Comparison · 12 material differences
ACG vs Angel Capital Association
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 ACG
Middle-market mergers and acquisitions professionals: private equity investors, corporate development officers, lenders, investment bankers, lawyers, accountants and advisers…
Professional association
Angel Capital Association
Individual accredited angel investors, organised angel groups, angel funds, family offices investing in private companies, equity crowdfunding platforms, and ecosystem…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: ACG: Reduced young-professional rates are limited to first-time members aged 35 and under; Angel Capital Association: No published maximum age at joining.
- Accredited-investor status: ACG: No published accredited-investor status; Angel Capital Association: Individual membership is aimed at accredited angel investors; online equity marketplace platform members must be comprised of accredited investors.
- Annual dues: ACG: Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule.; Angel Capital Association: $310 a year.
Side by side
| ACG | Angel Capital Association | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1954 | 2004 (Formed out of four Angel Organization Summits convened by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 2002 and 2003. One business directory gives 2005; 2004 is the date recorded on Wikipedia and in ACA's own account of its origins.) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Overland Park, United States |
| Geographic footprint | 61 local markets worldwide, grouped into seven regions (Canada, Central, Europe, Great Lakes, Northeast, Southeast, West); most chapters are in North America, with chapters in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom | United States, with some international members; ACA also serves as the US representative to the World Business Angels Association |
| Members | 14,000as of September 2026 | 15,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 61 | ACA has no chapters. Its 250+ member angel groups and platforms are independent organisations that join as institutional members. |
| Primary audience | Middle-market mergers and acquisitions professionals: private equity investors, corporate development officers, lenders, investment bankers, lawyers, accountants and advisers, plus PE-backed CEOs | Individual accredited angel investors, organised angel groups, angel funds, family offices investing in private companies, equity crowdfunding platforms, and ecosystem organisations such as accelerators and universities |
| Typical member | Members come from corporations, private equity firms, lenders and professional service firms working on middle-market transactions. ACG reports that 75% of members say they have done business with another member. Specialist networks exist for corporate development officers, family offices, PE-backed CEOs, operating partners, women and young professionals. | Individual members are accredited angel investors, most of whom belong to one of ACA's member angel groups and are automatically included through that group's membership. Institutional members are angel networks, funds, family offices and platforms. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Reduced young-professional rates are limited to first-time members aged 35 and underApplies to discounted categories only (for example ACG New York's Forward membership, available for a maximum of two years); standard membership has no age limitverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published maximum age at joining |
| Accredited-investor status | No published accredited-investor status | Individual membership is aimed at accredited angel investors; online equity marketplace platform members must be comprised of accredited investorsACA states that membership is available to individual angels, accredited platforms, angel group investors and family offices. It does not publish a separate verification procedure for individual members.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants pick a chapter using ACG's chapter locator and join or renew through the central portal at my.acg.org. There is no published interview, sponsorship or committee review; payment of chapter dues completes membership. A member referral programme exists but referral is not required. | Applicants complete an online application, agree to the ACA Member Code of Conduct and pay annual dues for the relevant category. Online equity marketplace platforms are asked to contact the membership team rather than self-serve. Individual investors who belong to a member angel group are enrolled through that group. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: ACG publishes no acceptance criteria or rejection data, and membership appears to be open to anyone working in middle-market M&A who pays chapter dues | Not publicly disclosed. Admission is by application and code-of-conduct agreement rather than by selection; ACA publishes no rejection or acceptance data. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule. | $310 a yearIndividual Investor membership, "starting at $310". Members of ACA angel groups are automatically included.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed: no separate initiation fee was found; the first-year rate is higher than the renewal rate at some chaptersverified September 2026 | Dues are published as starting rates; the tiering above those floors is not detailed publicly. |
| Local chapter dues | $725 a yearACG New York standard membership, first yearverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Dues are published as starting rates; the tiering above those floors is not detailed publicly. |
| Event costs | Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule. | Not publicly disclosed. ACA's annual summit carries a registration fee that is not published on the membership pages.verified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual, renewed through the chapter | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 1,200 events a year across the network; individual chapters typically run monthly or more frequent programmes, plus national conferences including DealMAX | Annual summit held in a different city each year, plus webinars and education programming through the year |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forums; members organise through chapters and seven cross-chapter specialist networks (corporate development officers, family offices, PE-backed CEOs, operating partners, Women of ACG, young professionals) | Peer group syndication channels rather than confidential peer forums |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found | Members agree to the ACA Member Code of Conduct; no separate confidentiality regime is published |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused | Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | No |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Yes | Yes |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: ACG · Angel Capital Association