Highlander
Highlander is a US-based, SEC-registered crowdfunding and equity administration platform that helps early-stage startups raise capital from retail investors under Reg CF, Reg A, and Reg D, with integrated cap table, SPV, and transfer agent services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLancaster, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Highlander does
Highlander is a US-based, SEC-registered funding portal and FINRA member that operates an integrated crowdfunding and equity administration platform for early-stage companies and retail investors. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the company enables issuers to raise capital under Regulation Crowdfunding (up to $5M), Regulation A, and Regulation D, while providing compliance handling, KYC/AML verification, payment processing, and digital signature execution within a single investor checkout flow. The core Crowdfunding Marketplace serves both issuers (primarily US LLCs and C-Corporations raising $100K–$5M) and a community of 33,000+ registered investors aged 18+ with minimum investments typically of $100–$500 per campaign.
The platform's product suite extends beyond fundraising into the broader equity lifecycle. Cap Table Management ($50/month) provides self-service ownership tracking, share transfers, and corporate actions; SPV services ($2,000 one-time) bundle retail investors into a single Delaware LLC for a clean cap table; Transfer Agent Services (Starter $239.99/month, delivered through subsidiary Highlander Fortress LLC) add shareholder management, proxy voting, and bulk messaging; and InvestLink offers an embedded white-label checkout product for companies running Reg A and Reg D raises on their own websites. Highlander's monetization combines transaction-based crowdfunding fees ($5,000 setup plus 4.9% of funds raised), recurring subscriptions for cap table and transfer agent modules, and one-time SPV setup fees. The company operates exclusively in the United States, excludes EU residents, and routes payments and escrow through partners including DealMaker, Braintree/PayPal, Enterprise Bank and Trust, and Luminate Bank.
Highlander firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Highlander
- Legal name
- Highlander AI, LLC
- Website
- https://highlander.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Highlander is a US-based, SEC-registered crowdfunding and equity administration platform that helps early-stage startups raise capital from retail investors under Reg CF, Reg A, and Reg D, with integrated cap table, SPV, and transfer agent services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Highlander 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
- Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based) (MPACAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Equity Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAB), Marketplace & Loan Aggregation Platforms (Borrower-Lender Matching) (FSAGAHAL)
Keywords
Where Highlander is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lancaster
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Highlander business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crowdfunding Transaction Fee: Highlander charges companies raising capital a setup fee plus a percentage of funds raised. For Regulation Crowdfunding, this is a $5,000 setup fee plus 4.9% of funds raised. The platform's success-based pricing aligns incentives with issuers — the company earns more when campaigns raise more capital.
- Cap Table Management Subscription: Monthly subscription for self-service cap table management software at $50/month, providing companies with tools to track ownership, execute corporate actions, and manage shareholder communications.
- SPV Setup and Documentation: One-time fee of $2,000 for SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) incorporation as a Delaware LLC, including subscription agreement and operating agreement documentation.
- Transfer Agent Services: Transfer agent services with tiered pricing based on shareholder count — the Starter tier is $239.99 for up to 299 shareholders, with additional features for larger shareholder bases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Crowdfunding Raise — $5,000 setup + 4.9% of funds raised |
| Subscription | Monthly | Cap Table Management — $50/month |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Special Purpose Vehicle — $2,000 one-time |
| Subscription | Monthly | Transfer Agent — Starter at $239.99/month (up to 299 shareholders) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Highlander product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Highlander operates an SEC-registered, FINRA-member crowdfunding marketplace that enables US-based early-stage companies to raise capital (up to $5M via Regulation Crowdfunding, plus Reg A and Reg D) from retail and accredited investors, handling SEC filings, KYC/AML compliance, payments, digital signatures, and investor checkout. Beyond fundraising, the platform offers integrated equity-management products including self-service cap table management, transfer agent services, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) setup, and the InvestLink embedded API for white-label capital raises on company-owned websites.
Product overview
Highlander is an early-stage investing platform operated by Highlander AI, LLC that offers a suite of crowdfunding and equity management products. The core platform centers on a Crowdfunding Marketplace where companies raise capital from retail investors, supported by complementary modules: Cap Table Management for equity tracking, Transfer Agent Services for professional shareholder management, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) services for bundling multiple investors into one cap table entry, and InvestLink for embedding investment checkout technology on external websites. The products work together to provide end-to-end capital raising and equity management from campaign launch through ongoing shareholder administration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- InvestLink: Embedded investing API for Reg A & Reg D raises
- Highlander Fortress
- Crowdfunding Marketplace
- SPV Services
Products and services
- Crowdfunding Marketplace A crowdfunding platform enabling US-based companies to raise up to $5 million from everyday investors through Regulation Crowdfunding, Regulation A, and Regulation D, with services including SEC filing, custom pitch page design, integrated investor checkout, real-time fundraising analytics, and end-to-end compliance support. Targeted at US-based LLCs and C-Corporations seeking to raise $100K–$5M.
- Cap Table Management Self-service equity and shareholder tracking software enabling companies to manage ownership records, transfer shares, execute share splits and buybacks, administer stock option plans, add convertible notes or SAFEs, and manage shareholder communications from a single cloud-based dashboard.
