I have been working at Microsoft, Google, Slack, and Amazon for the last 10 years. I bring my experience in developer tools, platforms, enterprise SaaS, mobile and gaming. I try to invest in founders I know or get to know closely, as good founders are the best indicator for success in my experience. This syndication will invest early in startup with strong growth potential and places where I can bring more value then just the money.
I invest both as an individual and as an "Open Angel," a program created by Bloomberg Beta (http://tiny.cc/manual), the early-stage venture fund.
Bloomberg Beta created the Open Angel program to deepen relationships with a handful of angels they trust. They will back every deal I syndicate at a fixed ratio with my personal investment. (In my case, Bloomberg Beta invests $3 for every $1 from me.) While a portion of each allocation I bring will therefore be reserved for Bloomberg Beta, they will not be direct investors in my portfolio companies and I will manage the syndicate's relationship with companies. Bloomberg Beta's intent is to support people they trust as investors, and extend their fund to support many more companies, not to create direct deal flow for them.
I get a decent amount of dealflow as many startup seek my experience in the enterprises I worked at and connections in the silicon valley. I plan to invest in 4-6 companies a year and bring all of these investment to this syndication.
I expect the founders I invest in to be in it for the long haul, and be willing to take a good deal of risk. As such, please understand that any return you may see on your invested capital may be decades away and additionally you run the risk of losing all of your money in any investment you do as a part of this syndicate.