Equivesto
Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform, operating as a licensed Exempt Market Dealer across all provinces, that enables private companies to raise CAD $100K–$1.5M from retail and accredited investors starting at CAD $100 per investment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Equivesto does
Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform and licensed Exempt Market Dealer that enables private companies to raise capital by issuing small portions of ownership to a broad base of retail and accredited investors. Incorporated as Equivesto Canada Inc. and founded in 2017 following the introduction of Canadian prospectus exemptions for equity crowdfunding, the company is headquartered in Toronto and operates exclusively within the domestic Canadian market under registration across all provinces and territories. The platform serves two primary customer segments: (1) private Canadian issuers — primarily startups, small businesses, and real estate projects seeking to raise between CAD $100,000 and CAD $1,500,000 per year — and (2) individual investors, including non-accredited Canadians over 18 and accredited investors, who can participate starting at a CAD $100 minimum.
The core product is the Equivesto Platform, a web-based investment portal (portal.equivesto.com) where issuers create 30- to 90-day campaigns and investors complete KYC, browse offerings, and fund investments electronically with digital document signing and e-funds transfer. The company operates as the regulated broker-of-record for each transaction, supported by identity-verification integration with Trulioo and TFSA/RRSP-eligible holding arrangements through Western Pacific Trust Company and Olympia Trust Company. Surrounding the core portal is a substantial educational and tooling layer — including a Company Master Class, ECF Bootcamp, Pitch Deck Review, Pitch Perfect, Corporate Governance Class, VC Deal Structuring content, and free financial calculators — designed to prepare issuers for raises and to support investor onboarding.
Equivesto's revenue model is transaction-based. The company charges issuers a non-refundable application fee before campaign review, a 7% success fee on capital raised in completed campaigns, and an optional CAD $1,000 TFSA/RRSP trust setup fee. Investors pay no platform fees. Go-to-market is community-led: issuers are expected to source their own investor base from existing networks, while Equivesto drives top-of-funnel demand through email/newsletter, content marketing, webinars, organic social, and referral partnerships with community organizations such as DMZ and PCMA. Disclosed funding to date totals approximately CAD $953K across two equity rounds (CAD $756,527 in October 2019 and CAD $196,803 in April 2022), and headcount remains in the 1–10 range.
Equivesto firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equivesto
- Legal name
- Equivesto Canada Inc.
- Website
- https://equivesto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform, operating as a licensed Exempt Market Dealer across all provinces, that enables private companies to raise CAD $100K–$1.5M from retail and accredited investors starting at CAD $100 per investment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equivesto industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equity Crowdfunding Platform
- NAICS
- Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-commerce & Digital Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAH)
Keywords
Where Equivesto is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Equivesto business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction/Brokerage Fee: Equivesto charges a 7% success fee on completed campaigns. Companies pay this fee upon successful campaign closing, deducted from funds raised before transfer to the company.
- Application Fee: Non-refundable application fee charged to companies before the application review begins to cover initial evaluation costs.
- TFSA/RRSP Trust Services: Optional trust company setup fees of CAD $1,000 through Western Pacific Trust Company or Olympia Trust Company for campaigns eligible to be held in TFSA/RRSP accounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Investor Access - Free |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Company Equity Crowdfunding Raise |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Application Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TFSA/RRSP Eligibility Setup |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Equivesto product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform and licensed Exempt Market Dealer that enables private Canadian companies to raise CAD $100,000 to $1,500,000 per year by issuing small portions of equity to a community of investors through campaign-style offerings (typically 30–90 days). Investors can browse vetted Canadian startups, small businesses, funds, and real estate offerings on the digital portal starting at a CAD $100 minimum, with optional TFSA/RRSP eligibility through partner trust companies. Issuers pay a non-refundable application fee and a 7% success fee on capital raised, while investors access the platform free of charge.
Product overview
Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform that operates as a single unified product—the Equivesto Platform—enabling private companies to raise up to $1.5M CAD through equity crowdfunding campaigns. The platform connects investor-investors with vetted Canadian startups, small businesses, funds, and real estate opportunities, with a minimum investment of $100 CAD. The offering includes a web-based Investment Portal for browsing and participating in offerings, accompanied by a suite of educational products (Company Master Class, ECF Bootcamp, Pitch Deck Review, Pitch Perfect, Corporate Governance Class, VC Deal Structuring) to prepare companies for raising and investors for participating. Additional supporting tools include free financial calculators and licensed Exempt Market Dealer services for regulatory compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Equivesto Investment Platform (Crowdfunding Portal) Web-based online investment portal at portal.equivesto.com where private Canadian companies run 30–90 day equity crowdfunding campaigns to raise CAD $100,000 to $1,500,000 per year, and where Canadian investors browse and fund vetted startups, small businesses, funds, and real estate opportunities starting at CAD $100 per offering.
