LaPointe of Frontier Angels in Montana named to board of national association
The managing director of Frontier Angels and Early Stage Montana was elected to the board of directors overseeing the nation’s top association for angel investors at the Angel Capital Association this week. Pat LaPointe, a Montana native, serves as an advisor to early-stage growth companies and has invested in more than 100 young startups, including many in Montana.
“There are so many things ACA does to identify and share the practices that drive excellent investment outcomes for angels, while simultaneously improving our ability to help entrepreneurs reach their goals and create growth and jobs in our local communities,” LaPointe said in a statement. In Missoula last year, LaPointe said Frontier Angels and its members have emerged as a major investor, capable of directing large sums of seed capital to upstart tech companies to help accelerate their growth.
But while Frontier Angels has its eyes on Montana’s upstart tech scene, the state’s policies, or lack thereof, has made it difficult for state-based companies to access capital. He said it may also deter investors who might otherwise be interested in providing startup funding.
“There’s little to no public policy that directly supports the growth of early-stage tech companies in Montana, and that basically makes us the hole in the bagel,” LaPointe said during his time in Missoula. “Everybody around us, from a state and province perspective, has very aggressive policies to help support the growth of early-stage technology.”
The larger ACA advocates for public policy and professional development, a position that LaPointe plans to pursue. It also networks on behalf of its 14,000 member angel investors across North America.
“From education to benchmarking to public policy influence, I hope to add to the already substantial impact ACA has in further professionalizing one of the most important asset classes in America,” he said. LaPointe said he will keep an eye on Montana while serving the nation’s larger community of angel investors. His three-year term begins on July 1.
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