I would start of by saying start engine is a boon for average investors who has historically not had an opportunity to invest in start ups. The platform is super intuitive and very easy to get started. I like the fact that all the due diligence of a company raising capital can be done from a single page instead of having to click on multiple links and navigate to different pages. The invest minimum being as low as few hundred dollars for most investment is a great advantage for a lot of investors who are getting started in this space. Its a great platform to build a long term portfolio in a variety of start ups and reap the benefit of early investing in the long run.
I managed to easily get refunds from investments I had made as well as the subscription fee I was not expecting. I am going to continue to explore Start Engine because there are mixed reviews about it and the concept is still a good one.
So far, start Engine is responding well in refunding me for the subscription fee that I was not aware that I was to pay. I am told also that I will get a refund of one of my investments that I am cancelling. I am still learning about this company and will keep you all posted!
I've invested in a dozen companies on the StartEngine website. I find it to be secure and easy to navigate. Not every company has grown but some have big time. My experience as a small time venture capitalist has been overall very positive.
I deposited $1000 thinking I'll use it to invest in a startup. When I tried to invest, it told me I had to use fund from my bank directly. So now I have $1000 sitting in there and can't be used. I also tried withdrawing the money since Im in need of it, but it says that they are in the middle of a system transfer. It's been like that for half a year now.
Invested $500 in a promising company almost three years ago - shares are worth about $13 today. StartEngine is set up to enrich the entrepreneurs and management of SE - not the investors. The agreement is written such that they can continue and dilute your shares in perpetuity by seeking more money from different investors.
I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the exceptional support I have received from StartEngine, particularly from Nicole on your support team.
As a user of StartEngine's platform, I have been consistently impressed with its ease of use and intuitive interface. However, what truly sets StartEngine apart is the quality of its support team. They are responsive, knowledgeable, and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that my needs are met.
In my most recent support interaction, I had the pleasure of working with Nicole. She demonstrated an unparalleled level of thoroughness and attentiveness in addressing my inquiries. Not only did she provide comprehensive answers to my initial questions, but she also took the time to address several follow-up concerns I had. Her dedication to ensuring that I received all the necessary information was truly commendable.
What impressed me the most was Nicole's proactive approach. After providing the initial answers, she circled back to confirm that I had received everything I needed and that there were no outstanding issues. This level of care and attention to detail is rare and greatly appreciated.
I want to commend Nicole for her outstanding service and extend my gratitude to the entire StartEngine support team. Your commitment to customer satisfaction is evident, and it is one of the key reasons why I continue to use and recommend your platform.
Please convey my heartfelt thanks to Nicole and the team for their hard work and dedication. It is employees like her who make the StartEngine experience truly exceptional.
Hi Brian!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you've had such a positive interaction with our support team, especially with Nicole. Providing exceptional customer support is a top priority for us, and it's fantastic to know that Nicole's dedication and thoroughness left such a lasting impression. Your kind words mean the world to us, and we'll be sure to pass along your gratitude to Nicole and the rest of our team. We're grateful for your support and look forward to continuing to exceed your expectations in the future. If you ever need anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out. Happy investing!
I invested through start engine, pre-ipo, for jet ai, formerly known as jet token. I had 630 shares before the ipo. Somehow I ended up with just 21 shares and 33 warrants. Likely due to a reverse split, eventually leaving me with about $30 worth of shares for my $200 investment. I won't ever invest through start engine again, as it was a hassle to get simple information and is an even bigger hassle to transfer your shares. E-Trade won't even allow me to transfer my shares into my brokerage account because they are worth less than $500. I would highly recommend AGAINST it.
Hi Taron,
Thank you for leaving your feedback.
We sincerely apologize for the difficulties you have experienced.
If a company that raised on our platform previously makes the decision to go public, it is out of our hands and we have no control over the situation and what happens to your shares.
StartEngine assists start-up companies in raising capital for their business and helps facilitate investments from investors but once an offering has ended, we are not involved in the IPO process other than providing information to the company’s Transfer Agent and trying to assist investors in the process to the best of our abilities.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out directly to us at contact@startengine.com.
Again, we value your feedback and hope to improve this experience for you.
Have a great day!
