Entrepreneurs are, by definition, risk takers. Thus, strong risk management is an important source of competitive advantage. Although over half of all startups fail within their first five years, you can beat the odds and build a thriving and rewarding venture by learning to recognize and manage risks.

“What Kills Startups” provides a framework for identifying, thinking about, and mitigating the biggest risks ahead of you. So roll up your sleeves and dig in!

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The Center for Venture Research has published their 2008 report of angel investor activity in the U.S. The report contains both good news and bad news.

• The Good News:  The number of active angel investors in 2008 and the number of deals they invested in remained comparable to 2007. In 2008, a total of 55,480 ventures received angel investment, down only 2.9% from the previous year. The number of active individual angel investors remained steady at 260,500.

• The Bad News:  The total dollars invested in 2008 fell 26.2% to $19.2 billion. This indicates a contraction in average deal size, presumably due to lower valuations.

The six sectors receiving the most angel investment are as follows:

• Healthcare: 16%
• Software: 13%
• Retail: 12%
• Biotech: 11%
• Industrial/Energy: 8%
• Media: 7%

In 2008, 45% of angel investments occurred at the seed or start-up stage. Only 10% of the deals brought to the attention of angel investors succeeded in obtaining an investment.

Note that the study only includes accredited or “sophisticated” angel investors who invest through angel investing groups; the study excludes investment activity by informal “friends and family” investors.