Which Platforms Offer the Highest-Rated Investment Deals?

CHART OF THE WEEK 📈

By Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau | Read

Do some platforms bring better deals than others? Kingscrowd helps investors quickly assess the quality of a deal by rating it on a 1-5 scale. This proprietary rating system is based on hundreds of data points across five key categories: Market, Differentiation, Team, Performance, and Price.

• Any deal rated above 3 performs better than 50% of all deals.

• Any deal rated above 4 is in the top 25% of all deals.

To analyze platform quality, we examined the distribution of ratings for Reg CF and Reg A+ equity deals in 2024 using a box chart. Here's what we found:

• Among the platforms with the highest number of deals in 2024, four had over 50% of their deals rated 3 or higher, while only about 25% of Netcapital deals reached this threshold.

• Dealmaker Securities facilitated the highest total fundraising online, yet its median rating is lower than three of its competitors. This may be due to the platform's deals having frequent undisclosed valuations and high revenue multiples, which can result in lower ratings.

• Wefunder had the largest range of ratings, which aligns with its status as the platform with the highest number of deals. We rated 280 Wefunder deals in 2024, compared to 253 on StartEngine, 65 on Republic, 64 on Dealmaker, and 58 on Netcapital. Given its larger sample size, we might expect Wefunder's median rating to be closer to the overall mean of 3. However, its median is actually the second highest among the five platforms, suggesting that despite its volume, Wefunder still attracts a high concentration of quality deals.

• Republic continues to lead in deal quality, maintaining its reputation for strong investment opportunities.

While platform rating distributions offer insights into overall deal quality, each investment should be evaluated individually. Despite some differences between platforms, all of them feature startups worth considering.

INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLE

By Sam Fiske / Watch

Robinhood Wants to Tokenize Trillions—Here’s What It Means

This week on Investment Roundtable, we cover two big shifts in the investing world:

💰 Robinhood’s Tokenization Push – CEO Vlad Tenev just revealed plans to open up private markets to retail investors. Could trillions in capital flow into startups and alternative assets?

🤖 AI Startups & Crowdfunding – We analyzed AI funding trends in equity crowdfunding. Are startups actually innovating, or just slapping “AI” on their pitch decks?

Join Brian, Scott & Teddy for this week’s episode and get the latest data-driven insights.

JOIN OUR PRODUCT WEBINAR TODAY

Big things are coming to Kingscrowd as we kick off the year with new products amid our active raise, and we want you to be the first to hear about them! Join us for an invite-only Product Roadmap Webinar today, February 24th, at 3pm ET where our VP of Product, Brian Belley, and CEO Chris Lustrino will share exciting updates on the future of Kingscrowd.

📢 What You’ll Learn:

• Our latest product enhancements and features

• Key priorities for 2025, including upcoming product launches

• How we’re integrating Lustro into our suite of investor tools

• A live Q&A session—your chance to ask Brian your product questions!

PITCH REVIEW 💸

By Teddy Lyons \ Deal Report

Brief: AMASS Brands is a quickly-growing botanical beverage and personal-care company, offering natural solutions crafted for modern life. AMASS’ products appeal particularly to health-conscious customers and are offered in 50,000 restaurant and retail locations nationwide. AMASS. Offering everything from dry gin and vodka to soap and candles, AMASS’ products are natural, non-GMO, and consistently top consumer rating lists for its alcohol products. We previously had AMASS as a Pitch Review back in November 2024. The company ended up pulling that campaign off StartEngine and launching it on DealMaker. Although the valuation increased to $110M from $100M, we still believe this is a reasonable valuation for the company. This is the third crowdfunding campaign on the back of a blockbuster 2023, where the company recorded $33.5 million in revenue (up 1,000% from 2022) and $4.9 million in net profit.

Key People: AMASS is led by 4x Founder & CEO Mark Thomas Lynn, who previously founded DSTLD and ran for nearly five years. He also founded Jet Entertainment Group, a 300 employee multi-brand restaurant, hotel, and hospitality group with 8 locations. He also founded a sports management software company called PlayCoed. 

Morgan McLachlan is Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at AMASS, where she also runs the De Soi Sparkling Aperitif, a company that AMASS incubated and grew to millions in revenue. She previously served as Head Distiller at The Spirit Guild. Before this, she spent her career in television, working for various film productions. She holds a Bachelors in Cultural Studies from Simon Fraser University and Producing/Film Development from UCLA.

Erin Green serves as COO of AMASS and previously served as COO of Winc for over 8 years. She also served as Senior Manager of Merchant Acquisition at LivingSocial. She also previously served as Publications Coordinator at International Republican Institute and Client Services/Advertising Manager at Ripken Baseball. She holds a Bachelors degree in Fine & Studio Arts from Indiana University.

Here's what we like: Financially, AMASS Botanics has shown impressive revenue growth, increasing from $3.1 million to $33.5 million year-over-year, a 989% growth rate. The company has also achieved profitability with a net income of $4.9 million in 2023, a remarkable feat. These financial metrics highlight the company’s ability to scale its operations and generate sustainable revenue streams. The company has done so with decent gross margins of 32% and has consistently made profitable strategic acquisitions to bolster its product portfolio (see Winc acquisition press release). Additionally, the company has successfully distributed its products to over 50,000 locations, high-profile establishments like Soho House Global and Michelin-starred restaurants. The company also sells in major grocer retailers like Whole Foods, where AMASS has over 20 SKUs.

Here's what we don't: AMASS Botanics faces several key factors that contribute to a bearish outlook for the company. One significant market challenge is the highly competitive landscape. The botanical spirits and personal care market is saturated with established brands like Seedlip (acquired by giant Diageo), which have strong market presence, customer loyalty, and financial backing. Additionally, it is unclear what the current financial condition of AMASS is. The company reported $700K of cash on hand in July 2024 and a burn rate of $500k. While the company has access to large credit lines that will allow AMASS to continue operating, it is unclear why the company is now burning so much money after a largely profitable 2023.

STAFF PICKS 🌶️

COMPLiQ

COMPLiQ is securing AI with its multi-layer protection platform, ensuring ethical and risk-free deployment. The company addresses AI vulnerabilities like data leakage, bias, and model manipulation, partnering with SOC Integration, Intel, and XO Cyber.

• Valuation Cap: $10.8 million

• Minimum Investment: $500

iPNOTE

iPNOTE is transforming global IP management with its AI-powered platform that reduces patent and trademark registration costs. Serving customers in over 60 countries, the company has generated $800,000 in gross revenue in 2024 and achieved three consecutive years of 3x annual growth.

• Valuation Cap: $9 million

• Minimum Investment: $100

Lanefinder

Lanefinder is revolutionizing truck driver recruitment with its AI-powered job search and hiring platform. With 15,000 monthly active users and $30,000 in monthly revenue, the company has connected over 200,000 truck drivers with carriers. Now, it is launching Lanefinder Connect, an AI-powered agent designed to streamline job sourcing, matching, and fulfillment.

• Pre-Money Valuation: $8 million

• Minimum Investment: $350

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