Informal investors - A categorization, with policy implications

Abstract

A number of studies concerning informal investors have been carried out over the last two decades. One main conclusion from previous research has been that the informal venture capital market is very heterogeneous, and that classifications for informal investors are needed in order to more accurately depict the informal venture capital market. In this paper we propose that the market could be divided in accordance with the informal investors' investment activity and competence. The study is based on a sample of 425 active informal investors, divided into four different categories: (1) Lotto investors; (2) Traders; (3) Analytical investors; and (4) Business angels. The empirical findings show that there are considerable differences between the four categories of informal investors; differences regarding the information sources used, the level of firm involvement, co-investing, investment horizons, and geographic preferences, to name some examples. As a consequence, each of the various informal investor types responds differently to private and public prospects or motivators. It is suggested, therefore, that the informal venture capital market could be more effectively analysed and depicted by using the proposed classifications and applying differing measures to each informal investor category.

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