The Angel Capital Association (ACA) has published the ACA Investor Insights Report 2025, an annual compilation of data-driven learnings drawn from six years of monthly insights contributed by ACA member angel groups and funds.

The report highlights how shared data improves decision-making, strengthens investment outcomes, and supports the long-term health of early-stage investing — while reinforcing the importance of broader participation in ACA’s flagship Angel Funders Report.

What the ACA Investor Insights Report 2025 Delivers

The report consolidates more than 60 monthly Data Insights articles into one comprehensive resource, offering angels and group leaders a clearer view of today’s investing landscape, including:

• Trends in deal lifecycle dynamics and investor decision-making
• What’s hot — and what’s not — in funding rates by stage, sector, and geography
• Shifts in valuation, team size, and capital efficiency
• Early-stage compensation and hiring trends, including the role of AI
• Portfolio performance indicators that matter for long-term outcomes

These insights are possible because ACA member groups consistently track and share their investment data — turning individual experience into collective intelligence.

Why This Report Matters Now

In his Letter to the Community, John Harbison, Chairman Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association and Chair of the ACA Data Analytics Committee, underscores a simple truth:

• Data makes angels better investors
• Shared data strengthens the entire angel ecosystem
• Long-term viability in early-stage investing depends on disciplined measurement and learning

For the past six years, ACA has collected and analyzed monthly data from participating angel groups to help investors understand market realities and improve outcomes. The Investor Insights Report 2025 demonstrates the value of that commitment.

From Insights to Impact: Supporting the Angel Funders Report

While the Investor Insights Report shows what is possible through ongoing data analysis, ACA’s Angel Funders Report depends on broad, voluntary participation from member angel groups.

The Angel Funders Report is the industry’s most widely referenced benchmark for angel investing activity and relies on group-submitted data to provide:

• Accurate visibility into capital deployment and deal activity
• Credible trend analysis across regions, sectors, and stages
• Evidence that supports education, advocacy, and thought leadership for angels

Without strong participation, the industry loses clarity. With it, angels gain context, credibility, and better tools to navigate an increasingly complex investing environment.

Why Data Participation Is a Collective Responsibility

Early-stage investing is evolving — shaped by tighter capital markets, longer exit timelines, and rapid technological change. Shared data is no longer a “nice to have”; it is a strategic necessity.

By committing to submit data for the Angel Funders Report, angel groups:

• Strengthen industry-wide insight and transparency
• Improve benchmarking and performance analysis for their own members
• Help ensure angel investing remains viable, credible, and effective over the long term

A Call to Action for Angel Groups

The publication of the ACA Investor Insights Report 2025 is more than a milestone — it is a call to action.

ACA encourages all member angel groups and funds to:

• Commit to submitting data for the Angel Funders Report
• Support shared learning that improves outcomes for all angels
• Help build a stronger, more informed future for early-stage investing
  Better data leads to better decisions — and better outcomes for the entire angel community.

To participate in the Angel Funders Report, monthly Data Insights or to volunteer, reach out to Committee Chair John Harbison. 

Author:

• John Harbison, TCA Venture Group, Data Analytics Committee Chair