Top Angel Investors in Armenia
Armenia, with a population of 2.8M residents, is ranked as the 15th country in Eastern Europe for its startup growth. According to a report published by Forbes, the country is growing at an ever-fast speed in the technology sector and has become home to hundreds of startups.
Similarly, with every passing day, we witness a new startup being introduced and getting funded by angel investors.
But, among all these angels, you must feel confused about whom to pitch.
Don’t worry. The following article highlights the list of the top 7 angel investors in Armenia, along with their investment interests.
Table of content
- Top 7 Angel Investors in Armenia
- Mike Dudas
- Kareem Zaki
- Suren Markosian
- Kasit Rochanakorn
- Samarth Sharma
- Artur Janibekyan
- Siduri Poli
- Wrap Up:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How to make your startup investable?
- Q: Do Angel Investors Provide Mentorship Programs?
- Q: What is the difference between Venture Capital Firms and Individual Angel Investors?
Top 7 Angel Investors in Armenia
Without further delay, below is the list of the top-ranked angels in Armenia who are known for their active involvement in the startup scene.
Mike Dudas
LinkedIn: Mike Dudas | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Tech, VR, AI, WEB 3, Blockchain, and Innovative Tech.
Investment Stage: Early
Mike Dudas is one of the most prominent angel investors in Armenia and is also the Founder & General Partner of 6th Man Ventures. A little about his background: Mike Dudas has a lot of experience in the tech industry. He was the CRO and co-founder of Button. Prior to that, he served as the head of mobile BD at Braintree/Venmo and worked at both Google and Disney.
Mike Dudas is known to invest in startups that are bound to grow. He usually makes his investments through investor meetings or participates in fundraisers.
Once Mike Dudas has invested in a startup, he also provides the startup with guidance throughout different stages.
The investment range of Mike Dudas lies around €500,000. Among many of his investments, some well-known names are:
SuperNFT: SuperNFT is a virtual event platform designed to organize decentralized music festivals and events. They raised 7M in Series A funding.
Kairos: Kairos is a startup focused on instant identity verification powered by AI. Their platform reduces user drop-off rates and deters fraud through real-time image processing. It has secured €2.6 million in a pre-seed round.
LAGO: LAGO is an open-source project aiming to build an alternative to Stripe Billing. Their focus is on creating a modern pricing stack for product-led companies.
Kareem Zaki
LinkedIn: Kareem Zaki | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Fintech, Cyber, and Healthcare
Investment Stage: Early
Kareem Zaki joined Thrive Capital in 2014, where he primarily focuses on healthcare and financial services companies. Forbes recognized Kareem Zaki in their 30 Under 30 Venture Capital list in 2018, highlighting his achievements and impact in the industry.
Like every investor, Kareem Zaki focuses on businesses that are expected to grow and have attracted attention due to their decent services or products. Startup leaders will need to attend events or network with Kareem Zaki to get their startup recognized and confirm an investor meeting.
Kareem Zaki’s investment range lies between €20,000 and €150,000. Some of his portfolio companies are:
Cedar: A healthcare technology company that simplifies the billing process for patients and providers. Cedar’s platform offers personalized payment options and improves patients’ financial experiences.
Nava: A healthcare brokerage firm that helps Americans find and navigate health insurance plans. Nava aims to make healthcare more accessible and transparent for individuals and families.
Scope Security: Scope Security is a startup that provides security solutions in the healthcare or technology space.
Suren Markosian
LinkedIn: Suren Markosian | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests:
Investment Stage: Seed
Suren Markosian is also a well-known angel investor and has 5 companies in his portfolio. He has also founded Crowdstar and is experienced in the tech industry.
Talking about Suren Markosian’s funding activities, he takes a focused and first-hand approach to funding startups. He invests through investor meetings and usually talks to the startup owners for around 1 hour, discussing their goals, future aims, estimated ROI, and achievements.
If he likes the idea of any startup, Suren Markosian can even provide funding up to €1M. However, his investment range is highly dependent on the startup’s growth potential and related sector. Some portfolio companies are:
Epic!: Epic! is an all-you-can-read eBook service designed specifically for kids aged 12 and under. It provides access to a digital library with over 40,000 books, including classic storybooks, audiobooks, comics, and more.
Pilotworks: Pilotworks operates in the food or culinary space. Pilotworks is a company that raised €2.1 million in a seed round.
ggGeorgia: ggGeorgia connects more than 1,200 drivers with thousands of passengers, providing them with reliable and quality transportation services.
