April 1, 2025
New York City is widely known as the financial capital of the world. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s home to some of the most experienced and well-connected angel investors actively backing B2B SaaS and software startups.
For SaaS founders, the right angel investor brings capital, industry expertise, customer introductions, and the credibility that opens doors to follow-on funding. Unlike institutional VCs, who may take months to make decisions, experienced angels can move quickly, often writing checks within weeks of first meetings.
At Bonfire Ventures, we've worked alongside many angel investors who've backed our successful portfolio companies. We've seen firsthand which angels add real value beyond their checks and which ones founders recommend to other entrepreneurs..
This guide profiles the top active NYC-based angel investors and investment groups specifically focused on SaaS and software companies. These investors have the experience and networks to help you raise seed funding for your B2B software startup.
An angel investor is someone who invests their own money in early-stage companies, usually in exchange for equity. Think of them as successful entrepreneurs, former executives, or industry experts who want to back the next generation of founders.
Angel investors typically write smaller checks for SaaS startups than venture capitalists (VCs), usually between $25,000 and $250,000. They often invest before a formal round exists, and many continue participating alongside pre-seed or seed investors. Their role is to provide the first vote of confidence, helping founders move from an idea toward something fundable by larger investors.
The best angel investors for SaaS companies typically offer:
For NYC-based SaaS startups, local angels offer extra advantages. They understand the city's competitive talent market, have connections to enterprise customers headquartered there, and can introduce you to the region's network of institutional investors.
Let’s look at active solo angels based in NYC who personally invest in early-stage SaaS and software startups. These are experienced operators and founders who write checks from their own capital and often work hands-on with the companies they back.
Jason Finger is best known as the co-founder of Seamless, now part of Grubhub. Over the past decade, he’s become a highly active NYC-based angel investor. He invests through his family office, Finger Group, and co-founded Upper90, a fund known for offering founders flexible capital beyond traditional equity. Jason often backs operationally intense startups—especially those with marketplace or SaaS dynamics.
Roger Ehrenberg was among NYC’s first digital-media angels, backing breakout plays like Invite Media and TweetDeck. He then co-founded IA Ventures, a firm that focused on data-driven SaaS and fintech bets at the Seed and Series A levels. These days, he's also active via Eberg Capital, focusing on creator economies, web3, and next-gen infrastructure.
Tali Edry is a Founding Partner at 97212 Ventures, a New York–based seed fund that backs Israeli startups expanding into the U.S. They typically invest between $100K and $5M, with a sweet spot around $1.5M. Tali offers operational support like building GTM boards and customer connections.
Joanne Wilson has personally invested in over 140 companies, with a strong focus on women-led startups. She typically writes early checks at the Seed and Series A stages and stays involved as companies grow. Founders value her as a long-term advocate who offers candid feedback and access to her extended NYC network.
Gary Vaynerchuk is one of the internet’s most viral entrepreneur content creators. He invested at the pre-seed level in some of the most successful tech companies of the 2000s, often based on founder intuition and early product momentum. While he now focuses on institutional vehicles like VaynerX and VaynerRSE, his past activity helped shape several major startup outcomes.
Angela Lee launched 37 Angels to bring more women into startup investing and close the funding gap for underrepresented founders. Her group reviews thousands of pitches annually and runs a rigorous screening and education process for both investors and founders. She brings an academic lens from Columbia Business School, but her diligence is rooted in practical startup experience.
Gil Penchina pioneered angel syndicated investing on AngelList through Flight VC. He’s backed high-impact startups like PayPal and LinkedIn, and he continues advising from roles such as venture partner at Ridge Ventures and board member at UXPin. Founders can benefit from his deep understanding of how to scale early-stage SaaS and fintech companies.
Fabrice Grinda is one of the most active angel investors worldwide. He’s personally backed over 700 startups and co-founded FJ Labs, which deploys structured early-stage investments in marketplaces and consumer platforms. He’s originally from France, and now helps founders scale fast and globally.
Erica Dorfman is deeply embedded in both the operator and investor worlds. As Brex's EVP of Global Financial Products, she helped develop and scale products like virtual cards, global spend tools, and payments infrastructure starting in 2019. She also serves as an LP at Operator Collective, where she co-invests in pre-seed and seed startups.
These groups give startups access to multiple investors through one application process. They often include mentorship, pitch coaching, and follow-on support alongside capital.
New York Angels has invested over $167M across 330+ companies, making it one of the most active and experienced angel groups in the U.S. Founders pitch to a room of individual members who co-invest, typically writing checks between $100K–$1.5M. Beyond capital, the group offers mentorship from seasoned operators and often provides support through follow-on rounds.
Founded by the same Angela Lee mentioned earlier in the list, 37 Angels is known for its women-led approach. The group evaluates 2,500+ startups annually and invests in about 10–12, with a clear thesis around diversity and inclusion. Investors are trained via bootcamps, and founders get structured pitch coaching, quick decisions, and hands-on support post-investment.
Golden Seeds is another leading source of capital for women-led startups, with $180M+ invested across 249 companies. Their portfolio companies have raised over $2B in total funding, and the group maintains a strong nationwide presence. Founders can benefit from a well-defined diligence process and long-term support from experienced angel investors and advisors.
Empire Angels is a millennial-founded network where members co-invest either via vote-driven funds or individually. They’ve backed 17 companies over the past decade, including one unicorn (Socure), and have seen one IPO (Zoomcar) and six acquisitions from their portfolio. Many investments fall into the $100K–$250K range at Seed, with a few larger follow-ons in Series A or B.
The right angel will be able to write checks, fit your stage, have knowledge of your sector, and support your needs. Follow these steps to zero in on the right investors faster:
It’s not just about getting funded. The right angel investor gives you more than money—they offer context, connections, and early conviction when it matters most. In SaaS, where the pace is relentless, the decisions you make early on carry outsized weight—making the right support all the more critical.
Great angels do three things: show up early with conviction, compound your momentum with timely help, and stay aligned as the company evolves. Optimize for fit—not just name recognition. Look for incentives and cadence that match yours, strong founder references, and networks that map to your customers and future investors. In a market like NYC, depth of commercial relationships often matters as much as brand.
When that early momentum turns into readiness for seed, Bonfire is built for that chapter—partnering with B2B software founders with conviction and long-term support.
