Unlike venture capitalists, angel investors invest their own funds, so it is just as important for them to see the business they have funded succeed.  Joining us for the final show of our three part series on Angel Investing are Melanie Leeth and returning guest, Ed Brown.  Melanie is Vice President of Imlay Investments, a private investment firm that provides funding for very early stage technology companies.  She discusses Imlay’s history and their involvement with ATA.  Melanie and Ed also discuss the importance of partnering with the right investor at the early stage of your company, and how an understanding of your market and your investor is key to a successful partnership.

Melanie Leeth is Vice President of Imlay Investments, Inc., which was founded by John P. Imlay, Jr. in 1990.  She has been with Imlay for over 20 years.  Imlay Investments was a pioneer in the Southeast in providing seed and early-stage investments that nurtured many technology startups in the region.  Although Imlay Investments is no longer active in making new investments, Melanie is responsible for managing the investments and providing guidance to the portfolio companies.   Melanie can be reached at MBLeeth@imlay.net.

Ed Brown is Vice-Chair of Burr & Forman LLP’s Business section and a partner in the firm’s Corporate law practice group focusing on taxation and estate planning.  He has over twenty-four years of experience in franchise law, mergers and acquisitions and personal planning, specifically with federal estate and gift taxation.  Ed represents venture capital companies and investors in funding early-stage and start-up companies and also represents both buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of businesses, through tax-free mergers, stock purchase arrangements, and asset acquisitions.  Ed can be reached at ed.brown@burr.com.

ResultsMatterRadio is pleased to have the Atlanta Technology Angels (“ATA”) join us for a three part series on Angel Investing.  The ATA is an organization comprised of active and accredited angel investors who share the goal of making informed, collaborative, early stage investments in promising Georgia based companies.  The discussions include a history of the ATA, the Georgia Angel Tax Credit Bill that investors can take advantage of, the operations of the ATA, as well as the detailed process entrepreneurs might go through to get a seat at the table with investors, and finally what investors are looking for from their entrepreneurs.  The information covered in this series is pertinent to the successful partnership between an investor and entrepreneur.

Part I of our three part series focuses on the background of angel investing; how it began and how it has progressed over the years.  Knox Massey and Ed Brown discuss the purpose of angel investing, how someone can become an angel investor, and the various funding options that an organization such as the ATA offers to entrepreneurs.  Knox gives us a brief history of the ATA and provides some recent success stories out of the organization.  He also discusses the benefits of the Georgia Angel Tax Credit Bill, which he authored.

Knox Massey sits on the Board of Directors of ATA and the Angel Capital Association. He also serves as Managing Partner of Keith-Massey Family Investments, LLLP . Prior to his role at ATA, Mr. Massey held senior sales positions at America Online, served in a management position at the WestWayne Advertising Agency and worked within regional sales offices of the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group. Knox has helped raise funding for the following Atlanta-based technology companies: Invistics, Qcept Technologies, Fortel DTV, Oversight Systems, OpenSpan Software, Jacket Micro Devices, Asankya, Zeewise, Invirtus, Pranama and Aretta. Knox can be reached at knox.massey@angelatlanta.com.

Ed Brown is Vice-Chair of Burr & Forman LLP’s Business section and a partner in the firm’s Corporate law practice group focusing on taxation and estate planning. He has over twenty-four years of experience in franchise law, mergers and acquisitions and personal planning, specifically with federal estate and gift taxation.  Ed represents venture capital companies and investors in funding early-stage and start-up companies and also represents both buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of businesses, through tax-free mergers, stock purchase arrangements, and asset acquisitions.  Ed can be reached at ed.brown@burr.com.