Neil here.

Today is the final day of the quarter, and it’s really got me thinking about how much has changed since this time last year.

Last March, no one really knew what the year ahead would bring. But since then, we’ve seen startups across the country adapt to unprecedented market conditions and paradigm shifts that have changed the way we do business for good.

Many of them have taken these changes in stride. And not to mention, entrepreneurship is on the rise, with more new businesses launching during the pandemic than we’ve seen over the last decade.

All of that said, it’s a great time to be a startup investor. If you’re a part of Angels & Entrepreneurs, you’ve seen firsthand the number of incredible opportunities coming straight onto our Network each month (and if you haven’t subscribed yet, I really want you to check this out. I’d love to have you on board.).

I could go on about just how much has changed for days. But there’s one paradigm shift in particular that’s really piqued my interest this year, and it’s completely democratizing the startup landscape, both for founding teams and their investors.

For years, Silicon Valley has been the hub of the startup world. It’s been the home of massive institutions like Google, Apple, Amazon, and more… companies that at one point were just tiny ventures led by early-stage entrepreneurs with a vision (kind of like the ones you can check out right here).

I’m absolutely not denying the influence that Silicon Valley has on the startup world. In fact, three of last year’s biggest exits – Snowflake, DoorDash, and Airbnb – are headquarted around there.

But the truth is… These days, startups no longer need to launch in Northern California to be successful. There are other tech hubs around the country starting to see large funding spikes this year.

New York, for example, is catching up to the Valley pretty quickly, with over $7.5 billion in funding going to Big Apple startups so far this year. We’re also seeing rapid growth in cities like Austin, Boulder, and Miami.

On top of that, companies like Oracle, HP, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla have packed up and left Silicon Valley.

Now sure, this signifies that with the right tools, startups can launch and be successful from just about anywhere. But what I’m really interested in is what this means for investors… including you!

You don’t need to be a big-name Silicon Valley venture capitalist to access the greatest deal opportunities out there. Chances are, the best opportunities of the next few months and years won’t come from Silicon Valley at all (we’ve lined up a bunch of them already).

No matter where you are, you could be living in the same state (or even town) as the world’s next Zuckerberg or Bezos or Gates or anyone else. It’s completely plausible.

And as the doors continue to open up even more for entrepreneurs of every background and location, they’re going to do the same for you, the potential investor.

That’s what makes me so excited about this community. It’s rare to find a such a large network of people dedicated to making startup investing a reality for everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you have.

It’s that mission that inspired me to launch this community almost two years ago, and it’s that mission that makes me confident in this Network’s success for years to come.

Right now, I really want to see you on board. We’re growing fast, and we have so much coming down the line that will drive us into the future.

If you’re interested (and I really hope you are), you can check out all the details here. And if you’re already a part of the community, make sure you head over to your Deal Flow Tracker to see what opportunities we’ve got lined up for you now.

I’ll be back soon with another update.

Until next time,


Neil Patel