- Transfer Agent Services Professional shareholder management and transfer agent service (provided by subsidiary Highlander Fortress, LLC) handling shareholder additions, valuations, bulk messaging, proxy voting, SPV shareholder tracking, convertible noteholder and SAFE support, and corporate action facilitation. Starter tier at $239.99/month covers up to 299 shareholders.
- Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) A service that bundles multiple individual investors into a single Delaware LLC entity, appearing as one line on the cap table, to simplify equity management and enable clean cap tables for companies with many retail investors. Includes SPV incorporation, subscription agreement, and operating agreement documentation for a $2,000 one-time fee.
- InvestLink White-label embedded investing and checkout API that enables companies to host Regulation A and Regulation D capital raises directly on their own websites, with integrated compliance, AML/KYC, payment processing, and digital signature capabilities handled by Highlander within the host site's flow.
Quantifiable outcome
- $2,952,013 total raised across platform campaigns
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Highlander
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Highlander technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
Highlander partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DealMaker (Novation Solutions Inc.)coreDealMaker.Tech is the payment processor used for all crowdfunding campaigns started after November 1, 2022. The platform also uses DealMaker to collect and manage investor information and facilitate investor payment during checkout.
- Highlander Fortress, LLCcoreHighlander Fortress, LLC is a separate legal entity that provides transfer agent services. It is a subsidiary of Highlander Crowdfunding. Highlander Fortress does not participate in securities offerings and does not provide investment, legal, or tax advice.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Highlander competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Issuance: Issuance is an SEC-registered funding portal offering Reg CF and Reg A+ infrastructure plus branded investor experiences for issuers. It targets a similar issuer profile to Highlander — early-to-growth-stage companies seeking community capital.
- Republic: Republic runs a multi-product retail investment platform spanning Reg CF, Reg A+, Reg D, and crypto offerings. Its breadth and venture backing make it a head-to-head competitor for issuers evaluating crowdfunding platforms alongside Highlander.
- Wefunder: Wefunder operates the largest US Regulation Crowdfunding marketplace, enabling retail and accredited investors to back startups via Reg CF, Reg A, and Reg D. It is the closest direct competitor to Highlander's marketplace model and serves a substantially larger issuer base.
- StartEngine: StartEngine is a long-standing SEC-registered funding portal focused on Reg CF and Reg A+ raises, with a large issuer pipeline and active secondary trading. It directly competes with Highlander for the same pool of US-based early-stage issuers.
- DealMaker: DealMaker provides investment infrastructure (payments, KYC, e-signatures) to crowdfunding issuers and operates its own issuer-facing platform. Highlander relies on DealMaker as a backend payment processor, and DealMaker competes with Highlander's InvestLink offering at the infrastructure layer.
- SeedInvest: SeedInvest is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and funding portal supporting Reg CF and Reg D raises primarily for venture-stage startups. Its accredited-investor focus and selective issuer pipeline position it as a direct comparison point to Highlander's marketplace.
Emerging players
- Pulley: Pulley is a cap-table management and 409A valuation platform focused on venture-backed startups. It overlaps with Highlander's cap table module and 409A-adjacent workflows, but specializes in management software rather than running a regulated funding portal.
Regional players
- Crowdcube: Crowdcube is the leading UK- and Europe-focused equity crowdfunding platform under similar regulatory regimes (FCA-regulated). It is a useful benchmark for International expansion modeling but does not directly compete in Highlander's US-only marketplace.
Broad incumbents
- Carta: Carta is the dominant cap-table management and transfer-agent platform for venture-backed private companies. As Highlander's cap-table, SPV, and transfer-agent services target the same workflow, Carta is an incumbent competitor for post-raise equity administration.
- AngelList: AngelList operates Roll Up Ventures, syndicates, and fund-administration products serving early-stage private markets. While its core focus is syndicated accredited investing rather than retail crowdfunding, it is a broad incumbent competing for the same issuer wallet share as Highlander.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Highlander social profiles
Digital presenceHighlander compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Highlander financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Highlander leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Highlander subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Highlander funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Highlander M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Highlander
What does Highlander do?
Highlander operates an SEC-registered, FINRA-member crowdfunding marketplace that enables US-based early-stage companies to raise capital (up to $5M via Regulation Crowdfunding, plus Reg A and Reg D) from retail and accredited investors, handling SEC filings, KYC/AML compliance, payments, digital signatures, and investor checkout. Beyond fundraising, the platform offers integrated equity-management products including self-service cap table management, transfer agent services, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) setup, and the InvestLink embedded API for white-label capital raises on company-owned websites.
Is Highlander a public or private company?
Highlander is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Highlander founded?
Highlander was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Highlander based?
Highlander is headquartered in Lancaster, United States, in the North America region.
How does Highlander make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Crowdfunding Transaction Fee is the primary driver. The others are cap Table Management Subscription, SPV Setup and Documentation and transfer Agent Services.
Who are Highlander's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Issuance, Republic, Wefunder, StartEngine, DealMaker and SeedInvest. Pulley is listed as an emerging player. Crowdcube is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Carta and AngelList.
Does Highlander have an API?
No public API is recorded for Highlander.
What industry is Highlander in?
Highlander's product category is Equity Crowdfunding Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAJ, Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based), with a secondary code of FSAEALAB, Private Equity Fundraising Placement. Its NAICS code is 523150 and its SIC code is 6211.