Despite the weakening U.S. economy, angels invested $26 billion into 57,120 ventures last year, according to the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Venture Research. The dollar amount invested represented a 1.8 percent increase over 2006, while the number of entrepreneurial ventures receiving angel funding represented a 12 percent increase. Studies show that entrepreneurs with good ideas who start their businesses in down economies will do better, as they will benefit from the lower cost of land, labor, and purchased goods and services.