Equity crowdfunding guides
As of 5 Nov 2026, Raise Sonar publishes 11 equity crowdfunding guides on how it works, what the rules let you do and what can go wrong. Each opens with the answer and links the regulators’ and platforms’ own pages it was read from.
Not investment advice. Early-stage investing is high-risk and illiquid; you may lose all the capital you invest.
The basics
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What is equity crowdfunding, and how does it work in 2026?
Equity crowdfunding lets the public buy into private companies through regulated platforms. How it works in 2026, the rules by country, and the risks.
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SAFE vs equity vs convertible note in crowdfunding
What a SAFE, shares and a convertible note each give you in a crowdfunding raise: votes, what triggers conversion, how a cap works and where you rank if it fails.
Rules and limits
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Reg CF investment limits for 2026
The 2026 Reg CF limits for non-accredited investors, with worked examples: how income and net worth count, the 12-month window and what platforms check.
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ECSPR explained: how EU crowdfunding works across borders
How the EU's crowdfunding regulation works: the €5m ceiling, the platform passport, what investors in other countries get, and what stays national.
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Can non-US residents invest on Wefunder, StartEngine and Republic?
Which countries Wefunder, StartEngine and Republic take investors from, what they ask for and how you pay from abroad, with what US tax means for you.
Tax
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EIS and SEIS on Crowdcube and Republic Europe
How EIS and SEIS tax relief works on UK crowdfunding raises: the rates, the three-year hold, losses, the certificate you claim with, and how the platforms handle it.
Investing in practice
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How to read a Form C in 10 minutes
A 10-minute route through a Form C on SEC EDGAR: finding it, the figures on the form, the risks, use of money, valuation, dilution and who has been paid.
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How to sell crowdfunded shares
The routes to selling crowdfunded shares: the US one-year lock-up, platform resale markets, UK secondary markets and PISCES, buybacks, what you pay and what a price means.
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What happens to your shares when a crowdfunded company fails
When a crowdfunded company fails: who is paid first, why shareholders usually get nothing, what your platform does, and how to claim a tax loss in the UK and US.
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How to evaluate a crowdfunding deal: a checklist
A checklist for reading a crowdfunding offer, from regulators' own questions: the platform, the people, the security, the price, dilution, the money and your way out.
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Best equity crowdfunding deal trackers, compared (we make one of them)
KingsCrowd, Crowdonomics, SEC EDGAR, platform emails and Raise Sonar on coverage, alerts, price and data. We make Raise Sonar, and say where others are stronger.