However, he generally starts investing from $100,000 to $2M.

CVF Capital Partners

Since 2005, CVF Capital Partners has been helping small businesses by providing them with their required capital and guidance. With a focus on tech-based startups, the VC firm focuses on unique startups that can survive in the markets even in the worst conditions.

CVF Capital Partners also organizes different networking events and accelerator programs throughout the year that help early-stage startups find investors with identical business ideologies.

As for the investment range, CVF Capital Partners funds startups starting from 50,000 up to several million dollars, depending on the project.

Wrap Up

So, there you have the list of Sacramento's top 10 angel investors. With that said, let us now conclude with some final words of wisdom.

Always remember that angel investors are more interested in your startups rather than your individual profile. Instead of bragging about your goals and wisdom, explain to the angel investors how your startup can bring a difference to the respective markets. 

Also, don't forget to create an amazing pitch deck. A pitch deck is the first thing that catches the attention of angel investors when selecting startups to fund. 

Finally, remain confident throughout the screening test. Even if you can't give a satisfying answer to a specific question, show that you are confident about learning new things with the help of the investors.

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