I have invested with about 10-15 companies through start engine. Then, randomly one day (as i had 2 more companies waiting to fund), i received an email stating that they were kicking me out. They said they were closing my start engine account. I emailed the person back asking for an explanation. Nothing! No response! Not justification for their actions! A week before this happened i was verified with a national REIT as an accredited investor. Thus, i am still at a loss for their actions and not even the courtesy of an explanation! All they did was send me my subscription agreements and stock certificates.
StartEngine (SE) suggested transferring funds, retained from the sale of GATSBY with NDTC, to my SE Account. It was set in motion, but no communication about the transaction, since that time. Neither are the funds in my account. So the experience is unsatisfactory, because it requires me to consistently check and recheck.
Hi Alma, We sincerely apologize for the wait and the lack of communication on this matter. Since we have confirmed with you, there has been an influx of requests and our team is working on these transfers as quickly as possible. We really appreciate your patience and understanding. Once the funds are in your account, you will be notified! Again, we apologize and appreciate your understanding.
I invested in Paqui Tequila through start engine of 300.00 at 1.66 a share. I was supposed to receive a email to confirm my email address so I could continue setting up my account but never received it. Now I reach anybody concerning this problem and have been trying for days. The offer has closed and the site is telling me if I didn't confirm my investment basically I jerked out of my money!
StartEngine is nothing but a scam site pretending to be an investment platform. Hundreds of junk companies with shady founders are listed at ridiculous valuations. (I was able to cancel all my proposed investments and get out unscathed... but just barely.
Also, good luck trying to get in touch with anyone in customer service. The phone number doesn't even work! And, they don't answer emails either.
Don't believe ANYTHING you read on StartEngine! Search them on YouTube and Google, you'll find tons of information on StartEngine fraud, scams and criminal founders of the companies listed. This company wants only one thing: to fleece you of your many to enrich themselves and these company "founders".
Howard Marks and Kevin O'Leary should both be in jail, but have been able to apparently stay just one step from being indicted. STAY AWAY!
This site is a scam. Once a Company IPO's the do reverse splits making your investment worth $14 instead of the $3300 I was expecting. I will be contacting Start Engine and demand all my money returned. Shark tank Mr. Wonderful you owe me money! Jet Token SCAM!
Hi John,
We sincerely apologize for the difficulties you have experienced.
If a company that raised on our platform previously makes the decision to go public, it is out of our hands and we have no control over the situation.
StartEngine assists start-up companies in raising capital for their business and helps facilitate investments from investors but once an offering has ended, we are not involved in the IPO process other than providing information to the company’s Transfer Agent and trying to assist investors in the process to the best of our abilities.
As we try to remind you in various places throughout the website, including in the educational materials which all users agree to when creating an account, the universal website footer, and every investment agreement used in conjunction with any offering on our platform, these investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk including the possible loss of your entire investment.
Please feel free to contact us directly at contact@startengine.com to address any further concerns or questions, we are happy to help.
Thanks for using StartEngine.
Alice M assisted me with my issue and was very helpful and professional. Although I have to wait and see how long it will take to be reimbursed for my money, Alice M solved my problem.
Hello Darrell! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Alice M! We're glad to hear she was able to assist you effectively. Rest assured, we're committed to resolving your reimbursement as quickly as possible. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out. We appreciate your patience and support!
Love this site! Was able to invest in few startups which is now on the stock market! Another one is out in the market for sale already! Let's get rich y'all!
Hi Jipu! Thank you for leaving this positive review for us! We are so glad to hear that you are enjoying our platform!
We look forward to continuing this positive experience for you!
Start engine is a company that allows the average person to invest in early stage companies without having to be an accredited investor! Most companies are early stage and may take several years before you get a return on your money so know that going in. If the company does do well you may have the potential to get a great return on your investment. I would highly recommend Start Engine as a investment vehicle to help grow your portfolio!
They are arrogant and complete jerks--from the CEO down to the customer service reps. They will not call you back in a timely manner, See other 1 star reviews. By the way, the 5 star reviews are fake, at least the majority of them are. It is obvious.
Hi Lori, I'm sorry to hear this was your experience. If you need help with a platform issue, or have a question about investing on the platform, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact@startengine.com.
