Brian Nichols is the co-founder of Angel Squad, a community where you’ll learn how to angel invest and get a chance to invest as little as $1k into Hustle Fund's top performing early-stage startups

In 2019, if you wanted to become an angel investor, you basically needed to live in San Francisco, New York, or Boston. You'd attend pitch events, grab coffee with founders, build networks through endless meetings.

The pandemic forced everyone online. Most people assumed this was temporary.

We didn't return to normal. Because everyone discovered something surprising: remote angel investing works better than in-person ever did.

The Geographic Constraint That Disappeared

Traditional angel investing had a brutal geographic filter. If you lived outside major tech hubs, accessing quality dealflow was nearly impossible.

Angel Squad launched in early 2020 as an in-person Bay Area community. Then COVID hit. They moved everything online.

Membership exploded. People from Seattle, Austin, Chicago, London, Singapore, São Paulo joined. By 2025, Angel Squad has active members in 40+ countries.

The shift revealed something important: talented investors exist everywhere. They were previously locked out by geography, not capability.

The Weekly Cadence That Builds Expertise

Angel Squad runs pitch sessions every Wednesday. This cadence is critical for learning.

In the old model, you'd attend occasional pitch events. Maybe you'd see 10 companies per year. Pattern recognition develops slowly.

With remote weekly sessions, members evaluate 50+ companies annually. That's enough volume to spot patterns.

Eric Bahn notes that experience helps investors "take better guesses at where there may be opportunities" and "test and iterate faster." Remote participation dramatically accelerates that experience curve.

The weekly schedule also creates accountability. It's harder to skip a 45-minute Zoom session at the same time every week than an in-person event across town.

The Economics of Remote Infrastructure

Remote models reduce costs for everyone. Founders don't fly to pitch investors. Investors don't commute. Nobody pays for venue rental.

More importantly, remote infrastructure enables smaller check sizes. Coordinating SPVs for $1,000 minimum investments is feasible on Zoom. Try doing that in person where minimums need to be $25K+ just to justify logistics.

Lower minimums mean better portfolio diversification. Angel Squad members invest $1,000-5,000 per company and build portfolios of 20-40 companies.

The cost reduction also makes communities financially sustainable. Angel Squad charges $4,000 annually. An equivalent in-person program would cost 2-3x more.

The Global Knowledge Arbitrage

Global communities create knowledge arbitrage opportunities.

A founder pitches a fintech product targeting Latin American markets. Traditional Bay Area investors don't understand the regulatory environment. But Angel Squad members in Brazil immediately recognize whether the go-to-market strategy makes sense.

The same dynamic plays out repeatedly. Healthcare in India. E-commerce in Southeast Asia. B2B software in Europe.

Elizabeth Yin frequently emphasizes that great founders "can look like anyone and come from anywhere." Remote angel communities operationalize that philosophy by connecting investors with founders regardless of geography.

The Asynchronous Due Diligence Model

After a pitch session, Angel Squad members discuss opportunities in Slack. Someone with domain expertise shares insights. Another member who invested in a competitor weighs in.

These conversations happen over days. People contribute when they have context.

Asynchronous discussion creates documentation. The Slack history becomes institutional knowledge.

The Recording and Replay Advantage

Every pitch session gets recorded. Members in different time zones watch replays.

A Singapore member can't join 10am Pacific sessions live. With recordings, they watch at 9pm Singapore time.

Recordings enable better learning. You can pause to take notes or rewatch sections.

The Follow-On Coordination

Remote infrastructure simplifies follow-on investments. Coordinating dozens of small checks from distributed investors would be impossible in person.

With remote SPVs: send an email, members indicate interest via form, paperwork happens digitally.

Follow-on discipline drives returns. Remote models coordinate follow-ons with 30-50 small investors.

The Network Density Effect

Remote communities build network density faster. When members join weekly sessions consistently, relationships form quickly.

When you need an intro to a potential customer, post in Slack and someone probably knows them.

Remote networks operate at digital speed versus scheduling meetings weeks in advance.

What Doesn't Work Remotely

Remote angel investing isn't perfect. Relationship depth is harder to build over Zoom. Serendipity from random hallway conversations is lost. Founder chemistry assessment loses some signals that in-person presence provides.

These limitations are real but manageable. Quarterly in-person meetups help with relationship building.

The Hybrid Future

The future isn't purely remote. It's hybrid, mostly remote with strategic in-person gatherings.

Angel Squad hosts quarterly meetups in major cities. Members who can attend meet face-to-face, strengthening relationships. But these gatherings supplement the core remote model rather than replacing it.

Why This Unlocking Matters

Remote work didn't just make angel investing more convenient. It fundamentally changed who can participate and how communities operate.

Before remote models, angel investing was constrained by geography. After remote models, it's constrained only by capital requirements and time commitment.

This shift democratizes access. Talented investors in Austin or Singapore can now participate in communities that were previously exclusive to Bay Area residents.

The question isn't whether remote angel investing works. The evidence proves it does.