Yes, you can use a self-directed IRA to invest in startups, provided they allow investments on the AngelList platform. You can find a list of IRA custodians that we currently support here. If your IRA custodian is not on this list, please confirm with your custodian that you are able to make IRA investments on AngelList, and please contact us at invest@angellist.com so that we can review the custodian’s requirements.
Before committing to investing through an IRA, please note:
- A typical IRA investment takes 1-2 weeks to complete. It can take a significant amount of time to satisfy your custodian’s requirements and have them wire your funds. If the closing deadline for your investment is less than two weeks away, we encourage you to consider investing personally or through a different type of entity.
- Your custodian may require you to complete specific forms. AngelList will provide you with key information that custodians commonly require, but it is ultimately your responsibility to complete any forms required by your custodian.
- Your custodian may require AngelList to complete specific forms. Some IRA custodians require investment sponsors, managers, or administrators to complete specific forms to facilitate the investment. We ask that you obtain these forms and provide them to us as quickly as possible to facilitate your investment.
- Your investment will not be considered complete until we receive countersigned documents from your custodian. AngelList will circulate key documents for signature, but we cannot close your investment until your custodian has signed and returned them.
- If you’re investing in a rolling fund or a venture fund with a capital call schedule, you may have to complete this process each time you fund a new quarter or drawdown. Custodians have different processes in place for investments that have multiple funding deadlines, but it’s not uncommon for them to require a new process and set of forms for each deadline.
At this time, self-directed IRAs are the only retirement accounts that we can accept as investment entities on the AngelList platform. We do not currently support investing out of a 401k or other retirement account, nor do we support investing through any entity subject to ERISA.