Entrepreneur FAQ's

Entrepreneur FAQ

What is the Chinese Investment Network?
The Chinese Investment Network is an online platform designed to connect entrepreneurs (looking for growth or start-up capital) and angel investors (looking for investment opportunities). The Chinese Investment Network is unique in that it offers a local, national and global platform with partner networks Asian and Australasian, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. The Chinese Investment Network is continually growing, developing and updating its extensive database of angel investors.

What is an Angel Investor?
Originally, the term "angel" was coined to refer to the people who financed Broadway plays when all else failed. Today this term has become common among the investment community to refer to a high net-worth individual that invests their own personal funds in various businesses.

Who is a typical Angel Investor?
Angel investors are often retired entrepreneurs or executives, who may be interested in angel investing for reasons that go beyond pure monetary return. These include wanting to keep abreast of current developments in a particular business arena, mentoring another generation of entrepreneurs, and making use of their experience and networks on a less-than-full-time basis. Thus, in addition to funds, angel investors can often provide valuable management advice and important contacts.

What is the difference between an Angel Investor and a Venture Capital firm?
Angels make their own decisions as opposed to a board or group of people making a decision for investors that have pooled money together. Angels tend to be more involved in the businesses that they invest in and provide assistance in ways that venture capital firms do not. Angels typically do not own as large a stake in the company as a venture capital firm would. Another benefit of being an angel investor is the reception of certain tax incentives from controlled small businesses.

How much does it cost?
More information can be found on Our Rates Page.

Why isn’t it free of charge?
Many people have asked us why we charge entrepreneurs for the service. Firstly we are running a commercial enterprise and don’t get any public funding, so we need to cover our admin and promotion costs, pay staff to check your submission and pay for the upkeep of the website. Secondly we are providing a valuable service to the entrepreneurs who need the much needed to support to get their ideas in front of investors. To set up a serious business with outside funding you do need to be prepared to spend some money. The fee is very low compared to other companies in the industry who will often charge around 5% of the amount you wish to borrow.

Do I have to pay for every contact?
No, the Standard, Express, Express Plus and Global Express Plus packages all give you to access to the contact details of ALL the investors who wish to contact you. Your proposal remains active for 90 days and all investor contacts are included in this period. You do not need to pay for each contact.

Why don’t you take a success fee instead?
If you think of Angel Investment Network as the funding equivalent of an online dating agency it makes more sense. You wouldn’t expect a dating agency to only get paid if and when you marry the partner you found on their site. They wouldn’t be able to find you or know you were getting married without employing a private detective! Likewise we can’t hope to individually track everyone who enters their idea over the internet. Often all we have is an email address for you. Plus we have no control over how good your idea is and therefore your likelihood of finding an Angel. There may be a few Angel groups who don’t charge upfront, but they heavily screen incoming ideas and reject about 90% of them, which means most people are left without a chance of connecting with Angels.

How do I know if my proposal has been received?
You will know that your proposal has been received if it appears in the list of "Active Proposals" in your member's area. If there are no proposals in your member's area then you will need to resubmit your proposal. Always write your proposal in another programme and cut and paste to avoid the page timing out.

Why isn’t my proposal appearing in the list of recent proposals?
If you have just submitted your proposal, it is probably because we haven’t approved it yet. We have to read and activate each proposal before it is released to the investors. Alternatively it may be because you have just edited your proposal, which means that it is removed from the system until we reapprove it.

Does my company have to be established?
No, we accept projects at every stage of development – from ideas to start-up companies to mature businesses. Even if your project is still an idea, it could still be of interest to the investors. They might even have the relevant knowhow and expertise to get the ball rolling.

Is there a maximum/minimum investment?
No, our investors are interested in projects ranging from a few thousand yuan to millions of yuan.

Are the contact requests automated?
No, all the contact requests you receive are from investors who have read your investment proposal and decided they want to discuss your project in more detail.

Who are the Angel Investors on this website?
The investors on our website have been compiled from databases of angel investors, company directors and private investment groups. They also include individual investors who have registered in the hope of finding investment opportunities. Our database is continually expanding with new investors looking to invest in companies like yours.

How much information should I include in my proposal?
If you are worried about confidentiality we would advise you not to give away too many details in your proposal. Try and write enough to get the investors interested in your project without revealing the key ideas. In the "Useful Documents" page of our "Get Investor Ready" section, you will find a free NDA document, which you can get all the potential investors to sign before presenting your idea in full.

