24% of Welsh citizens believe you need to live in London to be an investor

24% of people living in Wales believe that investing into UK businesses is only for Londoners, DESPITE having on average £53k in investable finance

 58% of Welsh citizens do not know any investors who could guide them in becoming an investor. 

23 MILLION people believe that angel investing is only for the ultra-wealthy

The UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) has commissioned a nationally representative piece of research that dissects how Wales – complete with a gender, age, location and ethnicity breakdown – perceives what it is to be an SME investor in the UK, with an overriding assumption that SME investment is preserved for ultra-wealthy, white, male Londoners.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – I can also provide the full body of data upon request, including the breakdowns stated above.

Key Statistics

• 10 million Brits have stated that because they don’t live in London, they cannot be an angel investor
• 24% of citizens living in Wales believe that they cannot invest into UK businesses as they do not live in London
• 58% of people in Wales do not know an angel investor that can help them become an angel investor
• Six million ethnic minority Brits feel that they do not “fit into the profile” of an angel investor, of which 45% of respondents had up to £250K in investable assets
• 6.5 million ethnic minority Brits have expressed that they do not feel confident enough to become an angel investor
• 10 million women believe that due to their gender, it would be difficult to be an angel investor
• 11 million believe it is easier for a man to become an angel investor than a woman
• Almost 22 million Brits do not believe that they have the credentials to become an angel investor, despite 41% possessing over 250K in investable assets
• Over 26 million people do not know any angel investors in their network who would be able to support them in becoming angel investors themselves
• 23 million of us believe that to be an angel investor, you need a significant amount of personal wealth                                                                                                                     67% of respondents with 100k-250k agree                                                                          42% of respondents with more than £250k in savings agree

Sleeping angels

• 42% of ethnic minority Brits with over £250k in investable assets do not believe they have enough disposable income to personally invest in UK SMEs
• 27% of females with over £250K in investable funds believe that as a woman, it would be difficult to be an angel investor
• 48% of women said that they did not have the confidence to become an angel investor

Millennial 

• Our research found that 37% of 18-34-year-old respondents – compared to 11% of over 55’s – stated it is easier for a man to become an angel investor than a woman
• Additionally, 23% of 18-34-year who formed part of an ethnic minority did not feel they “fitted into the profile” of an angel investor, compared to a mere 5% of over 55s

Serving as one of the most authoritative voices for equality within the UK investment landscape, Jenny Tooth, CEO of the UKBAA, would be keen to discuss the importance of diversity within the investment arena.

About the UKBAA

The UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) is the national trade association for angel and early-stage investment, representing over 160-member organisations and around 18,000 investors. Business angels in the UK collectively invest an estimated £1.5 billion per annum and are therefore the UK’s largest source of investment for start-ups and early-stage businesses seeking to grow. The UKBAA’s members include angel networks, syndicates, individual investors, early-stage VCs, equity crowdfunding platforms, accelerators, professional advisers and intermediaries. UKBAA acts as the voice of the angel investment community and strives to build and connect the angel investment ecosystem so as to ensure a coherent landscape for financing high-potential entrepreneurs.