Ex-Google Angels: Sharing the Wealth

Written by Julie Sloane of Entrepreneur.com

With Google's (GOOG Quote - Cramer on GOOG - Stock Picks) stock hovering around $475 a share, employees who had the foresight to join in the early years have made their financial advisers proud. Recently, an increasing number of early Google employees have cashed out their options.

Why? They've hatched grand plans to share their wealth and expertise with early-stage companies. Here are three investors who have recently left Google and may be seeking a company -- like yours -- in which to invest.

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Andrea Zurek -- Mountain View, Calif.

Job at Google: Part of the original West Coast sales team for Google AdWords.

Industries she's eyeing: Consumer Internet, social networking, retail/consumer.

Likes: Entrepreneurs who are financially invested in their companies and have found other investors; patented or otherwise defensible technologies; scrappy, flexible management teams.

Number of businesses in which she's invested: 10.

One to watch: Metropark, a fashion retailer from the founders of Hot Topic.

Plans: Working on XG-Ventures, a formal angel investors group she created with other ex-Googlers (including Pietro Dova, below).

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David Hirsch -- New York City.

Job at Google: Business development and sales. He helped set up the New York City office and founded the Vertical Markets Group.

Industries he's eyeing: Online media, mobile payments, financial services.

Likes: "Companies that solve a neat problem"; a good core technology; teams that can adjust to change.

Number of businesses in which he's invested: Three.

One to watch: Amie Street, a music site with songs that start out free and increase in price the more they're downloaded.

Plans: Starting an incubator/investment fund called Metamorphic Ventures in New York City to help new companies accelerate growth.

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