Angel funding is often viewed as a stepping stone towards obtaining venture capital. An alternative perspective is that angel investors and venture capitalists are distinct investor types that rarely mix with each other. Using a unique database from British Columbia, Canada, we provide evidence that angel and venture capital funding are dynamic substitutes, not complements. This finding applies across the performance range. Using an instrumental variable approach based on tax credits, we find evidence of both company-led selection and investor-led treatment effects. The substitutes pattern is more pronounced for casual angels and angel funds than for serial angels.
