Membership is by invitation only. Members are "Accredited Investors" as that term is defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933 and under other applicable securities laws and regulations. A Keiretsu Forum member is:

- An active private equity investor.
- A trusted, honest, and respected member of our business community.
- A contributor of time, wisdom, and expertise to our funded and soon to be founded companies.
- Enjoys building relationships with other members and the companies our members fund.

Yes, all Keiretsu Forum members need to be accredited to join, renew, and maintain their membership status.

We invite angel investors interested in learning about the benefits of Keiretsu Forum membership to attend one of our meetings first as a guest. This will provide you with an opportunity to see our process and for us to meet in person. After you have attended a Keiretsu Forum meeting, the next step is to complete our membership application and to schedule a meeting with the local Chapter President to discuss your investment interests. Membership is by invitation only. Invitation is extended to active investors that are respected members of the business community.

No, there is not. We believe that the members should invest in the deals that present at Keiretsu Forum only if they are satisfied with their due diligence and if the deals fit their investment strategy, and not because they need to "meet a minimum". The individual investments members make in a specific deal are in the $25K to $500K range.

Yes, we invite angel investors interested in learning about the benefits of Keiretsu Forum membership to attend one of our meetings first as a guest. This will provide you with an opportunity to see our process and for us to meet in person.

We recommend to our new members not to invest in the first 6 months of their membership. As you are getting involved in the Keiretsu Forum activities this 6-month initiation period will give you an opportunity to participate in the due diligence process and collective mind-share atmosphere of Keiretsu Forum.

90% accredited private equity (angel) investors, 5% venture capital firms and corporate investors, and 5% sponsors and Forum Resource Members (FRM). The qualifications for this membership are:

- Accredited and private equity Investor first, and
- May provide a service to the presenting companies and to the Keiretsu Forum membership. An example of these services may include: investment banking, M&A, marketing, financing, re-structuring, and general consulting services.

We are a global angel investment network. When a member joins a local chapter they become a member of the global network of over 2,500 angel investor members world-wide. Each chapter is limited to 150 members to allow for the members to get to know each other and to maintain close collaborative relationships. When a chapter reaches capacity, if there is a critical number of investors nearby, we evaluate the opportunity to launch a new chapter to accommodate investor member interest. For the number of members of a specific chapter, please contact the local Chapter President.

Keiretsu Forum was founded in September 2000 by Randy Williams in the San Francisco East Bay.

Keiretsu Forum has 50+ chapters on 4 continents (North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia). To contact the local chapter that is closest to you, please visit the contact page.

Our community of global chapters enables:
- Support of our portfolio companies and presenting entrepreneurs with equity and resources in different capital markets.
- Building additional quality deal flow for our members.
- Our members to enjoy collaborative business and social relationships among chapters.
- Job creation and economic impact in the communities where we have presence.

We have shifted the paradigm of local angels investing locally, and we are supporting entrepreneurs with capital and resources globally.

1) Complete on-line application
2) Committee pre-screening (software, telecom, life sciences, automation & instrumentation, media/entertainment, real estate)
3) Selected companies present to a deal screening (15-min presentation, 7-10 companies, the number of members in attendance depends on the specific chapter)
4) Keiretsu Forum meeting (20-min presentation, 4-5 companies, the number of members in attendance depends on the specific chapter)
5) Due Diligence (takes anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 5-6 months depending on the company's industry and stage. Members collaborate in the due diligence but invest as individuals)
6) Multi-Chapter Investing (companies that receive investment traction from one chapter may present to other chapters for additional funding).

Some of the investment criteria used to evaluate investment opportunities that come to the Keiretsu Forum are:

- Revenue is sustainable and recurring.
- Sustainable margin expansion.
- There is pain: a need with customers clamoring to pay for a solution. Existing paying customers.
- Market opportunity – initial vertical market has to be large and compelling.
- Sustainable competitive advantage with no foreseeable threats from disruptive technologies or other players.
- Experienced and driven management team with mix of technology skills for proper execution. Clear successes and failures we can see and discuss.
- Pre-Money valuation has to be negotiable.
- Proprietary products or channels of distribution with no foreseeable threats from competing methodologies, technology or channels.
- The company has to be profitable within 2 years and more importantly this is the last round to profitability.
- Long-term cash generation capability. Within 3 – 4 years from inception, the company should be able to have the capability to fund itself from internal cash flow in the absence of continued funding.
- Exit strategy.
- Intellectual Property - clearly defensive and protected.
- Knowledgeable Board of Directors with proper mix of strategy, technology and operational skills to support the management team.

Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities in emerging technologies, life science/healthcare, clean technology, consumer goods, real estate, and any other segment with high growth opportunity.

Companies that apply to Keiretsu Forum are typically in their A or B rounds. They usually have received $250K to $500K from the founders, friends, family and individual angels before they reach us.

Keiretsu Forum staff will follow up with you no later than the following day of your presentation at the Deal Screening. In addition to the decision, we provide feedback from the member discussion on your company.

Deal Screening: 15-minute presentation on 7-10 Power Point slides (7-minute core presentation followed by 8-minute Q&A) Keiretsu Forum: 20-minute presentation on 7-10 Power Point Slides (10-minute core presentation followed by 10-minute Q&A)

There is no fee to apply, to be pre-screened and to present at the Deal Screening meeting. However, if at the Deal Screening meeting your company is selected to present to the full Keiretsu Forum, there is an administrative fee in order to defer a portion of the management and organizational costs. Also, the administrative fee serves as filter system. Please contact the Entrepreneur Director of the chapter where you are applying for more information.