Minimum
From £10
EIS / SEIS
Qualifying deals
Secondary market
Eligible shares
Buyers not guaranteed
- EIS available
- SEIS available
- Nominee
Invest
Equity Crowdfunding
Compare UK equity crowdfunding platforms by minimum investment, fees, investment structure, EIS/SEIS availability, deal access and liquidity. These are high-risk, illiquid investments and you could lose all of your money.
Different platforms may hold investments directly, through nominees or through other custody arrangements. Read each investment’s legal documents carefully.
Higher risk
You could lose all of your investment.
Illiquid
Private-company shares may be difficult or impossible to sell.
Dilution risk
Future fundraising can reduce your percentage ownership.
Returns are uncertain
There may be no dividend, sale or other exit.
Underlying investment
What are you actually buying?
Economic and voting rights can differ materially between structures and share classes.
Ordinary shares
You may receive ordinary equity with economic and voting rights defined by the company documents.
Preference / other share classes
Rights can differ materially from ordinary shares.
Nominee-held shares
Some platforms hold shares through a nominee structure on investors’ behalf.
Convertible instruments
Some investments may convert into equity later rather than giving immediate ordinary shares.
Fund / portfolio interest
Some platforms also offer EIS/SEIS funds or diversified private-company portfolios rather than a single-company shareholding.
Process
How equity crowdfunding works
A successful exit is not the normal or guaranteed outcome.
Step 1
Company raises capital
A private company offers shares or another eligible security.
Step 2
Investor reviews the opportunity
You assess valuation, business model, financials and legal documents.
Step 3
Investor chooses an amount
You select an investment size that meets the campaign and platform rules.
Step 4
Investment completes
You acquire equity directly or through a nominee/custodian structure.
Step 5
Company uses the capital
Your investment is exposed to the company’s future performance.
Step 6
Exit may or may not occur
A successful exit is not the normal or guaranteed outcome.
Compare platforms
Compare equity crowdfunding platforms
Compare more than the minimum investment. Fees, ownership structure, tax-relief availability, deal stage and liquidity can materially affect the investment experience.
Platform information last reviewed: 2026-08-10
2 platforms
2 platforms · 2 supporting EIS deals · 2 supporting SEIS deals · 2 with secondary-market functionality
Minimum
From £20
EIS / SEIS
Qualifying deals
Secondary market
Eligible shares
Buyers not guaranteed
- EIS available
- SEIS available
- Nominee
What to compare
How to compare equity crowdfunding platforms
Minimum investment
Minimums can be platform-wide or campaign-specific.
Fees
Compare transaction, carry, performance and resale fees.
Investment structure
Understand whether you hold shares directly or through a nominee/custodian.
Tax relief
EIS or SEIS may apply to qualifying investments, but relief is not guaranteed.
Deal access
Platforms may focus on start-ups, growth companies, specialist sectors or later-stage companies.
Liquidity
A secondary market may provide a potential exit route, but a buyer is not guaranteed.
Valuation
What valuation are you investing at?
A company’s valuation determines how much ownership an investment buys. It is not the same as cash held by the business or a guaranteed future sale value.
- Pre-money valuation
- £4m
- New investment
- £1m
- Post-money valuation
- £5m
- £10,000 investment
- 0.20% before future dilution
Illustrative example only. A high company valuation can reduce future return potential if growth does not justify the price paid.
Share classes
Not all shares have the same rights
Read the investment agreement and articles of association before investing.
Ordinary shares
Standard equity rights as defined in the articles — voting, economic and information rights can still vary.
Preference shares
May include liquidation preference or other priority rights that change investor outcomes.
Nominee beneficial interest
Legal title may sit with a nominee while you hold a beneficial interest.
Convertible security
May convert into equity later rather than giving immediate ordinary shares.
Compare voting rights, information rights, liquidation preference, pre-emption, dividends and conversion rights carefully.
Ownership
How future funding can dilute your ownership
If a company issues additional shares in a later funding round, your percentage ownership can fall unless you participate or have relevant pre-emption rights.
Initial ownership
1.00%
After next funding round
0.75%
After later round
0.55%
Dilution can reduce percentage ownership even if the company becomes more valuable.
Tax schemes
How EIS and SEIS relate to equity crowdfunding
Equity crowdfunding is the investment method. EIS and SEIS are tax schemes.
EIS
May offer tax relief on qualifying investments under current rules. Relief depends on company and investor eligibility.
SEIS
A separate scheme for qualifying smaller and earlier-stage companies. Conditions apply and relief is not automatic.
Advance Assurance
Advance Assurance is not a guarantee that an individual investor will receive tax relief.
