EducationalThe Angel DiariesWebinars, Online
Angel Diaries – How Experienced Angels Actually Manage Portfolios: When to stay angel‑only, when to bridge, and when to take liquidity
With Simon Blakey, Avonmore Developments.
With more than 100 angel investments and a portfolio that includes multimillion-pound exits, dividend-paying companies, and inevitable write-offs, Simon Blakey brings a deeply practical perspective on how experienced angels manage portfolios over time. Simon also spent seven years investing with Playfair Capital as chair of their Investment Committee, giving him experience across both angel and venture investing.
In this session, Simon explores when venture capital is the right path for a company and when it isn’t. Drawing on real portfolio outcomes, he looks at situations where angel-only funding can be not just sufficient but preferable, and how investors can support sustainable, profitable businesses without forcing a venture trajectory.
The discussion goes beyond deal selection to focus on the hardest decisions angels face after investing: when to bridge, when to stop, when to sell secondaries and how to track portfolio performance in ways that genuinely improve future outcomes.
This is a framework-driven conversation grounded in lived experience rather than theory.
