When you invest on Republic, you receive a Crowd Safe, which gives you a financial interest in the company you invested in. You can make money if that company “exits”, meaning it is acquired or goes public at a higher price than you paid for it, but could also lose your entire investment if it fails.

The Crowd SDA was created by Republic and is a debt crowdfunding-specific version of a typical debt agreement, a financial instrument widely used by angels, VCs and other accredited investors investing in startups.

What is a rolling close and how does it affect my investment?

How much can I invest?

Anyone in your company that falls into one or more of these categories must provide Republic their full name legal name, SSN/TIN, phone-number, address and DOB:

Officer (anyone with "officer" in their title);
Director (anyone on your board, but not informal advisors); and/or
Any person or entity that holds 20% or more of the company.

Attorney review: $0-$3,500
If you have an in-house counsel or your own representation, you can use their services. If you need representation, our partners offer a flat fee structure for Form C compliance and legal review. In addition they will file your Form C, all amendments during the campaign (if applicable) and your post campaign Form C-U declaring the campaign end. Finally, they will help you setup and review your investor agreement (i.e., the security you are selling to investors - most likely our Crowd Safe). This bill is typically paid upfront.

Republic campaigns usually last 30-60 days. If you need to run a campaign for a longer time, please let us know.

A Token DPA can have a hard cap on the time period money may be borrowed in, ensuring that investors’ capital isn’t contributed to a project that won’t materialize within a set period of time.

Companies can customize the Token DPA to include repurchase rights as well as allow for refinancings. Depending on the terms of a company's Token DPA, investors should be aware that repayment in cash or tokens may result in no return.

If you're still not sure, it's best to check with a CPA. We recommend using Kristine Rasmussen from Assure (krasmussen@assure.co). Most startups that have raised on Republic work with Kristine.

What is the typical campaign duration?

To print an offering (deal) page, use your browser's print function (Cmd+P on Mac, Ctrl+P on Windows).

The easiest way to download a page as a PDF is to go through the print command, and choose "Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF" in the print destination / printer choice menu

The following information is based on our understanding of how some investors will be taxed on commonly used investment instruments.  Each company hosted on Republic prepares its own security instrument for fundraising.  We do not provide any guidance as to how such instruments may be taxed generally or how a specific investor purchasing these instruments would be taxed, and encourage you to discuss any tax questions with your tax, legal, accounting, and other financial advisers.  The great majority of investments in seed-stage and early-stage companies result in complete losses for the investor, so tax losses may be expected on your investment. 

Under the terms of the Crowd SDA, investors lend money to the company in exchange for annual interest payments during the term of the agreement. The company has the right to accelerate repayment of interest and/or principal, subject to a minimum return multiple (e.g. 1.5x the principal). If the company makes all interest payments due under the Crowd SDA, the minimum return multiple will be satisfied.

Does Republic allow international investors?

Can I cancel my investment and receive a refund?

What payment methods does Republic support?

Example using a Token DPA: Blockchain Startup, Inc. raises $100,000 
and hits its funding goal, effectively selling $100,000 plus interest in tokens. Republic takes $6,000 and Token DPA with a $2,000 face value (later equivalent for cash or tokens).

Angels and VCs bring expertise but the crowd brings customers and fans.


Naval Ravikant, AngelList
Investor in Twitter, Uber, Yammer; Advisor of Republic

Can I sell or transfer my Token DPA?

How much does it cost to raise on Republic?