I have been nothing short of impressed with StartEngine and their ease of use with their website. It provides me an opportunity I never had years ago and invest in startups. It allows be to be more diversified with my portfolio. This is on the higher end of risk and everyone should ALWAYS due their due diligence and research anything they invest their money in. I understood what I was investing in and the risks I was taking. StartEngine does a great job communicating with their investors and users. I would recommend them to anyone that wants to invest in startups.
I completely disagree by some of the comments from other users with bad reviews. It was clearly mentioned to read the disclaimer before investing and also it was noted that it may take more than 5 years to see the returns if offering company is successful with their goal. I suggest others to read offering and risks listed completely before investing.
I'm an active angel investor and as such, I use multiple platform to invest in. Some companies take a long time to respond to my request. However, with StartEngine, someone always get back to me in a timely manner. I hope they have more great startups to raise with them, so I can use those platform less and less.
Give it a try when investing in startup and you'll be amazed.
The take your money and make you wait 10 months 10 months then send it back to you, I would really prefer wefunder much better and better and understanding customer service, don't invest in start engine totally useless
Answer: Yes, StartEngine is absolutely a legitimate business to invest in. Most recently they've hired Kevin O'Leary from the investment TV show "Shark Tank" as their new spokesman. They are currently the 10 fastest growing private company in CA.
Answer: Hi John. Refunds are processed within 10 business days. To check on the status of your refund, please reach out to our support team by emailing contact@startengine.com and we'd be happy to assist.
Answer: Hey William, Thanks for getting in touch with StartEngine, we are happy to assist with your question! To clarify, companies that raise funds on StartEngine are private companies, so unlike companies listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ, their shares do not fluctuate in value on a day-to-day basis. These investments are considered longer-term and not immediately liquidating. Typically, you will only see a change in the value of your shares if/when the company raises additional capital or goes through an exit event, such as an acquisition or IPO. And keep in mind that your StartEngine dashboard won't reflect any changes in share value – it only shows the initial terms of your investment at the time you made it. If you have any questions about the company and its progress, we recommend reaching out to them directly through the "comments" section of their campaign page or website. If you want to learn more about investing in startups and the potential outcomes, you can check out the articles at www.startengine.com/blog/investing-in-startups-101 and help.startengine.com. If you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to our support team directly at contact@startengine.com. Thanks for using StartEngine and have a great day!
Answer: Hi Bruce, Thank you for your question. StartEngine is an investment platform that allows companies to raise capital by exchanging capital for securities (equity or debt). Rather than asking friends, family, and fans to donate money to help raise funds, StartEngine enables companies to raise capital by offering investment opportunities to the general public. Now anyone is able to be an angel investor! To learn more about investing with StartEngine, please check out our handy Help Guide at: https://help.startengine.com If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us directly at contact@startengine.com. Have a great day!
Answer: Hi Antonio, Thank you for your question. StartEngine is an investment platform that allows companies to raise capital by exchanging capital for securities (equity or debt). Rather than asking friends, family, and fans to donate money to help raise funds, StartEngine enables companies to raise capital by offering investment opportunities to the general public. Now anyone is able to be an angel investor! To learn more about investing with StartEngine, please check out our handy Help Guide at: https://help.startengine.com If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us directly at contact@startengine.com. Have a great day!
Answer: Hi Daniel. To see the status of your investment, you can log in to your account and go to investment.startengine.com/dashboard. If you have any other questions, please reach out to us at contact@startengine.com. Thank you!
Answer: Hi Frank, We cannot provide financial advice or predict a return on investment. However, as a rule start-up investing is inherently extremely high risk, longer term, and illiquid and you should only invest what you can afford to entirely lose. Investing in start-ups should only be done because you are passionate about supporting the company and believe in them. As always, we recommend consulting a financial professional to discuss your own personal goals. You can follow companies on our platform and receive their updates even without investing by making an account and clicking on the "heart" icon on their campaign page.
StartEngine has a rating of 2.7 stars from 189 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers dissatisfied with StartEngine most frequently mention customer service, phone number and email address. StartEngine ranks 2nd among Crowd Funding sites.
Thank you for providing this feedback. I'm sorry for the issues you encountered with your account. We would be happy to help you resolve this immediately, please contact our main Help Desk at: contact@startengine.com