Angel investors are individuals who invest their personal money in early-stage startups, typically writing smaller checks and often engaging in this as a side project rather than a full-time job.

Angel investors often have experience in high-growth startups and can provide flexible terms and quick investment decisions, but they take equity and may have strong opinions about the business.

Venture Capitalists (VCs) invest small amounts of money to acquire equity in startups, hoping that a few will grow large enough to cover the losses from unsuccessful investments.

Angel investors used to form consortiums to write large checks for Series A financings, but this practice has changed, with individual checks becoming more common.

Angel investors can have a substantive impact on the companies they invest in, but often their impact is marginal, meeting with a company only once or twice a year.

AngelList helps founders fund other founders and recruit great talent, standing for underdogs in the startup ecosystem.

AngelList is the world's largest platform for online fundraising and recruiting for startups, bringing venture capital online.

Venture capital is funding from professional investment firms in exchange for equity, suitable for businesses with significant growth potential that need substantial cash to grow quickly.

Angels are typically wealthy individuals investing their own money, while VCs invest other people's money and have a different decision-making process.