Seedrs

Seedrs is a UK-based equity crowdfunding platform that enables startups and growth-stage companies to raise capital from a broad base of investors in exchange for equity. It was founded in 2012 by Jeff Lynn and Carlos Silva and operates from London, establishing itself as one of Europe’s leading platforms for crowd-investing.

Entrepreneurs create campaigns with business plans, financials, and terms, which investors can review and commit funds to online. Investments are typically in equity or convertible instruments. Seedrs uses a nominee structure to hold shares on behalf of investors and to facilitate transfers, while also providing standardized documentation and disclosures designed to support informed decision-making. The platform also operates a secondary market that allows eligible investors to buy and sell existing holdings, subject to regulatory and company-specific requirements.

Regulatory status: Seedrs Limited is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and must comply with applicable rules for equity crowdfunding, investor protection, and anti-money laundering controls.

Fees: Seedrs earns revenue primarily from fees charged to issuers on successful campaigns and from ancillary services. Investors generally pay no direct platform fee to participate in the campaign, though secondary market trades may incur trading costs.

Impact and scope: Seedrs has facilitated hundreds of campaigns across a range of sectors and has helped popularize equity crowdfunding in the UK and Europe, connecting early-stage companies with a broad investor base.