How is my privacy protected?
The site was developed using proprietary database management tools and a secure server is used to assure that no one sees your business or personal information. Your information is not offered to any third party for any purposes and is guaranteed to be kept confidential and private.

Why should I use this service?
As an entrepreneur, you are already aware of the growing resistance of banks to finance small business. It is virtually impossible to obtain financing without having secured assets, providing personal guarantees, etc, etc. Angel investors are the logical source to provide financing to small business. With the funds invested growing all the time, the main obstacle is locating and presenting your idea to this large group of investors. The Chinese Investment Network allows an entrepreneur to:
a) Find a source of capital.
b) Find an experienced investor that can provide guidance and support.
c) Make it all come together in a fast and efficient way.

How will I attract the attention of potential investors?
When dealing with an angel investor, at the very least your proposal should address the following:
- How much money do you need?
- Why do you need it?
- When do you need it?
- What are you willing to give up to get it?
- When and how can you pay it back?
Investors need your answers to these questions before they will even consider helping you. They are not looking for "pipe dreams" or unprofessional sounding proposals. They expect a reasonably sound business plan as well as an understanding from entrepreneurs that an investor is not going to just blindly hand over significant sums of money with no strings attached whatsoever. They may be angels but there are limits to what they are prepared to do.

How can I pay if I don't have a credit card?
If you are unable to or feel uncomfortable using a credit card, you can pay by PayPal, MoneyBookers or bank transfer.

Why am I being asked to pay again?
You have to pay the Standard, Express, Express Plus or Global Express Plus Fee for every proposal you submit.

Due Diligence
Please be aware that after the initial match has been made it is the entrepreneur's responsibility to carry out diligence on the investor. Please inform us of any suspicious behaviour.

I have other questions. Who do I contact?
Contact us by email: admin@investmentnetwork.cn

Hong Kong > Hong Kong

CNY1,000,000 to CNY100,000,000

February 2, 2012

Looking for Angel Fund, VC, JV, First round/secound round funding investment opportunity.

United States > Tianjin

CNY70,000 to CNY700,000

January 6, 2012

Successful entrepeneur with 40 years experience in import / export / retail and wholesale distribution of specialty building materials and craft supplies.

China > Shanghai

CNY0 to CNY3,000,000

December 20, 2011

Hi, I'm an angel investor based in Shanghai, China. I have over 10 years of work experience in finance in investment banks and fund of hedge funds, with four years on the ground in China. The rest of the time I have worked and studied in the US, my home country. I have most experience working with consumer goods/services companies and seek to leverage my network of contacts, my finance and strategy skillset, and creativity in that industry. I'm currently seeding three businesses (one in fashion, one in wellness products, and the last in fitness) and look for hands-on involvement in additional ventures. Thanks and best wishes!

United States > Jiangsu

CNY100,000 to CNY50,000,000

December 19, 2011

I represent a group of investors, based in the United States, and our interest is to invest in businesses and ideas. Married, I am currently a PhD holder, and I am 47 years old. We believe China is an entity with lots of investment opportunities, and we are willing to invest in China. Our role will be silent, and we are willing to provide all that is needed to ensure the possibility of a successful investment cooperation.

China > Guangdong

CNY10,000 to CNY300,000

December 1, 2011

Highly educated executive manager at a China based manufacturing company with extensive overseas experience. Starting to do angel investing and depending on overlap, will range from silent to active investor.

China > Beijing

CNY500,000 to CNY5,000,000

November 30, 2011

Beijing PiYi Investment Management Co. Limited is a fast-growing pioneer in the Chinese private investment market. Through a group of unique platforms, the company bridges the gap between information, projects, investors, and education to create new opportunities and value for members and partners. PiYi Investment has over a decade of domestic China private equity experience across many sectors, including Banking and Financial Services, Mining, Real Estate, Steel, Education, Manufacturing and New Energy. Deep insight into local markets is combined with strong execution capability supported by strategic alliances formed in government, industry, and academia. With an open mind we are always seeking new challenges, opportunities and investment possibilities.

China > Shanghai

CNY1,000,000 to CNY10,000,000

October 10, 2011

Looking for the next big thing -- can be in any industry. Aside from business potential, management quality is certainly a key factor.

