Santa Barbara Angel Alliance

Individual members make their own investment decisions. SBAA screens companies through a monthly process, presenting two opportunities to the membership, but there is no pooled fund — each accredited investor decides independently whether to participate in a given deal.

SBAA is structured as an angel network, not a venture fund. Members collaborate on due diligence but invest as individuals rather than through a blind-pool vehicle. This structure gives members full discretion over which companies they back.

Santa Barbara Angel Alliance targets companies raising seed through Series A rounds. The group's disclosed check size ranges from $25,000 to $650,000 per investment, and members have backed more than 80 companies since 2016.

SBAA's stated expertise sits in information technology, software, hardware, life sciences, and advanced energy, but its mandate is generalist. There are no publicly disclosed sector exclusions — members will consider opportunities outside their core areas where they find a compelling case.

Deal flow typically comes from within the SBAA membership and its extended network. The group encourages companies seeking funding to first establish a connection with a current member, who can then present the opportunity to the broader alliance.

SBAA is a member of the Angel Capital Association, a professional network that supports angel investor groups nationally. Many individual SBAA members are also active in the Tech Coast Angels, though SBAA itself operates as a standalone entity.

SBAA's founders have ties to local philanthropic organizations, including the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, through separate community involvement. There is no separate SBAA-entity philanthropic vehicle disclosed publicly.