Measuring business angel investment activity in the United Kingdom: a review of potential data sources

摘要

Business angels play a critical role in the creation of an entrepreneurial climate. However, measuring business angel investment activity on either a cross-sectional or time series basis is extremely problematic. This paper reviews various approaches to measuring business angel investment activity: simple extrapolations, supply-side approaches, demand-side approaches, hybrid approaches, investment-oriented approaches, tax incentive schemes and angel syndicates. It advocates that all developed countries should produce time series data on business angel investment activity to provide policy-makers with an overview of the financing environment and to monitor the effects of interventions in the market. This requires a clear definition of a business angel and a focus on investments rather than investors. The paper recommends a multi-methods approach to collecting data on the UK business angel market.