Crowdinvesting in Nigeria in 2025: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs in Capital Raising

Practical Guide to Crowdinvesting in Russia: How Entrepreneurs Can Attract Investments Through Investment Platforms, Step-by-Step Plan, Mistakes, Features for IT Projects, and Market Analysis for 2025.

The development of any startup eventually boils down to finances. Bank loans for young companies are nearly always accompanied by strict collateral requirements and numerous rejections, while venture funds rarely consider projects in their earliest stages.

One way to attract investments is through crowdinvesting. For the Russian market, this is still a relatively new tool, but its popularity is rapidly growing. In this article, we will discuss how crowdinvesting works, its advantages and risks, how an entrepreneur can navigate the path from idea to successful campaign, and the peculiarities for IT projects.

What is Crowdinvesting and How Does it Work

Crowdinvesting is a type of collective investment where a multitude of individuals and companies invest relatively small sums into one project. In return, they receive a share in the business as well as the possibility of dividends.

The working scheme of crowdinvesting is as follows:

• The entrepreneur registers on an investment platform.
• Prepares a project description and investment conditions: required funding amount, minimum investment, fundraising period, expected returns, etc.
• The platform conducts a basic verification of the company and documents.
• The project becomes available to users of the platform — potential investors.
• Investors decide whether to invest, how much, and if so, in what amount.
• If the target amount is fully or partially reached, the funds are transferred to the company.
• Investors receive rights defined by agreements: equity, interest on loans, dividends, or a combination thereof.

Crowdinvesting transforms the search for one or two large investors into engaging with dozens or hundreds of individuals willing to invest anywhere from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of rubles.

Benefits of Crowdinvesting for Entrepreneurs

One of the main advantages is accessibility and clear conditions. Crowdinvesting provides an opportunity for those without access to funds and business angels but who have a clear business model and team.

Additionally, control over the business remains with the entrepreneur. Large funds often require a substantial equity stake, and sometimes control over key decisions. With crowdinvesting, shares are generally dispersed among a large number of small investors.

Finally, crowdinvesting is not just about money; it also serves as marketing. Thousands of people from the platform's database learn about the project, the entrepreneur actively promotes the campaign on social media, in the media, and in thematic communities, and investors become "brand advocates," sharing information with friends and colleagues.

As a result, you simultaneously address two issues: attracting capital and increasing product awareness. Often, the first investors also become the initial users of the service or customers of the product.

How Legal is Crowdinvesting in Russia

Raising investments through registered investment platforms in Russia is entirely legal. The operation of crowdinvesting is regulated by Federal Law No. 259-FZ "On Attracting Investments Using Investment Platforms," which came into effect on January 1, 2020.

Key provisions include:

• Platforms must be included in the registry of investment platform operators maintained by the Bank of Russia.
• Such operators are subject to requirements concerning capital, internal procedures, IT infrastructure, and investor protection.
• Relationships between the entrepreneur, investors, and operators are formalized on the platform (through contracts, regulations, and offers).

As of late 2025, over 70 investment platform operators are listed in the Central Bank's registry. Working through such platforms reduces legal risks for both entrepreneurs and investors.

Additionally, the law regulates the amount of funds that users can invest. For instance, non-qualified investors can invest up to 600,000 rubles per year across all projects on investment platforms; no such limit applies to legal entities.

Investment platforms are also required to provide truthful and complete information about the business, disclose key risks, and describe how the raised funds will be utilized.

Distortion of facts, concealment of information, or knowingly false data may lead to administrative and criminal responsibility.

Popular Crowdinvesting Platforms in Russia

Below are several significant market players through which entrepreneurs are actively attracting capital.

Penenza. One of the leaders in terms of the volume of financed projects. Since 2020, over 8 billion rubles in investments have flowed through Penenza. The primary focus is on technological companies and IT startups, digital services. Strong analytical support for projects and established legal schemes.

StartTrack. Primarily oriented toward the early stage (pre-seed, seed). There are many projects from the IT and innovation sectors. An important feature is the acceleration programs:

expertise in business models, assistance with product refinement, preparation for transactions, and presentations for investors.

“City of Money.” Works with a wide range of industries: IT, services, manufacturing, catering, real estate. It often attracts entrepreneurs with favorable placement conditions.

The platform actively assists in packaging the project before launch:

“Aurora.” A platform created by the team behind “Voskhod,” one of the prominent venture players in Russia. It focuses on technological companies with substantial revenue of 300 million rubles annually. Closer to later stages than to startups “from scratch.”

How to Attract Funds Through Crowdinvesting: Step-by-Step Plan

Step 1. Assess Project Readiness. Investors on crowd platforms want to see more than just a “napkin idea;” they expect at least a project presentation, financial model, description of the team and its achievements. Having an already operational product, or at least an MVP, first users, and revenue significantly enhances the chances for successful fundraising.

Step 2. Choose a Platform. The platform you choose will determine the audience and the likelihood of closing the round. Evaluate the minimum and maximum investment, average round sizes, specialization, requirements for company development stage, and service costs.

It’s beneficial to study already funded projects on the platform within your niche. If the platform has successful cases similar to yours, it is a significant plus. Don’t hesitate to reach out to platform managers for consultation and preliminary assessment.

