Spreds
Spreds is a Brussels-based, FSMA-regulated crowdfunding platform founded in 2011 that enables private Belgian investors to invest in startups, SMEs, renewable energy projects, and local authorities via equity and loan campaigns, monetizing through transaction fees and tax-shelter-related services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Spreds does
Spreds is a Brussels-headquartered, FSMA-regulated crowdfunding platform founded in 2011 that enables private Belgian investors to participate in equity and loan-based crowdfunding campaigns for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, renewable energy producers, and local authorities. Its core technology is a compartment-based architecture operated through Spreds Finance SA, a wholly-owned Belgian SPV (public limited company, VAT BE 538.839.354) that pools crowd investments into legally segregated compartments per campaign, partitioning risk between operations. The platform is accessed online via www.spreds.com on a self-serve basis, with investors completing suitability tests and receiving automated four-year tax attestations under Article 145/26 of the Belgian Income Tax Code (Tax Shelter: 25%, 30%, or 45% tax reduction on investments up to €100,000 per person per year).
The product surface comprises the core crowdfunding platform, Spreds Finance SPV, Tax Shelter, Notes (debt instruments), and Tracers (portfolio tracking). Spreds monetizes through transaction-based subscription fees withheld at the point of investment, potential carried interest on investor exits, and annual management compensation from project owners; specific fee levels are not publicly disclosed and vary per Issue Document. Distribution is exclusively digital and self-serve, with marketing driven by the website, blog content, FundedFamily alumni community, email, events, and earned media. The team is small (1-10 employees) under CEO Charles-Albert de Radzitzky, with co-founder Gilles van der Meerschen as CBO, Simon Schoeters as CTO, and Pieter Vanderbeeken as CMO; Benoît Fally serves as Director while also leading PrivateLending SA/NV, a loan-analysis partner. The company reports a 0% actual default rate on loan-based crowdfunding over the 36-month window ending December 2025, in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 transparency requirements.
Spreds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spreds
- Legal name
- Spreds SA
- Website
- https://spreds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Spreds is a Brussels-based, FSMA-regulated crowdfunding platform founded in 2011 that enables private Belgian investors to invest in startups, SMEs, renewable energy projects, and local authorities via equity and loan campaigns, monetizing through transaction fees and tax-shelter-related services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spreds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crowdfunding Investment Platform
- NAICS
- Other Financial Vehicles (525990)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail Investment Products (RIPs) & Packaged Products (PRIIPs/KIDs) (FSACAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Yield, Vaults & Asset Management (vault strategies, robo-vaults, structured yield) (FSAPAEAG)
Keywords
Where Spreds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spreds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription/Subscription Fees: Subscription fees are withheld from investments made by Members, as stipulated in the Issue Document of each crowdfunding operation. These fees are deducted at the point of investment transaction.
- Carried Interest: Spreds may receive carried interest compensation depending on the return obtained by investors during exit opportunities. This aligns Spreds' interests with investor outcomes in certain exit scenarios.
- Annual Management Compensation: Spreds may receive annual compensation paid by project owners for management of investors, depending on the specific arrangement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Tax Shelter investments offering 25-45% tax reduction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Crowdfunding investment fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Spreds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spreds operates a regulated online crowdfunding investment platform that enables private investors to subscribe to equity and loan-based campaigns of Belgian and international startups, scale-ups, SMEs, local authorities, and renewable energy producers. Investments are pooled through Spreds Finance SA, a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle that uses a compartment structure to isolate risk between campaigns, and qualifying investments receive a 25%, 30%, or 45% Tax Shelter tax reduction.
Product overview
Spreds operates as a crowdfunding investment platform structured around its core platform and subsidiary Spreds Finance (a protected SPV). The platform enables private investors to participate in equity and loan-based crowdfunding campaigns for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, and renewable energy producers. Key product components include: the Spreds Crowdfunding Platform as the primary interface, Spreds Finance as the legal investment vehicle with compartment-based structure, Notes as the financial instruments issued, and the Tax Shelter for Start-ups as a key tax benefit module offering 25-45% reductions. The platform also provides Tracers for portfolio tracking and compliance with Belgian tax requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Spreds Crowdfunding Investment Platform An online self-serve crowdfunding marketplace where private investors can browse, register, complete a suitability test, and invest in pre-selected equity and loan campaigns of vetted startups, scale-ups, SMEs, renewable energy projects, and local authorities. Offers co-investment alongside professional VCs and business angels and access to automated tax documentation.