Tax relief does not make a company safer.
Liquidity
Can you sell crowdfunding shares?
Private-company shares are normally illiquid. Some platforms provide secondary-market functionality for eligible holdings, but the ability to sell depends on eligibility and buyer demand.
No secondary market
Potentially hold until exit.
Secondary market
Possible resale, buyer required.
Company exit
Acquisition, IPO or other liquidity event.
None of these routes is guaranteed.
Key risks
Key risks of equity crowdfunding
Total loss
The company can fail and the shares can become worthless.
Start-up failure
Early-stage businesses have a high chance of failure.
Illiquidity
You may be unable to sell the shares for years.
Dilution
Future fundraising can reduce percentage ownership.
Valuation risk
You may pay too much for the company.
Share-class risk
Different share classes can have very different rights.
Information risk
Private companies typically disclose less than listed companies.
Follow-on funding risk
Companies may need further capital that dilutes or reshapes ownership.
No dividends
Many private companies reinvest rather than distribute profits.
Exit uncertainty
A sale, IPO or other liquidity event may never happen.
Suitability
Who might consider equity crowdfunding?
Educational information only — not personalised advice.
May be worth exploring if
- You understand private-company risk
- You can tolerate total loss
- You have a long time horizon
- You already have a diversified core portfolio
- You understand dilution
- You can tolerate illiquidity
- You are prepared to review legal documents
May be less suitable if
- You need capital security
- You may need the money soon
- You need predictable income
- You are investing primarily for tax relief
- You cannot tolerate a full loss
- The investment would represent a large share of your portfolio
Specialist access
Specialist angel and private-company investment platforms
Some UK services operate more like angel networks or specialist private-investment clubs than mainstream retail crowdfunding platforms.
Specialist angel network / introducer
Angels Den
- Access: Not mass retail – certified High Net Worth or Sophisticated Investors
- Classification: Yes – mandatory HNW or Sophisticated Investor self-certification
- Sector: Curated early-stage companies across multiple sectors
- EIS/SEIS: Qualifying deals
- Minimum: Campaign-specific
- Regulation: See provider
Specialist private investment club / angel network
Envestors
- Access: Curated High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investor network
- Classification: Yes – HNW / Sophisticated Investor access model
- Sector: Unlisted growth companies; curated private-company deals
- EIS/SEIS: Qualifying deals
- Minimum: Campaign-specific
- Regulation: FCA authorised
Specialist private-company investment platform
Growthdeck / Your VC
- Access: Specialist private-market / investor network access; verify individual offer restrictions
- Classification: Likely deal-specific investor classification requirements
- Sector: Technology-driven early-stage and growth companies
- EIS/SEIS: Qualifying deals
- Minimum: Campaign-specific
- Regulation: See provider
Specialist platforms are not included in the main retail comparison count or filters.
Before you invest
Before investing through an equity crowdfunding platform
- What exactly am I buying?
- What share class is being issued?
- Will I hold shares directly?
- Is there a nominee or custodian?
- What voting rights do I receive?
- What information rights do I receive?
- What is the company valuation?
- What percentage ownership am I buying?
- What dilution could future rounds create?
- Does the company have enough cash runway?
- Are EIS/SEIS claims relevant?
- Does Advance Assurance exist?
- What investor fees apply?
- Is there carry?
- Is a secondary market available?
- Are my shares actually eligible for it?
- Can I tolerate holding until an exit?
- Can I afford a total loss?
- When was the platform information last checked?
FAQs
Common questions about equity crowdfunding
Quick answers before you compare or invest.
Our methodology
How we compare equity crowdfunding platforms
We do not rank platforms by projected company returns. Commercial relationships do not determine factual platform information.
- Platform access
- Minimum investment
- EIS / SEIS support
- Investment structure
- Nominee/custodian model
- Deal stages
- Sector coverage
- Transaction fees
- Carry/performance fees
- Secondary-market functionality
- Regulatory model
- Investor restrictions
- Source freshness
Editorial trust
How we review equity crowdfunding information
Last reviewed: 2026-08-10. Fees checked: 2026-08-10. Platform access checked: 2026-08-10. Regulatory status checked: 2026-08-10. EIS/SEIS information checked: 2026-08-10.
- UK-focused editorial research
- Platform information checked against provider sources
- Fees and structure reviewed where published
- EIS/SEIS support labelled as qualifying-deal dependent
- Secondary-market access never treated as guaranteed liquidity
- Commercial relationships do not determine factual platform information
Data last verified: 2026-08-10.
Sources
Spotted an error? contact@witfinancegroup.com
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