United States > Beverly Hills, California

CNY1,650,000 to CNY650,000,000

September 26, 2011

I am actively searching for investments that best utilize skills, experience and education I have gained in the areas of: administrative computer network and security systems, property management, loss prevention and customer service in the hospitality industry. Also have experience in photo and video production work and in the automotive technical industry. As my resume shows, I have had positions in these fields. I will be happy to begin the application process as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Romania > Bucharest

CNY30,000 to CNY10,000,000

September 13, 2011

I represent Capital Knowledge, an Romanian investment company. We are interested in investing in high ROI and growth businesses.

China > Shanghai

CNY100,000 to CNY200,000

September 12, 2011

I'm a young individual investor looking for the right business idea to put in up to 200,000 RMB at once. I'm interested in the whole dining experience as well as bars and lounges.

China > Shanghai

CNY50,000 to CNY2,000,000

July 26, 2011

I am a french National with extensive international experience in multinationals in the food & beverage sector, covering management positions for 15 years + in europe, middle east, africa and asia. I spent the last 3 years in China in a Managing director role for a multinational wine & spirits company, and previous 4 years in Hong Kong as a Regional director Asia. I have now decided to leave the corporate world and strong of my knowldge of Asia and China in particular, I am willing to explore some investments in the region. Fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish I really believe China is the future and I am willing to make good use of my experience to go for new ventures. Cheers

United States > Hastings on Hudson

CNY10,000 to CNY25,000,000

July 6, 2011

Work with an investor who is looking to invest in dynamic Chinese companies

China > Beijing

CNY20,000 to CNY12,000,000

June 13, 2011

Prof in economics, was in Europe , USA and China. Private Angel investor, background in private equity.

United States > Cupertino

CNY20,000 to CNY200,000

June 1, 2011

Sam Kao co-founded Micro Center Computer Inc in 1990 and was a board member of Supermicro Computer which went to a successful IPO in 2007. Now Sam is focused on start-up company and investment. Sam has over 25 years of extensive background in development, engineering and business management and has been a successful engineer/manager/consultant/executive in several well-respected companies such as Sony, Fairchild, Telesensory, and Snap-on Diagnostics.

India > Jilin

CNY10,000 to CNY10,000,000

May 28, 2011

We are looking for genuine and honest companies that seek investment. The founders experience, skills and background are important criteria.

United States > Centennial

CNY1,000,000 to CNY20,000,000

May 5, 2011

Top of Asia Capital Partners, Inc. (TOACP) focuses on technology- based opportunities within mainland China. We have established substantial local knowledge and ground resources capable of identifying exceptional opportunities, facilitating due diligence, sourcing capital, creating appropriate legal structures and lending operational support as needed to position a venture for a successful exit. TOACP posseses the know-how, patience and creativity required to complete complex transactions even in the most challenging financial markets.

China > Fujian

CNY0 to CNY50,000,000

April 18, 2011

We are a private investment firm focussed on business building and growth of small to medium size companies. Since starting in 2003 we have developed a number of ventures across our main markets in Europe and China. Our team has extensive experience in developing businesses in the fields of food and health care, yachting, clean technology and engineering.

China > Shanghai

CNY80,000,000 to CNY500,000,000

March 28, 2011

I work at Pingan Trust, the trust arm of Pingan Group, one of largest financial institutions in China and dual listed in mainland China and HK stock exchanges. We focus on late stage investments, preferably pre-IPOs or PIPEs in China. Sector preferences are healthcare/pharm, consumer goods, advanced manufacturing, new material, new energy, scarce resources, etc. Minimum investment each project is expected to be over USD15 mm ideally. Currently only local currency investments can be entertained. Please contact me at my private email qiukun@hotmail.com if you have interesting proposals. Thanks.

China > Shanghai

CNY10,000 to CNY100,000

March 15, 2011

UK expat currently running 3 successful businesses in Shanghai. I'm looking for business opportunities that would compliement my current business interests. I'm a UK director in a Data Storage company, a marketing research company specialising in international investing and a financial services company. I can invest and work in a hands on capacity. I have an extensive internationals network which would naturally valuable to any business looking to export or win international contracts.

China > Shanghai

CNY100,000 to CNY1,000,000

March 11, 2011

I'm a 39 years old Israeli entrepreneur with 12 years experience in China. I have had 2 businesses here already and now looking into establishing the third, after successfully selling the last one. I’m married. I have a Master degree from a top university in Australia and I am a fluent Mandarin speaker. In the past I was involved in training, hospitality and editorial work. I am looking for investment which will include hands-on involvement in a new business in China.