Where to look for IT investors?

Where to find people interested in investing in IT projects? Online or offline.

Thanks.

 

sorry not clear.... details please

 

Okay let's say you've got an awesome idea on a software project, for example a mobile app that will tell you how to find pirate treasures!

You know how to market the app but you've got no idea how to create the app, so you need some hacker fellas! These hacker fellas ain't cheap through and it would take you a century to save enough for the app's development. What do you do?

Look for investors, who can put together enough money to make your project happen now, not a century later.

Where would you look for such people, who might be interested in investing in an IT project? Any tips are welcome.

 

If you are interested in how to find an investor for a small business in the first place it should be perceived as a potential partner as you invest in a business idea, and the investor - the money.
Accordingly, it should be beneficial for both parties.
To find an investor for a small business is not difficult.
The most important thing - it is a competent presentation of ideas, which will be able to convince him that this kind of investment will significantly increase your capital.

 

I have an idea for a profitable gaming app but I have no money or knowledge on programming and coding! Can anyone point me in the right direction to where I should be looking or posting?

 

kaspi, and binj....

I do see people asking this sort of question all the time. Alot of people have ideas that they think are amazing, and anyone wanting their money is likely to encourage them to go ahead with the idea (even if it is a stinker). Even if your idea is great, there is no guarantee that it will take off... so something to remember that for some people, they cannot afford to risk never get paid. I have seen people thinking they can get coders to do everything, and pay them when the idea starts to return money, (and if the idea doesnt earn money, then they dont need to pay), it is just not a realistic expectation at all.

The answer I am writing for you is a little generic, and I want you to really have a proper business plan in place, and really really plan what you want before you take a single step forward.
1. You need to do market research, and this includes feedback from others that are likely to be able to give you honest feedback. No you cannot ask it here publicly, but you need to do it privately with people in real life, where there is an informal, or formal agreement in place that its confidential. Get honest feedback.

2. Whats your budget? If you are under 18... then sure, you CAN do alot, but at the same time you are limited as you need parents or guardians to help you. You can learn to code, and write your own stuff, but no adult can completely trust you, the reason being is that if I give someone under 18 money, for legal reasons its just 'gone' as they cannot enter into legally binding contracts without a parental guardian.

If you are 18 and over, and are a responsible adult, then having some sort of budget should be feasible. It is also ridiculously easy to borrow money, and you should be able to go to a bank.
For example, if you are able to save $60 a week, that translates into an estimate $10k loan that is repaid over 5 years.

I know I am wrong, but this is how I think. If you are a responsible adult, then you can work, and earn money. Which means you can borrow from banks. If you cannot borrow from banks, it means that you are possibly not a responsible adult, and if a bank cannot trust you, then its hard for other 'responsible' adults to trust you. If you can borrow, but do not believe in your own projects potential to the point of taking out a loan, then again, hard for others to put their faith in you, if you do not have faith in yourself.

3. Hard to say this. But it has happened a number of times where the people you hire to do the app, steal the app. For example, Ever heard of facebook? Even with marketing skills, and money, its possible that someone can take part of your core concept, and run with it. If a developer steals your idea, and can easily add improvements at no cost, while you have to pay someone to do it, then you are out of the race. Only way to solve this? I really think you need to approach a development team in your local area. Meet face to face. You can even ask them to sign a form to say that your idea is confidential. That might be the best way to hire people without risking the idea being stolen, but that means money. You need money. You might be able to negotiate payments over a year... but you will have to pay eventually.

And finally, here is some actual advice that might help you. When I did an IT course, I was surrounded by other 'noobs'. Even though it was the same course, everyone excelled at different things. It was easy for us to work together, to tackle projects between us, each leaning on each others strengths made any weakness within the group disappear. In just a few months, while the course was still running, 2 people went into business together and created their own company. One was great at talking, customer relations, gaining new customers, (a very important skill), the other struggled to gain clients but exceptionally talented at coding and design and they split the profits.

So here is a suggestion. Take a coding course, you might even learn something. Network and be friendly. . Kaspi, you will find everyone is there for different reasons, and more likely then not will have their own grand masterpiece idea.
How amazing if you were to market their apps for them, get it out in the open, even help money come pouring in for them, and your fee? They help you code a project. But you know what else? Doing the course, even if you dont complete it, could help you significantly for the future -> you could even potentially go from trying to get someone to develop the entire thing for you, to getting people to help create specific functions, and you put the thing together by yourself. You tell people to contact you if they need help, and guess what, it makes it easy then for you to contact them when you need help. So long as its a win-win relationship, then you got nothing to lose.

I do wish you the best of luck.

 

It's wonderful how are you guys trying to help, specially matt_62. Very comprehensive guide.

I'm a man who's got quite some experience in developing all kinds of software. Besides the fact that I worked as a programmer and later a software project manager, I have already published 4 of my personal project mobile apps. One of them is now reaching 100K installs. Not the best, but it probably means that I can also market an app. I have also successfully managed to get an investment before (and it wasn't my dad, it was a person who I met first time in order to present my project, it was many people before it actually happened with one of them).

Back to the original question. I'm looking for an actual source of contacts. I know about angel.co, but they requite a U.S. based business, which I can only incorporate with Stripe Atlas, but Atlas is only "beta" at the moment and it seems like you either need an invitation or you are going to wait for their acceptance until the end of days. Other incorporation services seem to be a bit expensive, well at least for me at this point.

Any else places or ways to find contacts to potential investors? Online forums, websites, anything...

Glad for any tips.

 

The first issue here is considering what kind of investment you’d like to pursue: angel investment or venture capital.

If you’re looking for angel investment, it’s wise to have your connections with angels established before seeking funding. Nurture these relationships, so when you’re ready to seek funding an investor not only knows your name but has had contact with you several times.

Angels may invest individually, but many also belong to an angel group. You can scout out these groups by looking at the Angel Capital Association directory for your region. Initiate contact and learn what criteria they apply to applicants for funding and the submittal process. From there, make sure to maintain casual contact with them until you are ready to seek funding.

 

How much money do you need? If you need say a couple of thousands of dollars not 10s of thousands of dollars I do know people from highschool who do that. The current tax laws are pretty favorable for investors that half of your losses can be tax exempted and capital gain tax for profits are also very low to nonexistent for small businesses. The people I know mostly invest in farms, small stores, online business that buy/build things in bulk overseas and then sell them here.
Most of them work in either business where they invest in things they know or they are science PHDs who want to find some areas to invest for retirement. None of them are rich, but they do want to be.
Very few of those people have invested in pure tech. Usually their demand for a good business idea is pretty high, meaning they will ask you to do the code yourself.

Basically this isnt like the show "Shark tank" where you have bunch guys who have no tech backgrounds that went to india or china and built something new and now they are hoping to make billions of.
Don't do that. You have to build the frame work or else the first thing the investors will do is cut you out and promote the chief tech officer to your position.

 

Try getting connected on web forums related to startup business or join groups on FB , Twitter or other social networking sites...If lucky you may find someone....Try is the only constant in terms of investors...

 

Have you looked into Kickstarter.com, GoFundMe.com and Indiegogo.com? Some of them do have sections for software and apps. Maybe these websites can help with your needs.