- Exempt Market Dealer Services Licensed Exempt Market Dealer service enabling private Canadian companies to issue and sell securities through prospectus exemptions including startup equity crowdfunding, accredited investor, offering memorandum, and family/friends exemptions, with suitability assessments, KYC, dealing-representative oversight, and Ontario-style regulatory compliance.
Companies that use Equivesto
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Equivesto technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Equivesto partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.
- DMZ (Digital Media Zone)supportingCommunity partner - startup accelerator/incubator network providing potential deal flow and ecosystem support for Canadian startups seeking equity crowdfunding.
- PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association)supportingCommunity partner - industry association supporting event and meeting professionals, potentially providing access to entrepreneurial community for investment opportunities.
- TrulioosupportingIdentity verification service provider used for KYC compliance. Bound by same confidentiality and security requirements as Equivesto for protecting investor personal information.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Equivesto competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- StartEngine: StartEngine is a major US-based equity crowdfunding platform with a large issuer base and strong brand among retail investors. It is comparable to Equivesto in product offering (online equity raises from the crowd) but operates at much greater scale and funding.
- Wealthsimple: Wealthsimple is a large Canadian digital wealth platform with TFSA/RRSP accounts and a growing private markets offering. While broader in scope than Equivesto, it competes for the same Canadian retail investor base seeking tax-advantaged private market exposure.
- Wefunder: Wefunder is one of the largest US equity crowdfunding platforms under Regulation Crowdfunding, supporting startups and small businesses raising from retail investors. It serves as a benchmark competitor for issuer experience and platform scale.
- Republic: Republic is a large multi-vertical private markets platform offering equity crowdfunding, tokenized assets, and venture funds. While US-headquartered, it accepts Canadian issuers and represents a scaled, well-funded competitor to Equivesto in the equity crowdfunding category.
- SeedInvest: SeedInvest is a US equity crowdfunding and venture platform that curates startup offerings for accredited and retail investors. Its selective deal-flow approach is similar in principle to Equivesto's curated Canadian offerings.
Regional players
- Crowdcube: Crowdcube is a UK-headquartered equity crowdfunding platform for high-growth startups and scale-ups. While it operates in a different geography, it offers a highly relevant product and business model comparison for Equivesto's curated approach.
- Seedrs (now part of Republic Europe): Seedrs is a European equity crowdfunding platform offering curated startup raises to retail and professional investors. Although UK/Europe-based, it is a strong comparability reference for an online investment portal intermediating private securities.
Direct peers
- FrontFundr: FrontFundr is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform and Exempt Market Dealer that connects private companies with retail investors. It is the closest direct competitor to Equivesto, operating the same regulated securities intermediation model in Canada.
- SeedUps Canada: SeedUps is a Canadian equity crowdfunding portal that helps startups and small businesses raise capital from a community of investors. It overlaps directly with Equivesto in offering regulated capital-raising access for early-stage Canadian issuers.
Others
- AngelList: AngelList is a US-based private markets platform powering syndicates, funds, and rolling funds. It is an adjacent, enabling platform rather than a direct competitor, but it shapes the broader ecosystem in which equity crowdfunding portals like Equivesto operate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Equivesto compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Equivesto financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equivesto leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Equivesto funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equivesto M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Equivesto
What does Equivesto do?
Equivesto is a Canadian equity crowdfunding platform and licensed Exempt Market Dealer that enables private Canadian companies to raise CAD $100,000 to $1,500,000 per year by issuing small portions of equity to a community of investors through campaign-style offerings (typically 30–90 days). Investors can browse vetted Canadian startups, small businesses, funds, and real estate offerings on the digital portal starting at a CAD $100 minimum, with optional TFSA/RRSP eligibility through partner trust companies. Issuers pay a non-refundable application fee and a 7% success fee on capital raised, while investors access the platform free of charge.
Is Equivesto a public or private company?
Equivesto is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Equivesto founded?
Equivesto was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Equivesto based?
Equivesto is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Equivesto make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction/Brokerage Fee is the primary driver. The others are application Fee and TFSA/RRSP Trust Services.
Who are Equivesto's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are StartEngine, Wealthsimple, Wefunder, Republic and SeedInvest. Regional players are Crowdcube and Seedrs (now part of Republic Europe). Direct peers are FrontFundr and SeedUps Canada. AngelList is listed as an others.
Does Equivesto have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equivesto.
What industry is Equivesto in?
Equivesto's product category is Equity Crowdfunding Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAIAH, E-commerce & Digital Business Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 523150 and its SIC code is 6211.