Best Crowdfunding Sites For Startups

Which are the best crowdfunding sites for startups? Crowdfunding has taken the world by storm and has provided capital for many types of businesses and ventures. The aim of a startup or small business is to find a way to grow their ideas, and crowdfunding sites have helped them to achieve that. It is one of the best ways that startups can find funding and raise awareness.

When it comes to crowdfunding, there are many platforms that can be used. However, not all of them are created equal. For example, some have limitations on the amount of money that can be raised, and some are better suited for certain types of businesses than others.

In this article, we will explore some of the best crowdfunding platforms for startups.

Keep in mind that in fundraising, regardless of the sources of investment, storytelling is everything. In this regard for a winning pitch deck to help you here, take a look at the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel (see it here) that I recently covered. Thiel was the first angel investor in Facebook with a $500K check that turned into more than $1 billion in cash.

Remember to unlock the pitch deck template that is being used by founders around the world to raise millions below.

EquityNet

If you’re looking to raise money for a business, EquityNet is a great choice. In fact, it’s been named by Forbes as one of the best crowdfunding sites for startups.

That’s because EquityNet offers a variety of options for anyone looking to raise money from investors. Their platform allows companies to set up an online profile that includes all the key information about their business, which helps them attract investors and get funding.

EquityNet also has some great features that make it easy for you to communicate with investors and manage your company’s finances. For example, their investor portal allows you to send emails and track conversations with potential investors.

You can also use their dashboard to see how much money has been raised so far, as well as where all your funds are going (e.g., marketing expenses).

The site boasts a high success rate for companies that have completed their campaigns and offers a wide range of investment options. It also gives companies access to a large pool of angel investors and venture capitalists, who are actively seeking out new opportunities.

By using the EquityNet crowdfunding platform, you will:

• Have full access to transaction history and investor dashboard
• Enjoy automatic electronic deliverable of documents to investors
• Have access to a global investor network
• Have 24/7 access to the EquityNet portal

GoFundMe

Next up on the list is GoFundMe. Again, another massive player in the startup ecosystem. GoFundMe is an online fundraising platform that allows users to raise money for a wide range of causes.

The site has been around since 2010, and it’s one of the most popular crowdfunding sites on the web. GoFundMe offers its users the ability to raise money for anything from medical costs to school tuition, and it has helped people raise billions of dollars over the years.

The reason why GoFundMe is so successful is that it makes it easy for anyone with a good idea to raise money quickly. The site allows users to create a profile where they can share information, post updates about their progress, and connect with donors.

The user also receives all donations directly into their bank account after each campaign ends. However, there have been some controversies around some campaigns, with some being blocked or funds not delivered.

Here are some of the benefits of using GoFundMe for your startup:

• You can create campaigns for anything, from paying for a new office space to purchasing new equipment
• You can have unlimited campaigns
• No fee is charged unless your campaign is successful

Even as you’re reading up on the different crowdfunding sites available out there, you should also take the time to understand how crowdfunding works for entrepreneurs. Check out this video where I have explained that in more detail.

IndieGoGo

IndieGoGo is one of the longest-running platforms. The company was founded in 2008 by Slava Rubin and Danae Ringelmann, and the site has helped thousands of startups get off the ground. In fact, IndieGoGo currently has over $1 billion in funding being raised through their platform.

The IndieGoGo team works with you to create a killer campaign page, which is one of the most important things when it comes to successfully raising funds on their platform. You can also direct people to your campaign from Facebook ads, Google AdWords campaigns, or other paid advertisements.

The platform is known for its emphasis on creativity and artistry, with many of its campaigns being related to film and music. However, it has also been used by startups looking to raise money for new products or services.

Some other cool benefits of using IndieGoGo for crowdfunding include:

• It’s free to set up a campaign
• You can raise money for just about anything, from pets to music videos to new products
• You can have multiple levels of rewards for your backers, which helps you get more funding from them
• IndieGoGo has a wide variety of tools to help you market your campaign, including an email marketing tool and a social media manager that lets you target specific audiences on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These benefits make it one of the best crowdfunding sites for startups.

Crowdfunder

Crowdfunder is a crowdfunding platform that offers a variety of options for startups and small businesses. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to raise funds for your business and want to be able to communicate with your audience directly.

Crowdfunder is a platform that helps companies raise capital by connecting them with investors. It also allows investors to browse through different investment opportunities, and filter them based on industry, stage, and location.

Another great thing about Crowdfunder is that it’s very easy to use. The platform was created so that anyone could use it without needing any technical knowledge or experience in crowdfunding.

