When you invest in equity you buy shares in a company, which gives you a percentage of ownership of that company in the belief that the value of that company will increase over time. Hopefully, the business you have backed goes on to make an ‘exit’ at a higher value than when you invested, and you will get a return on your investment and make a profit. Please be aware, investments of this nature carry risks to your capital and you should read our Risk Warning.
Step one: join our community
Joining Crowdcube is free, takes less than 60 seconds and carries no obligation to invest. You are required to take a short quiz to make sure you understand the risks of investing.
Step two: find your inspiration
Once you’ve joined you’ll be able to view the full pitch, including the video and discussions. You will also be able to request access to the company's Restricted Documents. You can also ask for further information or interact directly with entrepreneurs using our discussion boards.
Step three: Invest from just £10 / €10
When you find a business you like you can invest directly through the pitch page.
You’ll have the option to invest from £10 or €10 depending on the currency on the pitch page, but you will need to actually invest an exact multiple of the share price.
For example, if a share price is £3.10, the minimum investment in that pitch will be £12.40. You will be prompted with the minimum investment amount in the particular pitch, or the closest multiple of the share price when making an investment.
You can then click ‘invest’ and that’s it you’ve made an investment. Payment won’t be taken until after the pitch has successfully closed the funding round.
Step four: we’ll sort the paperwork
Once the pitch funds and is closed to further investment, we will be working in the background to complete the round. At this stage, you’ll receive a copy of the company’s proposed Articles of Association, you will also be notified of a 7-day cooling off period so you can review the Articles and consider your investment. After the cooling off period, your investment will become legally binding and we will capture the payment for your investment.
The funds will be taken in the currency displayed on the pitch page.
For example, if the business is raising in Euros, your investment will be taken in Euros. If you are investing with a non-Euro bank account, i.e. a UK debit or credit card, your bank or card provider will set the foreign exchange rate and may charge a fee. You can confirm this with your bank directly.
Once the pitch has closed, you’ll receive an email allowing you to review your investment and payments will generally be processed 24-72 hours after the cooling off period has expired. The foreign exchange rate will be calculated at this time when the payment is taken. You will also receive an email notification 24 hours before the funds are taken.
Step five: you’ll receive your share documentation
Congratulations - your investment is complete!
Approximately two weeks after the payment for your investment has been processed, we will issue your share documentation on behalf of the business. If you and the company qualifies, we’ll also handle any EIS/SEIS forms and these will be available to download in your portfolio.
