StartEngine

Product brand

StartEngine is a leading U.S. equity crowdfunding platform that lets everyday investors back private companies and startups.

Last updated October 30, 2026

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Overview

StartEngine is an equity crowdfunding platform based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2014 by Howard Marks. It allows both accredited and non-accredited investors to invest in private companies, primarily startups and early-stage businesses, through regulated crowdfunding offerings under U.S. securities laws. The platform has become one of the largest in the United States by number of offerings and investor base, competing with platforms such as Wefunder and Republic. StartEngine generates revenue by charging companies a fee to list their offerings and by taking a percentage of funds raised. It also offers ancillary services including marketing support, investor relations tools, and secondary trading through StartEngine Secondary, a registered alternative trading system (ATS) that provides liquidity for certain securities issued on the platform. The company has expanded into venture capital with StartEngine Private, which allows investors to co-invest alongside venture funds in later-stage companies. StartEngine is privately held and has itself raised capital through Regulation A+ offerings on its own platform, enabling retail investors to become shareholders. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and operates primarily in the U.S. market. It has been a prominent advocate for retail access to private markets and has been featured in media coverage of the JOBS Act and the rise of equity crowdfunding.

History

StartEngine was founded in 2014 by Howard Marks, a serial entrepreneur who had previously co-founded video game company Activision (as an early employee) and later founded Acclaim Games. Marks launched StartEngine with the vision of democratizing access to capital for startups and investment opportunities for everyday people. The company initially operated as a platform for Regulation A+ offerings following the implementation of the JOBS Act, which created new exemptions allowing companies to raise capital from the general public. In 2016, StartEngine launched its own Regulation A+ offering, allowing retail investors to invest in the platform itself. This move was notable as it made StartEngine one of the first crowdfunding platforms to use its own services to raise capital. The company continued to grow, and by the late 2010s, it had become one of the largest equity crowdfunding platforms in the U.S. by number of offerings and total funds raised. In 2018, StartEngine acquired a registered broker-dealer and later launched StartEngine Secondary, an alternative trading system (ATS) regulated by the SEC and FINRA, to provide secondary liquidity for securities originally issued on the platform. This was a significant development as it addressed one of the main criticisms of equity crowdfunding: the lack of liquidity for investors. In 2020, StartEngine launched StartEngine Private, a venture capital co-investment platform that allows investors to invest alongside established venture capital firms in later-stage companies. This expanded the company's offerings beyond early-stage crowdfunding. Throughout its history, StartEngine has been a vocal advocate for retail investor access to private markets and has lobbied for regulatory changes to make crowdfunding more accessible. The company has also faced competition from other platforms such as Wefunder and Republic, but has maintained a leading position in the market. As of the early 2020s, StartEngine had facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and had a large community of retail investors.

2020
Launched StartEngine Private, a venture capital co-investment platform.
2018
Acquired a registered broker-dealer and launched StartEngine Secondary, an alternative trading system (ATS).
2016
Launched its own Regulation A+ offering, allowing retail investors to invest in the platform.
2014
StartEngine founded by Howard Marks in Los Angeles.

Products and positioning

StartEngine positions itself as a leading platform democratizing access to private market investments, enabling everyday investors to invest in startups and growth companies.

StartEngine Primary
Equity crowdfunding platform for Regulation A+, Regulation CF, and Regulation D offerings.
StartEngine Secondary
Alternative trading system (ATS) providing secondary liquidity for securities issued on StartEngine.
StartEngine Private
Venture capital co-investment platform for later-stage companies.

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