StartEngine

I'm a public figure with a $9 million dollar domain, which we are launching a business around. The entity is formed, the business plan created and vetted by multiple VCs. My previous startup was acquired by a major tech company. I've decided to crowdfund for this one and was about to launch a campaign on WeFunder dot com. A friend suggested I check out StartEngine. I've never heard of them but reached out. I had a call with a woman named Doryn and that conversation was what motivated this review.
1. She was incredibly condescending.
2. She said Start Engine does not accept "pre-revenue" companies. That's a lie: they do.
3. Oddly, she told me to go with WeFunder! She told me her employer, StartEngine, is too expensive and only has interest in week established companies seeking late rounds of financing. It was so surprising and weird.
I cannot tell you how surprised I was and how put off I was by this arrogant woman who had the people skills of an alligator.
I'm headed over to WeFunder as she instructed, and I'll let you know how it goes!

I responded to a StartEngine Ad recruiting investors for a new company called Boxabl. I was very attracted to the fundamentals of boxable and I still believe it to be a wise investment. I invested $2000 on June 8,2022 and they showed my money in escrow waiting for the campaign to end. After the first campaign ended my money still set in escrow in Boxabl without explanation. I tried to communicate with them but they answer your emails in a generic fashion. I found it odd Odd that on Nov. 1st, 2022, I saw a new campaign started raising more money for Boxabl. I checked my StartEngine account online and saw that my initial investment had been refunded on October 31,2022. No explanation, no interest on my money, just a refund without explanation almost 5 months after I made the investment. After a little research I find out that the company Boxabl is doing great and expanding quickly. Hey StartEngine, What happened to my investment in Boxabl? I hope your poor customer service and Reputation of broken dreams drives you broke!

It is a great platform for start-up investments. People who think they can buy and sell the same week are wrong. You buy, hold on to it while the start-up grows and it can take years or decades before you see the money again, but it is a great way to build long-term wealth.

Dont invest in this website if you:
- Expect to make money overnight or over a few month's time span.
- Feel entitled to constantly talk to the CEO of the companies you invest in.
- Feel entitled to dividends withing months of investing.

Invest on this website if you:
- Don't mind waiting for years or decades before a return.
- Feel comfortable risking a few hundred/thousand dollars to have a chance to hit it big in a few years.
- You are willing to lose the money invested because they are bold ideas. Those who don't risk, never win, many companies in StartEngine are risking it all in with bold innovative ideas that may or may not succeed.

My only complaint is their customer support is a bit slow, but I never had a problem with them not solving any issues. Just don't geet desperate and entitled with them and I assure you you will get better results.

I have invested in about 40 companies on StartEngine since October of 2017. I am also an investor in StartEngine itself. I have had no issues with StartEngine support and my questions have always been answered promptly. I have had 7 companies that I invested in voided and my money returned. I also have had one company that is going out of business and I am only going to get back about 10% of my investment. You must understand that investing with startups is risky and you should never invest money that you cannot afford to lose. I invest knowing that I may not see any results for 3 to 5 years or that I may see no returns at all.
I feel comfortable with StartEngine knowing that I am an investor in StartEngine along with Kevin O'Leary, Mr. Wonderful. He is not just a spokesperson but also an investor that is excited about the potential of StartEngine itself. For the people that gave bad reviews I believe most of them are because the people have not researched the the risks and rewards of this type of investment enough.
My Experience with StartEngine has been very positive.

I have been in Start Engine for Over Two Years and Invested in Over 35 Companies

Customer Service Does Not Answer You or Gives a Nonsense Answer after a Week or Two. They Are Terrible.

The BBB in Texas Gives Start Engine an " F " Not an A Like Start Engine Claims.

The Only Ph# *******200) to talk To Start Engine is FAKE and just tells you to Email Them

Some of the Crowdfunding Companies Do Not Answer You, and Have Fake Addresses, & Fake Telephone Numbers.

Ok good luck getting a reply from the email address they provide. I sent 8 emails with not one reply

I am so excited to have the opportunity to invest in Startengine.com! I never dreamed that I would be able to invest on the ground floor of a startup company and increase my potential to prayfully receive a return on my investment. Thus far, I have invested in 24 companies and have had a great experience so far! I currently have my eyes set on 3 more that I have been monitoring and will be investing in them soon! All of the CEO's are straightforward, they respond to all of my questions in a timely manner, they continue to communicate and keep me informed after the campaign on Startengine has ended and I believe in all of their visions! I don't have any negative comments about this platform. My mother, husband and close friends are also investors! All of us have had great experiences and wouldn't dream of investing on any other platforms because startengine makes us feel right at home This is not to say that other platforms are not great but because we are treated professionally on Startengine, we don't have a need to invest anywhere else

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!