Decoded: Investor Psychology
Opening the Black Box of Investor Psychology: How Angels Really Think
This session opens the black box of investor psychology - how angel investors assess risk, evaluate founders, and make decisions that can change the trajectory of your company.
In a candid, Chatham House–rule discussion, two successful female founders, an active angel investor, and the CEO of Cambridge Angels (who oversees a portfolio of 60 investors and manages their deal flow) will unpack what really happens behind the scenes of early-stage fundraising.
We’ll talk honestly about what works (and what doesn’t), how to get in front of the right investors, and what “fit” truly means - from both sides of the table.
You’ll leave with:
Real insights into how angels spot potential and assess risk
Practical advice on building credibility and trust with investors
Strategies for finding (and attracting) the right investors for your business
Tips for navigating the deck, application, and introduction process
Founder-to-founder truths about the emotional and strategic realities of raising capital
By the end of this session, you’ll stop guessing what investors want - and start positioning yourself and your company to meet them where they are.
About our Speakers
Emmi Nicholl, CEO - Cambridge Angels
Emmi is CEO of the angel investment group, Cambridge Angels – some of Europe’s leading early-stage investors. The CA group provides smart capital from investors who are themselves exited entrepreneurs. Her role is to help Cambridge Angels develop its reach by building networks to attract high quality investment opportunities. She gets to talk to founders who are seeking funding and learn a lot about a huge variety of tech businesses.
James Thomas, Angel Investor
James is a full-time angel investor focused on university spin-outs and science-based start-ups, with over a decade of experience in the start-up sector across a variety of roles. A member of Cambridge Angels and former Investment Manager at Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, he has invested in and supported numerous university spinouts. Alongside investing, he advises and mentors for institutional investors and accelerator programmes.
Committed to diversity, James prioritises backing teams with founders from under-represented backgrounds - the vast majority of his portfolio includes at least one female founder. He also supports related initiatives and serves on the Board of the Cambridge Female Founders Network.
Dr. Jenny Barnett, Co-Founder & CEO - Monument Tx
Jenny brings a unique blend of commercial and scientific expertise to drive Monument’s mission to transform neuroscience through precision medicine. Previously Chief Scientific Officer at Cambridge Cognition, Jenny played a pivotal role in establishing Monument Tx as a successful spin-out, securing substantial funding to support its innovative solutions.
Jenny holds an MA in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University and a PhD in Schizophrenia Epidemiology from the University of Cambridge, followed by postdoctoral work at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. She has published over 70 papers, holds six patents, and is an honorary member of Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Hannah Sore, Co-Founder & CEO - PharmEnable Therapeutics
Hannah is a medicinal chemist and the Co-Founder & CEO of PharmEnable Therapeutics, a Cambridge spin-out using its AI-enabled chemSEEK platform to unlock challenging small-molecule drug targets, particularly in oncology and neurology. She co-founded PharmEnable from the University of Cambridge alongside colleagues including Dr Natalia Mateu and Prof David Spring, and has experience spanning academia, pharma, and business consulting.