Giving The Global Investing "Crowd" Access To Startup Investments – How OurCrowd Offers Investments Historically Limited To VC-Level Investors To Accredited Individual Investors Too

Looking for the next unicorn to invest in? Check out OurCrowd’s growing list of portfolio companies. 

From artificial intelligence to telehealth, startups from all corners of the world are churning out innovative and game-changing technology, businesses and solutions. Historically, getting access to these startups as an investor has proven difficult unless you are an insider or have the backing of an institution. That has been changing thanks to companies like OurCrowd. The leading global digital investment firm has not only leveled the playing field for investors but flipped VCS investing on its head. 

Ranked as Israel’s “most active investor” according to PitchBook, OurCrowd has recorded 63 exits from 427 portfolio companies since its inception in 2013 and has investments in 450 additional companies via partner funds. OurCrowd has more than 225,000 registered investors on its platform, hailing from 195 countries. Through its platform, investors can get access to everything from individual startups to highly diversified funds. OurCrowd gives accredited investors access to multiple funds based on sector, stage, geography or investment thesis – all at their fingertips. 

Creating Value On The Fly 

Take its recently launched $50 million Israel Resilience Fund for one example. The fund is focused on more than 50 startups that are directly affected by the Israeli/Hamas conflict or are developing solutions to address the environmental impact, emergency medicine, food security, cybersecurity, media monitoring, reconstruction and other verticals. That fund closed its first round 40 days after announcing, with $13 million in capital commitments. It's one of the fastest-closing venture funds to go from conception to closure and eight actual investments, according to OurCrowd. It underscores the company’s ability to create and give investors access to companies developing ever-changing technology and meeting needs on the fly. 

Beyond unprecedented access to startups and startup funds, there are several reasons the company says it’s different. Consider its approach – OurCrowd is driven by the idea that building businesses and helping them grow is more effective when a global “crowd” gains access to invest at the VC level. By leveling the playing field through its platform, OurCrowd says it is empowering institutions and individuals to invest and engage more with emerging companies. 

Not only does OurCrowd identify, vet and invest in emerging companies, but it builds value for its portfolio companies through their life cycles by providing mentorships, recruiting industry advisors, navigating additional capital rounds and creating growth opportunities via OurCrowd’s network of multinational partnerships. Investors not only get access to companies at the ground level but through OurCrowd they can see these companies potentially grow into the next unicorn. 

It's different from the more traditional way of investing in startups where investors typically had to wait until the IPO to invest. At that point, a lot of the value has already been created. 

OurCrowd’s platform changes the approach to VC investing for the masses.

Partnerships Give It An Edge 

OurCrowd also has deep partnerships around the globe that give it access to even more global startups. Some of its high-profile partners include ADIO (Abu Dhabi Investment Office), the central government hub supporting investment in Abu Dhabi, Aescuvest, the Germany-based European HealthTech investment platform and AMM Capital, a multidisciplinary team of professionals specializing in global investments. Those are just three examples of the partners OurCrowd taps to identify promising startups. 

Ease of investing is also a key attribute of OurCrowd’s platform. The company prides itself on making it easy for investors and institutions to find startups and invest in them. To meet that end this summer OurCrowd teamed up with Airwallex, a global payments and financial platform, to enable institutions and individual accredited investors the ability to invest in startups anywhere in the world in their local currency. And all it takes is a single click of a button. Until this feature was launched investors had to convert their local currency into U.S. dollars and then wire it. Now they can invest on the OurCrowd platform in their own currency. 

OurCrowd said it's not only easy and quick but at favorable terms. It's just the latest example of how OurCrowd is leveraging technology to make investing in startups easier than ever for investors. “With the globalization of the startup world, advanced fintech which is multi-currency is a game changer. Now, you can be sitting in Israel and invest in a Silicon Valley startup, pay in Shekels with a single click and it is totally transparent,” said OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved of the Airwallex partnership.

The world is moving at a rapid pace, with technology underpinning many of the advancements. Getting access to startups at the ground level is made easier thanks to platforms like OurCrowd. Not only is the platform company finding startups but they are nurturing them, potentially creating the unicorns of tomorrow. How’s that for leveling the playing field?

Check out some of the world’s hottest startups on the OurCrowd platform. 

Featured photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash.

This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.