Step 3. Prepare an Investment Proposal. How you “package” the project is often more important than its current metrics. Documents need to clearly address several questions:

• What problem are you solving?
• What does your solution look like, and how does it differ from competitors?
• Who is your customer, and how large is the market?
• How does the business earn — sources of revenue, margins, economics?
• Who is the team, and why are you better suited to implement this project than others?
• How much money do you need, and how will it be spent?
• How will the investor earn, and in what time frame?
  

Don’t inflate revenue and profitability expectations without justification. Unbelievable figures immediately raise red flags for experienced investors.

Step 4. Make a Video Presentation. Video increases trust and conversion: projects with high-quality videos typically gather significantly more investments. The goal of the video is to inspire trust and interest, not to “sell everything at once.” Investors will delve into the details in the documents.

Step 5. Launch and Actively Promote the Campaign. The first week after launch is critical. Statistics from similar markets show that if a project gathers about 30% of its target in the first 7 days, the likelihood of closing the round is close to 90%.

The “first money” effect creates social proof: people are more inclined to invest if they see that others have already invested.

Peculiarities of Crowdinvesting for IT Projects

Technological projects often appear more attractive compared to traditional businesses. They typically offer a product that is understandable to the mass investor and has high scaling potential and rapid growth rates with a successful model.

Practice shows that the average investment size and total funds raised for IT projects are noticeably higher than in classical “offline” niches, precisely due to expectations of high returns.

However, the requirements for IT startups are also higher. Investors expect that the project has an MVP or a working version, a clear development roadmap, and the team has an IT background. Without this, gathering investments will be challenging.

Therefore, demonstrate metrics that indicate growth potential:

• MAU (Monthly Active Users) — monthly active audience;
• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) — the cost of acquiring one customer;
• LTV (Lifetime Value) — total revenue from a customer throughout their interaction with the product;
• churn rate — the proportion of users who left during a period.
• MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) — monthly recurring revenue;
• growth in revenue and user base;
• unit economics— profit/loss per product or user.
  

A clear demonstration of how you plan to reduce CAC, increase LTV, and improve retention helps investors assess scalability and profitability potential of the project.

Common Mistakes in Crowdinvesting and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1. Overvaluation of the Company. Overestimating the business is one of the main reasons investors pass by. Analyze deals of comparable companies at your stage, consider real financial performance and the project's risk profile. Additionally, be prepared for dialogue and argumentation regarding your valuation.

It’s better to slightly concede on valuation and raise capital than to stick to an inflated figure and fail to close the round altogether.

Mistake 2. Rushing the Campaign without Preparation. Some entrepreneurs rush to launch on the platform without well-developed materials, promotion strategies, and preliminary agreements with initial investors. This almost guarantees failure.

Mistake 3. Lack of Communication with Investors After Raising Funds. Many founders view closing the round as the finish line. In reality, it's just the beginning. You need to share news with investors, demonstrate the dynamics of key metrics and progress on fund usage plans, stay connected, and respond to questions.

Openness and honesty strengthen trust and improve the chances of repeat investments in future rounds.

Alternative Ways to Seek Investments

Crowdinvesting is not the only way to raise funding. Venture funds can offer larger sums and expert support but often require a significant equity stake in the company and insist on participation in management.

Business angels may be more flexible regarding the terms, but they are harder to find. They often invest in projects through personal recommendations and networking.

Government support programs are also available for innovative projects. For example, the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations, the Russian Venture Company, and regional entrepreneurship support funds offer grants ranging from 500 thousand to 20 million rubles.

The main advantage of grants is that they are non-repayable funding. However, the application process can take months, and reporting requirements can be quite strict.

You can combine different sources of funding. For instance, start with a grant for prototype development, then attract crowd investments for launching sales, and after reaching the breakeven point, seek venture investments for scaling.

This approach allows minimizing dilution of the founders' equity and securing optimal conditions at each stage of development.

What Awaits Crowdinvesting in Russia

Overall, the future of crowdinvesting lies in technology. The development of blockchain and smart contracts could revolutionize this sphere. Tokenization of shares will enable the creation of a secondary market where investors can sell their stakes before the company goes to IPO or is sold to a strategic investor.

Artificial intelligence is already being used to assess projects and predict their success. In the future, AI systems will be able to automatically select projects that fit the risk profile of a specific investor.

Main Takeaways from the Article

Crowdinvesting opens up opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs. It is not just a way to attract funds — it is a chance to build a community of supporters around your project, gain market validation for your idea, and create a powerful PR effect.

Success in crowdinvesting requires thorough preparation, transparency, and active communication with investors. There is no magic formula guaranteeing success, but following best practices and learning from others' mistakes significantly enhances your chances.

Start small: study successful cases in your industry, prepare a quality project presentation, and secure support from initial advocates. Remember that every successful business began with the first step, and crowdinvesting can be the very instrument that turns your idea into a successful business.

The crowdinvesting market in Russia is young and full of opportunities. Those who master this tool now will gain a competitive advantage in the future. Don't delay — start preparing to attract investments today. Your future investors are already waiting for intriguing projects, and your startup could become the next success story in Russian crowdinvesting.