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Investing in people, not in products: how age, gender, ethnicity, and attractiveness of entrepreneurial teams influence the decision-making of angel investors in Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Livia Boerner

    (Paderborn University)

  • Thomas Fritz

    (Aachen University of Applied Sciences)

  • Bernd Frick

    (Paderborn University)

Abstract

The high-risk decision environment and information asymmetries associated with investing in early-stage startups in pitch competitions make angel investors prone to biased decision-making. Drawing from social perception theory, this study examines how angel investors’ decisions are influenced by observed personal characteristics of entrepreneurial teams, based on representative stereotypes. Analyzing a dataset of N = 553 startup pitches from the German televised competition Die Höhle der Löwen, this study reveals that the likelihood of securing deals with German angel investors and the resulting business valuations are linked to certain superficial team characteristics. Specifically, the age, diverse ethnicity, and physical attractiveness of the entrepreneurial team have a significant positive effect on deal probabilities. Moreover, angel investors offer lower deal valuations to teams of older and female entrepreneurs, suggesting the presence of a systematic bias. These insights contribute to understanding the role of stereotypes in entrepreneurial finance and address the challenges related to bias in access to capital for early-stage startups in Germany.

Suggested Citation

  • Livia Boerner & Thomas Fritz & Bernd Frick, 2025. "Investing in people, not in products: how age, gender, ethnicity, and attractiveness of entrepreneurial teams influence the decision-making of angel investors in Germany," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 95(1), pages 37-74, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jbecon:v:95:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11573-024-01206-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11573-024-01206-7
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age bias; Gender bias; Ethnicity bias; Attractiveness bias; Stereotypes; Angel investors;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E71 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on the Macro Economy
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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