Some of the benefits of the Crowdfunder fundraising platform include:

• Crowdfunder is a platform for investing in startups, from the early stages or individual projects
• Crowdfunder has helped over 1,000 companies raise over $300 million in funding
• The company can help you with marketing and PR efforts to help drive traffic to your campaign

CircleUp

CircleUp is an online marketplace where investors can connect with founders looking to crowdfund their startups. Especially for consumer goods companies. It’s another of the best crowdfunding sites for startups.

The site has a database of over 12,000 companies that includes information on the company’s business model, management team, products, projected growth, and more. CircleUp will allow you to raise capital fast.

What’s more, CircleUp makes it easy for investors to find the right company for them by showing them all the companies that are currently raising money on their platform.

You can also use CircleUp to connect with other startups and find out about their experiences with crowdfunding.

Benefits of the CircleUp crowdfunding platform:

• Get access to a wide range of investors, including angel investors and venture capitalists
• CircleUp allows you to easily manage your fundraising campaign online. You can post updates and manage investor communication through a secure portal that is password protected
• The platform has a simple user interface that makes it easy for you to set up your campaign and get started
• You can create different types of campaigns, such as equity or debt, depending on what type of funding you need

MicroVentures

MicroVentures enables you to raise capital by selling shares to investors online, instead of pitching individual investors one at a time.

The company was founded in 2009 by two former bankers who wanted to give entrepreneurs a better way to raise money from individual investors.

Because the site is so well organized and easy to use, it’s a great place to start if you’re just getting started with crowdfunding.

Some cool perks of using MicroVentures:

• Access to a wide range of investment options. You can choose to invest as little as $1,000 or more than $10 million
• Access to a large number of investors. Every year, MicroVentures helps more than 1,000 startups raise capital through its platform
• Offers the ability to trade your private stock

WeFunder

WeFunder is a crowdfunding platform for startups, nonprofits, and small businesses. It’s an all-or-nothing funding platform that allows startups to raise money from friends, family, and other investors.

Founded in 2012 by Nick Tommarello, it was one of the first platforms to offer equity funding for startups. WeFunder has funded over 220 companies, raising $60 million from thousands of investors.

The site has four categories: Equity Crowdfunding, Rewards Crowdfunding, Debt Crowdfunding, and Grants. You can start a campaign in any one of these categories or all four at once.

WeFunder also offers some great tools for entrepreneurs, including a way to find angel investors and a fundraising community forum where you can connect with other entrepreneurs who have been through similar journeys.

WeFunder offers some great benefits including:

• They offer free legal assistance to their users, which can be a huge help when you’re just starting out.
• Investors can invest as little as $100, and they can invest in multiple companies at once.
• A community of people who understand what it’s like to start a business.
• WeFunder makes investing in startups easy with their intuitive interface and friendly design that makes it easy to understand. So, you could consider this when looking for the best crowdfunding sites for startups.

Kickstarter

With a name like Kickstarter, it’s clear that this site is all about community. The site was founded in 2009 by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler with the goal of helping creative people get their projects funded.

In addition to being one of the biggest crowdfunding sites out there, Kickstarter has also inspired a new generation of entrepreneurs who are interested in starting their own businesses. The company has helped launch over 200,000 projects

Kickstarter has been used by many startups including Pebble Watch, which raised over $10 million in its first month.

On Kickstarter, You can choose from multiple funding goals, which give you flexibility when choosing how much money you need and how much time you want to spend raising it.

Kickstarter can help you to:

• Create an opportunity to build an engaged community around your idea.
• Be involved in an active community of backers who love being part of the excitement of new projects and products coming out into the world.
• Get access to early adopters and people who are interested in your project.
• Get instant feedback from potential backers.

Summary

The best crowdfunding sites for startups are the ones that are most likely to be able to help you raise money.

If you’re a startup, what you need is money. So how can you tell which sites are going to be most helpful? The answer is simple: look at their track records. Check out the size of raises, and match for your type of venture, and the investors using the platform. Or consult a professional fundraising advisor to help you pinpoint the optimal platforms for your project.

When choosing one of the best crowdfunding sites for startups, don’t just look at the number of campaigns they’ve hosted, look at how many campaigns have been successful.

Also take into consideration the amount you will have to invest upfront in marketing, designing a great campaign and follow-up materials, and how much of your raise you may have to pay out in fees.

Successful crowdfunding requires strategy. In general, you will want pre-commitments for 30%-50% of your raise before going live.

This is about more than just the money too. It is a great way to get early engagement, create brand awareness, and get on the radar of larger investors for future rounds.

Happy fundraising!

You may find interesting as well our free library of business templates. There you will find every single template you will need when building and scaling your business completely for free. See it here.