Companisto

What Companisto does

Companisto is a Berlin-based digital business angel network and equity crowdfunding platform, organized as Companisto GmbH and founded in 2011. The company operates a two-sided investment marketplace targeting the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), enabling private retail investors to participate in startup and growth-stage equity rounds from €250 and providing a premium Angel Club tier for financially strong investors committing €10,000 or more. As of the latest data, the platform reports 189,791 registered investors (Companists), 4,500+ Business Angels, 488 completed financing rounds, and €369.9M in cumulative investment commitments across 308+ funded startups. The business is managed by Founding Partner and Managing Director Tamo Zwinge (LL.M.) and Co-Founder David Rhotert, with Partner and Head of Investment Christoph Schweizer overseeing deal flow.

The platform's technology stack centers on a proprietary web and mobile (iOS, Android, Huawei) investment interface with a fully digitized participation workflow — from identity verification through SEPA direct debit (via secupay), Klarna instant transfer, credit card, and Giropay, to digital contract execution. A differentiating technical component is the proprietary Secondary Market, launched in May 2022, which allows investors to trade startup shares (GmbH shares, stocks, profit participation certificates, participatory subordinated loans, sub-participations) outside of financing rounds via chat-based price negotiation, addressing the structural liquidity gap in equity crowdfunding. Supporting products include a Securities Account (Depot), Investor Academy, Helpers Community, podcast, and affiliate program (via financeAds). The company operates under German regulatory supervision: Companisto GmbH holds a GewO § 34f financial investment broker permit (register D-F-107-R98V-66), and subsidiary Companisto Wertpapier GmbH is BaFin-registered as a bound broker (register 80164077) acting under Effecta GmbH liability.

Companisto generates revenue primarily through transaction commissions charged to startups on successful equity crowdfunding raises, supplemented by secondary-market transaction fees and Angel Club subscription economics. The platform's value proposition rests on democratized access to curated deal flow (€250 minimum), an active investor community with networking and education offerings, and demonstrable proof points including BigRep's 2024 IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Ticker: B1GR), KoRo as the largest platform exit to date, HERO Software's €40M Series B, and the record €8M DiaMonTech round co-invested with Samsung in 2025 — recognized by the ECCL 2025 study as the largest single equity crowdfunding round in the EU.

Name

Companisto

Legal name

Companisto GmbH

Website

https://companisto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Companisto is a Berlin-based digital business angel network and equity crowdfunding platform that enables DACH-region private investors to co-invest in startups from €250, with an Angel Club tier for investments above €10,000 and a proprietary secondary market for share trading.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830)

akta.pro primary industry

Business-for-Sale Marketplaces & Listing Platforms (FSAEAIAK)

Keywords

• Equity crowdfunding platform
• Startup investment platform
• Business angel network
• Secondary market trading
• Venture capital platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

Revenue model

1. Commission from Startups: Companisto charges a commission to equity crowdfunding projects (startups) for facilitating investments on the platform. The commission is payable upon successful completion of a participation purchase.
2. Angel Club Membership: Tiered investment platform with higher minimum investment (€10,000+) for the Angel Club, providing premium services including live video conferencing with founders, detailed investment analysis, and network access.
3. Secondary Market Trading: Platform fee for facilitating share trading on the secondary market, where buyers and sellers negotiate prices and execute transactions through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Companisto is a digital business angel network and equity crowdfunding platform that enables private investors to participate in startup and growth company investments starting at €250, alongside a premium Angel Club tier requiring minimum investments of €10,000. The platform also operates a proprietary Secondary Market that allows investors to buy and sell startup shares independently of financing rounds, with chat-based negotiation supporting GmbH shares, stocks, profit participation certificates, and participatory subordinated loans.

Product overview

Companisto is a digital business angel network and equity crowdfunding platform that enables private investors to participate in startup and growth company investments. The platform operates under a dual-model architecture: the core Companisto Network allows investments starting at €250 for retail investors, while the Angel Club (a premium tier) targets professional investors with minimum investments of €10,000. The ecosystem includes a Secondary Market for share trading, an Investor Academy for education, a Helpers Community for engagement, and a mobile application for on-the-go access. The platform has facilitated over 415 financing rounds and is recognized as the highest-volume equity crowdfunding platform in the European Union according to the ECCL 2025 study.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• €369.9 million in total investment commitments facilitated
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Companisto Wertpapier GmbHcoreOthersSister company and contractually bound broker under Effecta GmbH, registered with BaFin (register number 80164077), handling securities brokerage on the Companisto platform. Data sharing agreement for investor registration and investment services.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WiSEED: France's leading equity crowdfunding platform, regulated under ECSP. Comparable business model with focus on retail-investor access to French and European growth-stage startups.
• Wefunder: Leading US equity crowdfunding platform under Regulation Crowdfunding, focused on retail-investor access to startup equity. Comparable mission and product structure though geographically distinct.
• Seedrs: UK-headquartered pan-European equity crowdfunding platform with secondary market (Seedrs Secondary Market). Most direct competitor in functionality, regulatory profile, and target market (European growth startups and retail investors).
• Crowdcube: UK's largest equity crowdfunding platform, merged with Seedrs in 2024 to form a major European player. Operates with FCA regulation, comparable business model, and similar retail/professional investor targeting.
• SeedBlink: European equity crowdfunding platform headquartered in Romania, focused on tech startups across CEE and Western Europe. Operates under ECSP regulation; comparable deal-flow model targeting growth-stage tech founders.
• Republic: US-based equity and investment crowdfunding platform operating across multiple asset classes (startups, real estate, crypto, gaming). Closest US peer in multi-tier investor model and platform breadth.
• Funderbeam: Estonia-based platform providing secondary market trading for private company shares globally. Closest peer to Companisto's secondary market offering; overlaps in liquidity-infrastructure thesis.
• Invesdor: Nordic equity crowdfunding and investment platform with operations across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Comparable model and target segment (growth-stage Nordic and Northern European startups).
• StartEngine: US equity crowdfunding platform that has raised over $1B for hundreds of companies. Operates Reg CF and Reg A+ offerings; direct competitor in the same equity-crowdfunding category with strong institutional credibility.

Regional players

• Bettervest: German impact crowdfunding platform focused on energy efficiency and sustainability projects. German regional peer in regulatory environment and target audience, though focused on debt-based impact investments rather than equity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Companisto
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/companisto
• Facebookfacebook.com/companisto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/companisto
• Instagraminstagram.com/companisto

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments29 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Companisto