When should an angel leave spreadsheets?

When documents, SEIS/EIS certificates, follow-ons or a second person (accountant, partner) need the same book. If you already have two files named final, you are late.

Can I still export to Excel?

You should be able to. Software is the system of record; a sheet can be an output. Investech is built so the live book is not the XLSX.

Is this the same as Investech vs spreadsheets?

This is the full conversion guide. The old comparison URL redirects here.

Conversion guide

Angel Investor Spreadsheets vs Software

Almost every serious angel starts in a spreadsheet. That is rational: one name, one cheque, no certificate yet. The question is not whether Excel is stupid. It is when the sheet stops being a ledger and becomes a liability.

Investech exists for that moment. It is angel investor portfolio management software— not a CRM, not a syndicate platform, not a family office suite.

Canonical category: angel investor portfolio management software · FAQ

Why investors start with spreadsheets

Zero cost, infinite columns, no vendor. You can model ownership however you like. For a first SEIS cheque, a sheet plus a folder is enough. Shame is not a strategy; most books begin this way, including people who later buy software.

What breaks as portfolios grow

Around 8–15 names the failure modes cluster: follow-ons need extra rows but your unique key is company name; convertibles do not fit the equity columns; MOIC formulas include an exit you forgot to move; SEIS and EIS share a “tax” flag; the accountant asks for certificates that live in someone else’s inbox.

Tracking discipline is described in angel portfolio tracking. Record types in record keeping.

Version problems

`portfolio.xlsx`, `portfolio_accountant.xlsx`, `Copy of portfolio (1).xlsx`. The live number is whichever file you opened last. Software has one book. Exports can be dated snapshots. That single difference is most of the product.

Missing documents

A hyperlink to Drive that 404s is not storage. Certificate workflows need received vs awaiting, not a cell colour. Investech attaches files to the company and raises actions when EIS3/SEIS3 is missing. Sheets cannot nag you in a way that is tied to the holding.

Collaboration issues

Emailing a workbook to an accountant creates a fork. Comments in cells get overwritten. Permissions are “whoever has the Dropbox link.” Accountant collaboration in a product is a role on the same data, with readiness scores instead of a panic week in January.

Scaling difficulties

More names means more instruments, currencies, and tax schemes. Custom Airtable or Notion copies of “angel CRM” become your second job. vs Airtable and vs Notion are the honest split: flexible vs purpose-built.

Advantages of specialist software

A schema for equity, SAFEs and notes. Metrics from the same ledger. Documents on the company. SEIS/EIS as a workflow. An Action centre. A demo with sample data. A free plan to start. That is the conversion case for Investech — try the demo and pricing.

Specialist software is the wrong buy if you need Affinity-style CRM, Carta-style cap tables, or AngelList-style syndicates. Those comparisons exist so you do not purchase the wrong category.

FAQ

When should an angel leave spreadsheets?: When documents, SEIS/EIS certificates, follow-ons or a second person (accountant, partner) need the same book. If you already have two files named final, you are late.
Can I still export to Excel?: You should be able to. Software is the system of record; a sheet can be an output. Investech is built so the live book is not the XLSX.
Is this the same as Investech vs spreadsheets?: This is the full conversion guide. The old comparison URL redirects here.

Keep the book in one place

Investech is angel investor portfolio management software — holdings, documents, SEIS/EIS and next actions after you invest.

Try demo