StartEngine

Not only are they their own broker dealer but they are the FIRST in the industry to launch a secondary platform so that you CAN trade Regulation CF and Reg A+ shares! Right now, if you invest in startups on any other platform... you're locked in until either that private company exits either by a buyout or better yet it IPOs. At Startengine, you will be able to buy or sell your Reg CF and Reg A+ shares... THAT's AWESOME.
And they are also apparently going to start a real estate platform soon.
I've invested on Startengine and love the ease of it, I'm hooked.
I did notice that the negative reviews only reflect ignorance. They don't understand investing in startups under Regulation CF or Reg A+. They don't even understand basic startup business knowledge! You're not buying shares on Wall Street at a high price! And you're not going to get dividends from a startup that is not yet profitable, DUH! For the most part, you're buying equity into a PRIVATE company in hopes that they become profitable and give dividends or better yet they IPO... so your not paying Wall Street prices... you're not even paying IPO prices, you're paying PRE-IPO prices. It a game changer for the industry, because before this was only offered to venture capital, accredited investors or employees etc.

They also have the highest amount of Regulation A+ listings on the market, that tells you something. From both the business side and investor side, Startengine is the way to go.

This company is a total scam, ponzi scheme. If you see Kevin o learys face anywhere, run. He got super wealthy by stealing companies from poor people trying to get help and succeed. Pure lowlife!

This is all a scam! Oleary is nothing but a F********** curk! You don't get your money back. Stay away from this investment site or the one that mark from. Shark tabk promots.

I have participated in several different crowdfunding platforms and it is SO refreshing to participate in one that is:
1) organized!
2) communicates a step-by-step investment timeline on your portfolio page so that you know at a glance where you are in the process with each campaign
3) has customer service that responds in a timely manner to email inquiries/requests.

Start Engine also tells you upfront *before* you invest if a campaign is already oversubscribed. There are some platforms that do not, but hold your money for MONTHS after a campaign has ended before telling you that you didn't make the round due to over-subscription, which is beyond unprofessional and unacceptable. But with SE, there were two startup companies I had changed my mind on after further due diligence and I was able to request a refund before the campaign closed and got my funds back quickly. THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT!

The ceremonial "Ownership Certificate" that Start Engine sends the investor with a CEO signed agreement is a very nice touch as well.

I give StartEngine 5 stars! They are head and shoulders above the 3 other crowdfunding platforms I have invested with in the past.

I questioned many of the companies on StartEngine about how much money investors might make by investing with them. Most of them said either they don't know because their company is " new ", or some companies stated that investors would get stocks in the company, approximately 2 to 6 shares. Since the average share in a new company is around $10.00 a share, that is far less then what the average investor is expected to invest. After questioning these companies, it becomes obvious to me that the only ones making any money here are the companies and NOT the investors.To me, this is a BUYER BEWARE investment. ANOTHER strange thing about the StartEngine website is the fact that I've sent at least THREE emails to MR. KEVIN O'LEARY " Mr. Wonderful " from Shark Tank, who is the new executive there, and so far I've received no reply to my questions about these companies he claims to represent. My questions were whether or not these companies are trustworthy or scams. However, since I've received NO reply from him or his office, I guess I already know the answer!

For starters, the numerous one-star reviews here don't really understand crowdfunded venture investing. Sure, companies fail -- usually about 90% of them, and you're not going to get your money back.

I'm an experienced angel/venture investor, usually investing $250k to $2m in various startups, and I've been doing this for nearly 30 years. I've had some hits, some misses, and some in-betweens. But that's not the point.

I wouldn't normally touch this kind of thing with a ten-foot pole, but a friend wanted some shares in an up-and-coming Seattle distillery, so I signed up. They had an option for investing as an "entity" (a business), and as I normally invest primarily through an LLC, I ticked that box. What a mistake. They wanted my Bylaws (uh, from 30 years ago, where are they?), several IRS forms, and other things, and they wanted them RIGHT AWAY. When I contacted them, they said they were just the middleman to a bank (who itself is a middleman).

Ultimately, the problem here is that the distillery in question is using this dubious form of (expensive) fundraising, when they should just go direct. StartEngine isn't *exactly* a scam, it's just unnecessary. If you're an inexperienced investor -- avoid it. If you're an experienced venture investor -- avoid it. Maybe there's some sweet spot in the middle that makes it worth it, but... I dunno.