Bill Payne (investor)
Encyclopedia
William H. Payne, known as Bill Payne, is an engineer
, entrepreneur
, angel investor
and educator. Bill graduated with BS and MS degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois, where he has served on the Dean’s Board of Visitors of the College of Engineering. In 1971, he started Solid State Dielectrics, Inc. (SSD), a capacitor
dielectric materials company. Eleven years later, he sold the company to DuPont
.
Since then, Mr. Payne has accomplished the following:
- Invested as an angel in over 50 startup companies
- Served on five university advisory boards
- Taught over 80 workshops and seminars on angel investing in five countries.
- Provided over 120 man-years of service on private company and non-profit boards of directors
- Acted as the president of the United States Advanced Ceramics Association, the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, and the American Ceramic Society.
- Served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to the Kauffman Foundation
- Assisted in the founding of four angel groups in the US
- Served on the founding committee of the Angel Capital Association
(US)
From 1995 to 2007, in his role as an Entrepreneur in Residence with the Kauffman Foundation (Kansas City), he worked on educational programs for entrepreneurs and their investors, including www.eVenturing.com and the Power of Angel Investing seminar series. He was also actively engaged in the formation and startup of the Angel Capital Education Foundation and the Angel Capital Association.
With generous support from BNZ, FRST, and many other organisations around New Zealand, The ICEHOUSE (incubator)
has organised a six-month visit by Bill Payne from February to July 2010 in New Zealand where he is mentoring and educating New Zealanders on angel investing and capital raising.
A highlight of his visit in New Zealand is his presentation on angel investment at the New Zealand Exchange
in Wellington
, Vegas Valley Angels, and Frontier Angel Fund.
Payne, W.H. (2006), “the Definitive Guide to Raising Money from Angels” eBook, available from www.billpayne.com
About Angel Investing (links):
For Angel Investors (links):
For Entrepreneurs Seeking Investment (links):
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, angel investor
Angel investor
An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...
and educator. Bill graduated with BS and MS degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois, where he has served on the Dean’s Board of Visitors of the College of Engineering. In 1971, he started Solid State Dielectrics, Inc. (SSD), a capacitor
Capacitor
A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field. The forms of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric ; for example, one common construction consists of metal foils separated...
dielectric materials company. Eleven years later, he sold the company to DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
.
Since then, Mr. Payne has accomplished the following:
- Invested as an angel in over 50 startup companies
- Served on five university advisory boards
- Taught over 80 workshops and seminars on angel investing in five countries.
- Provided over 120 man-years of service on private company and non-profit boards of directors
- Acted as the president of the United States Advanced Ceramics Association, the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, and the American Ceramic Society.
- Served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to the Kauffman Foundation
- Assisted in the founding of four angel groups in the US
- Served on the founding committee of the Angel Capital Association
Angel Capital Association
Angel Capital Association is the official industry alliance of over 100 of the largest angel investor groups in the United States. Since its founding in 2004, it has played a significant role in bringing together the previously separate angel and venture capital industries, in order to make...
(US)
From 1995 to 2007, in his role as an Entrepreneur in Residence with the Kauffman Foundation (Kansas City), he worked on educational programs for entrepreneurs and their investors, including www.eVenturing.com and the Power of Angel Investing seminar series. He was also actively engaged in the formation and startup of the Angel Capital Education Foundation and the Angel Capital Association.
With generous support from BNZ, FRST, and many other organisations around New Zealand, The ICEHOUSE (incubator)
ICEHOUSE (incubator)
The ICEHOUSE is a business growth centre that creates learning environments for entrepreneurial firms to enable them to significantly grow their companies. This charitable trust encompasses a business incubator for startup companies, a training company for owner managed companies and is home to New...
has organised a six-month visit by Bill Payne from February to July 2010 in New Zealand where he is mentoring and educating New Zealanders on angel investing and capital raising.
A highlight of his visit in New Zealand is his presentation on angel investment at the New Zealand Exchange
New Zealand Exchange
NZX Limited is a stock exchange located in Wellington, New Zealand. Since July 2005 it has been located in NZX Centre, the renovated Odlins building on the Wellington waterfront...
in Wellington
Angel Investing
Mr. Payne has been actively involved in angel investing since 1980. He has funded over 50 companies and mentored over 100, he is a founding member of four angel organizations: Aztec Venture Network, Tech Coast AngelsTech coast angels
-Tech Coast Angels:Tech Coast Angels is an angel investor network in the United States and one of the leading sources of funding to early-stage companies in Southern California...
, Vegas Valley Angels, and Frontier Angel Fund.
Hans Severiens Award
This is the highest award in angel investing in the US and is awarded in memory of Hans Severiens, founder of the Band of Angels in Silicon Valley (1994) who died in 2004. The Angel Capital Association (ACA) announced on April 16 that William H. Payne has been named the 2009 recipient at the ACA Summit in Atlanta. The award honors individuals whose actions demonstrate leadership in advancing the role of angel investing, in expanding entrepreneurship, and whose accomplishments influence and benefit the angel investment industry.Arch Angel Award
In November 2010, Bill was named a New Zealand Arch Angels, only the second such award by the Angel Association of New Zealand. According to AANZ Chair, Phil McCaw, "Bill has been helping the development of the NZ Angel scene extensively. His contribution culminated in this year’s five month stay during which time he had a dramatic impact on raising the profile of angel investment, assisting angels groups and providing one on one mentoring to a huge number of NZ entrepreneurs."Recent Books and Articles on Angel Investing by Bill Payne
Books:Payne, W.H. (2006), “the Definitive Guide to Raising Money from Angels” eBook, available from www.billpayne.com
About Angel Investing (links):
- Angels Shine Brightly for Start-up Entrepreneurs
- These Angels Like to Work as a Team (New York Times)
- Angel financing: Trends for today's entrepreneurs (USA Today)
- Angel Investing: Enabling Entrepreneurial Growth (Future Venture)
For Angel Investors (links):
- Doing Well, Doing Good and Having Fun
- Asset Allocation and Portfolio Strategy for Angel Investors
- Joining Angel Organizations – A Win-Win Opportunity
- Valuing Pre-revenue Companies (Editor: Bill Payne)
- Sidecar Funds and Angel Groups
For Entrepreneurs Seeking Investment (links):
- What To Expect From Angel Networks (American Venture)
- Using the Board for Company Growth
- Debt Financing for High-Growth Companies
- Choosing Your Exit Strategy
- Terms and Conditions of Selling Your Business