Angel investor syndicates are becoming a powerful force in shaping startup ecosystems, especially in emerging markets. By pooling capital, expertise and networks, they give early-stage startups a real chance to grow ' while also making investing more accessible to a wider range of participants. For the past decade, I've been an active angel investor, funding startups globally and in my home country of Kazakhstan. Given that, let me share some insights on how the growth of angel financing impacts startup ecosystems and the vital role that local syndicates can play. After a challenging period, the global startup ecosystem is slowly regaining balance. The steepest decline happened in 2023 when venture capital dropped to $285 billion ' the lowest point since 2017. While a strong rebound has yet to occur, the first quarter of 2025 saw venture funding total $113 billion, in large part due to the $40 billion funding deal for OpenAI. In the 2023 downturn, early-stage startups were the...
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