Seedrs licenced under new EU authorisation to boost sector for startups and investors

Private investment platform Seedrs is now authorised under new EU regulation for equity crowdfunding providers.

This means Seedrs will be authorised in Ireland, where its EU headquarters are, and initially will also focus on the Nordics, Iberia and the Netherlands.

Previously investment platforms had to work in individual markets in Europe on a country-by-country basis, adhering to complex and varying rules around marketing and sales.

The new, EU-wide regulation will make it easier to support startups and remove inefficiencies from the previous process. 

“This new regulation, by creating a unified approach, will allow us to much more effectively support the European startup ecosystem,” Seedrs managing director Kirsty Grant said.

“I’m excited that it will allow Republic and Seedrs to continue to take a leadership role in building a truly global democratised future of finance, ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to high quality investment and ownership opportunities.” 

Seedrs was acquired by US private investment firm Republic for $100m last September, acting as the European arm of its business.

The new regulation will give Seedrs, which has supported companies across more than 20 European countries over the past decade, a greater scope to help even more startups.

In conjunction with Republic, Seedrs is now the only platform that can allow a company to raise compliantly across the US, UK and EU in a single campaign.

“We know from our investors that they see the long term value in a diversified portfolio, which includes investments in businesses from across geographies as well as industries, stages and sizes,” Seedrs CEO and Republic executive vice president Jeff Kelisky said.

“This new regulation, executed through our proprietary platform and legal framework, makes it much simpler for us and better for fundraising businesses to enhance the quality of offerings and services we provide to our investor community.”