- Capital Raising Service for Entrepreneurs A dedicated service for startups, scale-ups, SMEs, local authorities, and renewable energy producers to apply, structure, and run equity or loan crowdfunding campaigns on the Spreds platform, accessing both retail crowd investors and professional co-investors.
- Tax Shelter for Start-ups A tax-optimization service and automated portfolio offering that allows investors investing in qualifying Belgian start-ups to receive 25%, 30%, or 45% of their investment back as a tax reduction, with automated tax attestation for annual declarations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 0% default rate on loan crowdfunding over 36-month period (2023-2025)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Spreds
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Spreds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Spreds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Spreds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Look&Fin: Belgian loan-based crowdfunding platform for SMEs. Competes head-to-head on the lending-crowdfunding side of Spreds' offering within Belgium.
- Bolero Crowdfunding: Belgian FSMA-regulated crowdfunding platform offering equity and loan-based investments in Belgian startups and SMEs. Closest direct competitor given shared Belgian market, regulatory regime, and product mix.
- WinWinner: Belgian crowdfunding platform focused on Belgian SMEs and startups via equity and loan-based campaigns. Directly comparable in geography, regulation, and target issuer/investor segments.
Regional players
- Companisto: Germany's largest equity crowdfunding platform for startups and growth companies. Comparable in product (equity crowdfunding) and EU regulated environment, but serves DACH-region issuers/investors.
- October: European loan-based crowdfunding platform (formerly Lendix) operating across France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Directly comparable in lending-crowdfunding model and EU regulatory footprint, though focused on SME debt.
- Anaxago: French AMF-regulated platform offering equity and real-estate crowdfunding. Comparable in regulated equity-crowdfunding for startups/SMEs, but serves primarily the French market.
- Eppela: Italian equity- and reward-based crowdfunding platform. Comparable as an EU-regulated crowdfunding platform for startups, though operating in a different geography and with a smaller equity focus than Spreds.
Broad incumbents
- Seedrs: UK-based FCA-regulated equity crowdfunding platform (now part of Republic). Comparable in equity-crowdfunding model and target startup segment, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Crowdcube: UK-based FCA-regulated equity and mini-bond crowdfunding platform. Comparable in product mix and target segment, but at meaningfully greater scale with established secondary market.
- Republic: US- and UK-regulated (via Seedrs acquisition) investment platform offering equity, debt, and revenue-sharing crowdfunding to retail and accredited investors. Comparable in regulated multi-product retail investment offerings.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spreds social profiles
Digital presenceSpreds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spreds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Spreds subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Spreds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spreds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments51 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spreds
What does Spreds do?
Spreds operates a regulated online crowdfunding investment platform that enables private investors to subscribe to equity and loan-based campaigns of Belgian and international startups, scale-ups, SMEs, local authorities, and renewable energy producers. Investments are pooled through Spreds Finance SA, a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle that uses a compartment structure to isolate risk between campaigns, and qualifying investments receive a 25%, 30%, or 45% Tax Shelter tax reduction.
Is Spreds a public or private company?
Spreds is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Spreds founded?
Spreds was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Spreds based?
Spreds is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Spreds make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription/Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest and annual Management Compensation.
Who are Spreds's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Look&Fin, Bolero Crowdfunding and WinWinner. Regional players are Companisto, October, Anaxago and Eppela. Broad incumbents are Seedrs, Crowdcube and Republic.
Does Spreds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spreds.
What industry is Spreds in?
Spreds's product category is Crowdfunding Investment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACAMAN, Retail Investment Products (RIPs) & Packaged Products (PRIIPs/KIDs), with a secondary code of FSAPAEAG, Yield, Vaults & Asset Management (vault strategies, robo-vaults, structured yield). Its NAICS code is 525990 and its SIC code is 6211.