Wefunder is an equity crowdfunding platform under Regulation Crowdfunding.
Wefunder is the leading US equity crowdfunding platform, letting startups raise up to $5M annually from retail investors under Regulation Crowdfunding. Some founders consider it as a fundraise alternative. Here's the honest tradeoff.
Compliant Reg CF and Reg A+ raises from retail investors. Community-building alongside capital raise. Marketing and PR value for consumer brands. Founder-friendly terms structured through SAFEs or convertibles.
Retail crowdfunding raises capital without institutional signaling. Institutional VC raises capital with signaling that unlocks future rounds. The distinction matters more than the check size — retail-only companies often struggle at Series A.
Consumer brands with community potential (food, media, cannabis, direct-to-consumer). Companies where customers are natural investors. Bridges between institutional rounds when the community is already engaged.
B2B SaaS with no retail community. Companies planning institutional Series A within 12 months where the cap table complexity is a friction. Regulated categories where retail investor communication creates compliance burden.
Wefunder charges 7.5% success fee on capital raised. Legal and audit costs add $5K–$20K. Timeline: 60–120 days for a full campaign. Requires ongoing investor communication with hundreds of retail investors.
Some companies raise institutional Series A first, then Wefunder for a follow-on community round. This sequence preserves institutional signaling while adding community capital.
Investor directory · Fundraising library · Articles A–Z · Company funding database