Australia's original equity crowdfunding platform - putting startups, property and alternative assets within reach of the crowd, from as little as A$250.
For most of financial history, backing an early-stage company was an invitation-only affair. Venture capital funds, angel syndicates and property developers pooled institutional money, and the returns from private markets stayed with a narrow circle. VentureCrowd, launched in Sydney in October 2013, was built on a simpler premise: capital is not scarce - access is. Open the door, and the Australian crowd will help fund the innovations of the future.
The company operates a multi-asset crowdfunding platform. In practice, that means three things under one roof. First, equity crowdfunding - buying fractional shares in high-growth private startups. Second, property crowdfunding - putting money into residential and commercial development deals that once needed institutional scale. Third, debt and credit investments, alongside curated managed and "sidecar" funds that let the crowd co-invest next to professional managers. The entry ticket can be as low as A$250 - roughly the price of a nice dinner out, and a fraction of the six-figure minimums typical of traditional venture funds.
VentureCrowd grew out of Artesian, an Australian alternative-investment manager, rather than starting life as a standalone startup. That heritage matters: it gave the platform an institutional grounding in deal structuring, compliance and fund management from day one, in a market where regulation around retail investment is deliberately strict.
On a mission to fund the great Australian innovations of the future.
Everyday and accredited investors who want exposure to startups, property and alternative assets - asset classes that traditionally sat behind high minimums and closed networks. VentureCrowd lets them start small, diversify across deals, and hold real equity rather than a token or a reward.
Early-stage companies and property sponsors who need growth capital and, just as valuably, a base of investors who become advocates. A crowd raise turns hundreds of small cheques into hundreds of people personally invested in the outcome - funding and distribution bought together.
The core problem is an access gap. Private markets have historically delivered strong returns, but the deals that generate them are the ones most people never see. On one side, retail investors are locked out; on the other, good founders outside the traditional VC pipeline struggle to be seen. VentureCrowd's answer is that visibility is the product - surfacing curated, compliance-checked opportunities to a crowd that was previously shut out, and giving founders a channel to reach them.
Fractional equity in early-stage, high-growth Australian startups, with minimums from around A$250. The platform hosts curated campaigns for private companies raising growth capital.
Access to residential and commercial development deals - launched in partnership with major developer Mirvac - opening real estate projects to smaller investors.
Debt-based crowdfunding and credit opportunities that let investors earn returns from secured lending and project finance across the portfolio.
Curated managed vehicles that let the crowd co-invest alongside professional venture and alternative-asset managers, for investors who prefer a diversified basket over single deals.
How it makes money
VentureCrowd runs a two-sided marketplace. It connects capital-seeking startups and property sponsors with retail and wholesale investors, earning revenue through fees on capital raised, fund management and platform/administration charges. Rather than lending its own balance sheet, it monetises deal flow - the classic platform playbook applied to private markets.
Its position in the Australian equity crowdfunding landscape is that of a first mover with breadth. Where some rivals focus on a single asset class, VentureCrowd spans startups, property and credit. Third-party trackers place it among the leaders by total funding facilitated.
VentureCrowd is led by co-founder and CEO Steve Maarbani, a corporate lawyer and former partner at PwC who left big-four consulting to build a platform for democratising private-market access. That background shows in the company's DNA: a small team that pairs startup-style product thinking with the legal and compliance rigour that Australian retail investment demands.
Launched by alternative investment manager Artesian as one of Australia's first equity crowdfunding platforms.
Hosted its first equity crowdfunding campaigns, letting investors buy fractional equity in early-stage companies.
Completed a A$4.2M raise for Ingogo and launched property crowdfunding with developer Mirvac.
Raised capital for residential developments including Riverstone East and the Austral project.
Broadened alternative-asset reach, including a move into self-managed-super-fund property investment.
Closed a Series A round, including A$3.9M raised directly from investors on its own platform.
The holding company entered external administration amid ~A$7.3M in creditor claims; the CEO described it as a corporate debt restructure, with operating subsidiaries and managed funds continuing to run.
VentureCrowd raised part of its own Series A on its own platform - the ultimate act of dogfooding in capital markets.
The minimum ticket is low enough to change who gets to own a stake in early-stage innovation.
It emerged from Artesian, an alternative-asset manager, giving it institutional muscle from the start.