If you’re reading this post then, at the very least, you have been to SeedInvest’s website. However, we want to make sure potential startup investors are getting the most possible out of their SeedInvest experience. As a starting point, we encourage all of our users to sign up and create a new investor account, and then make sure you are logged in when you browse the startups fundraising on our platform. Using the site while logged in will allow you to access more of our features, as well as additional information about each of the companies fundraising with us. In particular, if you are an accredited investor, it’s essential that you log in because this is the only way you will be able to see certain accredited-only investment opportunities.

Once you are logged in, the primary place to find key information about a fundraising company is on its profile page. At the top of the page you will find introductory information such as the company highlights, overview, term sheet (where you can review the terms of an offering), and investor perks. All of this information is the outcome of the founders’ preparations for our comprehensive due diligence process, before beginning the fundraise. The details listed on the profile are those they believe to be most noteworthy and important for prospective investors to know about the company before making a potential investment decision.

But reviewing the highlights and overview is just a starting point. In order to help our community make the most informed investing decisions possible, we’ve outlined six site features and other resources that are sometimes overlooked and that new and long-time users alike can take advantage of to get more from SeedInvest:

1. 1. 1. Regulatory filings – Depending on how they are raising capital, companies on SeedInvest need to submit filings, with varying levels of financial disclosure required, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings enable investors to assess a company’s history and progress in order to make informed investment decisions. These can be found on the SEC website, however we also make them available directly on the company profile page for ease of access.
      2. Data room – Also on a company’s profile page is the data room, which is where many important details of the offering can be found. You can dig into information such as the historical financial performance, capitalization table, legal terms governing the investment, company bylaws, and purchase agreement.

         

      3. Discussion board –This section may well be the hidden gem of the company profile page! This public forum, labeled “Q&A” facilitates an open discussion, where investors can ask questions and engage directly with a company’s founders and management team. This is especially pertinent for those investors looking to become more involved, as ideally, they need to ensure they operate on the same wavelength as the team. Investors can also engage with each other, adding value to the community as a whole. The discussion board makes it easier for investors to carry out their own due diligence.[1]
      4. Live engagement with company founders – Invariably, circumstances and business models change during the early development stages. This is all the more reason to have a high degree of confidence in the management team before investing in a company, as they are directly responsible for its success or failure. With this in mind, we host numerous in-person events across the country, as well as frequent company-specific digital events (at least one for every founding team with whom we work). These webinars provide a walk-through of a company and its offering, allowing ample opportunity for Q&A with founders.
      5. Educational resources – The SeedInvest Blog is an invaluable resource both for learning more about the equity crowdfunding space, and for getting useful updates on SeedInvest and the companies with whom we work. Here you can find interviews with founders, regulatory updates, and explanations of startup investing theory and practice.
      6. Managing your investor account via your profile – Need to make a change to your account or check in on an investment? You can manage your holdings, pending investment activity, funding methods and update the account details all in one place. The profile section of our site also provides insight into your account verification status. Additionally, as SeedInvest allows you to invest as an individual or on behalf of a trust or company, and one person can have multiple investor accounts, we have made sure investments made under different investor accounts are segmented and easily differentiated in your profile. While we’re working to further integrate this feature into our site, currently if you would like to manage your sector preferences, please visit our investor preferences page.

Ready to get started? Head to your account or check out the companies currently raising on our platform.