Kasit Rochanakorn
LinkedIn: Kasit Rochanakorn | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Tech and Food
Investment Stage: Seed
Kasit Rochanakorn is also a part of Armenia’s investment community and the Legal Director at Atomico. He provides guidance to the Atomico investment teams on the negotiation and execution of investments, divestments, and general corporate matters. Prior to joining Atomico, he worked as an Executive Director & Senior Counsel at Goldman Sachs, where he led the legal side of investments into companies like Nutmeg, Wolt, OutSystems, Redis Labs, and BackMarket.
Kasit Rochanakorn has a strict focus on businesses related to tech and those who are providing valuable products/services. Almost all of the companies in his portfolio are led by senior and experienced startup leaders.
The investment range of Kasit Rochanakorn is around €1M. Some of his portfolio companies are:
Nutmeg: An online investment platform that provides wealth management services. Nutmeg allows users to invest in portfolios tailored to their risk tolerance and financial goals.
Wolt: A food delivery and restaurant discovery platform. Wolt connects users with local restaurants, allowing them to order food for delivery or takeout.
Samarth Sharma
LinkedIn: Samarth Sharma | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Tech, Education, and Consumer Products.
Investment Stage: Early
Samarth Sharma is also an angel investor who provides funding to Armenia-based startups. He has founded several companies before becoming an angel investor and also has a huge focus on boosting the tech landscape.
He has a strong preference for research-based startups and educational businesses working for the betterment of youth. Moreover, Samarth Sharma has also started funding startups in the last year and invested in around 3 companies.
Once a business has secured funding from Samarth Sharma, he guides it through different stages, thanks to his experience in the tech industry.
Samarth Sharma’s investment range lies between €20,000 and €200,000. Although he hasn’t made a huge number of investments, one notable company is:
Melon: Melon is an educational software company. It provides innovative solutions for learning and knowledge dissemination. The startup also focuses on creating engaging and effective educational tools.
Artur Janibekyan
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Media, Entertainment, Social, Digitalization, and Tech.
Investment Stage: Early
Artur Janibekyan is a serial entrepreneur, media manager, and philanthropist. He is the Founder and General Producer of Comedy Club Production. He also has extensive experience in the entertainment industry and provides valuable insights into content creation, marketing, and audience engagement as a mentor.
When funding startups, Artur Janibekyan prioritizes businesses with strong growth potential. He makes his investments through fundraisers but also participates in investor meetings.
Once a startup has been funded, Artur Janibekyan provides it with the best guidance, ensuring the success of the startup and helping it exit.
The investment range of Artur Janibekyan is around €300,000.
Siduri Poli
LinkedIn: Siduri Poli | LinkedIn
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Tech
Investment Stage: Seed
Living in Armenia, Siduri Poli is a name many have heard. He is an award-winning entrepreneur who believes that innovation and new technologies must be linked to democracy and inclusion for progress.
However, recently, she has also started to fund startups and provide them with the required capital to boost their business. As for her screening tests, Siduri Poli invests in companies that are operating on a solid business model, have strong future plans, and are also providing top-notch services in their respective industries.
So far, she has only funded 1 startup but will definitely provide funding to more businesses in 2024. The investment range of Siduri Poli is around €100,000.
Wrap Up:
Wrapping things up, startup leaders should always remember the importance of pitching the right way. Angel investors value startups that can present sustainable ideas and add value to their portfolios.
During the presentation, explain why your startup is worth investing in and how the angel investors can seek profits through it. Prepare a strong pitch deck that is concise but contains valuable information.
Good Luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How to make your startup investable?
A: To make a startup investible, focus on a scalable business model, a strong team, a well-defined market opportunity, and evidence of market validation.
Q: Do Angel Investors Provide Mentorship Programs?
A: Yes, many angel investors provide mentorship programs and financial support. They leverage their experience to offer strategic insights, assist in critical decision-making, and facilitate introductions to their network connections. This mentorship is pivotal for startups, aiding them in overcoming obstacles and expediting their growth trajectory.
Q: What is the difference between Venture Capital Firms and Individual Angel Investors?
A: Venture capital firms are organized setups that aggregate capital from various investors and deploy it into startups at a larger scale, offering expertise and guidance.
In contrast, individual angel investors are private individuals who invest personal funds directly into startups, typically at an early stage, using a more personalized approach and hands-on involvement in the startup’s growth.
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Earlier the article was published here.
