Connecting creativity to capital.
Bay Angels is one of Silicon Valley's oldest and most active angel groups. For over 27 years, we've connected founders with the funding, mentorship, and connections they need to reach the next stage of growth.
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Who We Are
Investors, entrepreneurs, and mentors who back founders early.
Bay Angels members are former founders, tech industry veterans, and experienced angel investors. We don't operate as a fund. Each member invests independently or syndicates with other angels in the network, giving founders flexible, relationship-driven capital.
Our community has backed companies like OpenTable and Photobucket from the earliest stages. In 2025, one in four presenting companies at our live pitch events received an investment.
Our Community
Past Presenting Companies
A selection of startups that have presented to Bay Angels over the years. We are industry agnostic and opportunity-driven.
Have a startup you'd like to pitch?
Events
Monthly pitch nights, networking, and more.
Founder Resources
Resources designed for founders.
Pitch Deck Template
The framework we recommend for telling your story effectively.
Download PDFFinancial Model
Google Sheets template for building investor-ready projections.
Get TemplateMentorship Request
Connect with experienced operators in our network.
Request IntroOur Team
Membership
Bay Angels is run by contributing members and investors who care deeply about the startup community. Our committee heads, members, and advisors actively support founders through funding, mentorship, and connections.
Roger King
Founder, Bay Angels
Roger King founded Bay Angels in 1997 after organizing startup pitch competitions for the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. Under his leadership, Bay Angels helped launch companies like OpenTable from the earliest stages and developed a model of angel investing emulated globally. Roger also founded Chief People, an executive and technical recruiting firm whose clients have included SoftBank Robotics, Gracenote, and OpenTable.
Member since 1997
Philip King
President, Bay Angels
Philip leads Bay Angels as President, managing strategy and day-to-day operations. Passionate about connecting high-value founders with capital and connections that support their growth. Deeply interested in Agentic AI, Drone and Fire Defense, Spatial Computing, and VR.
Committee Chairs
Selina Zhang
Co-Head, Deal Flow
Co-leads the Deal Flow Committee, curating startup pitches and evaluating opportunities using a strict rubric to maintain high quality deal flow.
Deal FlowJay Chitnis
Chair, Partnerships
Strategic alliances & growth. Building relationships across the ecosystem.
PartnershipsNeda Amani
Chair, Events
Creating memorable pitch experiences and community events.
EventsMichael DeBoard
Chair, Membership
Growing and nurturing our investor community.
MembershipGeorge Parrish
Chief Evangelist
Trusted advisor at the SBDC. George champions Bay Angels' brand and community, mentors founders, and represents Bay Angels at events and in media.
Robert Thorssen
Co-Head, Deal Flow
Co-leads the Deal Flow Committee alongside Selina Zhang, evaluating startup opportunities and selecting companies for pitch events.
Deal FlowJoin Our Community
Whether you're a founder looking for funding or an investor who wants to back early-stage companies and give back, we'd like to hear from you.
For Founders
Apply to Pitch
We review every application and never charge founders to pitch. Submit your information and our deal flow team will be in touch.
Minimum Requirements (meet at least one)
- Member referral
- Prior funding from a recognized VC
- $100K+ TTM revenue
- Prior exit as founder
Our Process
Submit Application
Fill out the form with your company details
Initial Review
Our deal flow committee reviews your submission
Office Hours
Selected startups get 1:1 feedback session
Pitch Night
Finalists present to our full membership
Ready to apply?
We now use the full application portal for all pitch submissions. Click below to submit your application with the complete form.
Testimonials
What members say.
"Bay Angels has a huge network of domain experts who are knowledgeable, willing to help, and humble. The partnerships team is extremely strategic and organized, and partnering with Bay Angels has allowed us to significantly improve in terms of marketing our events and obtaining quality presenters."
Jason Nyeh
Managing Director, Lamarka
"Bay Angels has been our partner since its founding in 1997, providing an outstanding platform for the startup community to connect with investors and each other. Many of our clients have found us through the Bay Angels network and we are proud to have staffed several Bay Angels alumni."
Philip King
Partner, Chief People