Angels in British Columbia

Abstract:     
The case study provides an overview of the angel investment practices and describes government policies towards angel and venture capital investing in British Columbia, Canada. It focuses in particular on the Equity Capital Program (BCECP henceforth), which provides tax credits to private equity investors that meet several eligibility criteria. The case study is written from the point of view of a policy maker, with a perspective on the entire ecosystem. It provides an overview of the existing structure of the tax credit program, its history, and the lessons learned to date. It discusses the current challenges faced by policy makers wanting to further improve the program.

Learning Objective: 1. To provide the students with a basic understanding of angel investing. 2. To explore the challenges associated with maintaining a viable tax credit system. 3. To determine the appropriate changes governments can make to promote increased angel investing.

working papers series