FAQs

Shared Value:

We seek to support companies and entrepreneurs who believe that capitalism combined with faith and Christian virtues can generate lasting economic, social, environmental, and spiritual benefits as well as act as a tempering agent against selfishness and greed. We also believe such an approach advances social justice and inclusion, lifting individuals and whole communities out of material poverty while expressing God’s tangible love.

While we do not require any particular statement of faith for either entrepreneurs or investors, why and what we do through EquityVest is rooted in our Christian faith. We intentionally aim to mobilize the faith-based world to enterprise solutions as a way to advance the gospel, affirm human dignity, and address poverty.

In general, we want to support companies that provide good goods and good services for the good of society.  Within that broad framework, we reserve the right to limit offers on our portal to businesses reflecting Judeo-Christian values and whose mission seeks to generate lasting economic, social, environmental, and spiritual benefits. In consideration of the audience EquityVest serves, we have chosen to not work with certain industries including but not limited to tobacco, abortion, euthanasia, cannabis, other legal mind-altering substances excluding alcohol (Kratom, Delta 8, drug paraphernalia, etc.) gaming, pornography and other adult entertainment.

If these general values align, then…

Compliance Requirements :

Under regulations issued by the SEC, we are required to:

• Have a “reasonable basis” for believing that every issuer is eligible to offer its securities on our platform, and is complying with Title III. We might perform our own due diligence, but we are generally allowed to rely on the representations of the issuer.

• Have a “reasonable basis” for believing that every issuer on our platform has established means to accurate records of the holders (owners) of its securities. Again, we might perform our own due diligence, but we are generally allowed to rely on the representations of the issuer.

• Deny access to the platform to any issuer if:

1. 1. We have a “reasonable basis” for believing that an issuer or any of its officers, directors, or beneficial owner of 20% or more of its outstanding voting securities is subject to disqualification under the rules discussed under “Disqualification of Issuers” below. We are not allowed to rely solely on the Issuer’s representations to form this “reasonable belief,” but must conduct background checks with third parties.
   2. We have a “reasonable basis” for believing that the issuer or the offering presents the potential for fraud or otherwise raises concerns about investor protection, or we can’t effectively assess the risk.

We will comply with all of those requirements. But – and this is very important – we are not required to conclude that issuers on our platform represent good investments for investors. In fact, we are not even allowed to tell you if we think that one issuer is a better investment than another issuer. You have to make those decisions on your own.

Final Decision :

After completing our due diligence, we will decide whether to offer the company the opportunity to conduct an offering on EquityVest.

Once the proper documentation is prepared, the offering will go live on EquityVest, where we will continue to monitor the campaign and help educate and inform investors.

General Considerations :

• Notwithstanding the foregoing, these investments are illiquid, risky, and speculative, and you may lose your entire investment. Additionally, the foregoing process does NOT guarantee that any company will be successful or that you will receive a positive return on your investment.

• The foregoing summarizes our standard process. However, each diligence review is tailored to the nature of the company, so the aforementioned process is not the exact process for every issuer.

• Completing the vetting process does NOT guarantee that the company has no outstanding issues or that problems will not arise in the future.

• While the foregoing process is designed to identify material issues, there is no guarantee that there will not be errors, omissions, or oversights in the due diligence process or in the work of third-party vendors utilized by EquityVest.
• Each investor must conduct their own independent review of documentation and perform their own independent due diligence and should ask for any further information required to make an investment decision.

Companies on EquityVest are high risk opportunities and may not retain their value. Investing in start-ups and small businesses is inherently risky and standard company risk factors such as execution and strategy risk are often magnified at the early stages of a company. In the event that a company goes out of business, your ownership interest could lose all value. Furthermore, private investments in start-up companies are illiquid instruments that typically take five to seven years (if ever) before an exit via acquisition, IPO, etc.

The most cost effective way for all parties to transfer funds is through an ACH bank transfer. As such, EquityVest will cover the ACH fee for all investments made through an ACH bank transfer.

Investors who choose to make their investment through means other than ACH will be charged the following fees:

1) Paper Document Delivery Fee: $50 per delivery

2) Self-Directed IRA Payment processing fee: 0.13% of transaction amount

3) Credit/Debit Card transaction fee: $0.80 plus 3.18%

4) Check fee: $10.00 (Incoming and Outgoing)

5) Wire fees are $30.00

6) Bank surcharges: Fees may vary, but investor will be responsible for any surcharges from the investor’s bank.

The companies listed on EquityVest are privately held companies, and their shares are not traded on a public stock exchange. As a result, the shares cannot be easily traded or sold. As an investor in a private company, you typically receive a return on your investment under the following three scenarios:

1. Your particular offer is set up as a loan with interest.
2. The company gets acquired by another company.
3. The company goes public (undergoes an initial public offering on NASDAQ, NYSE, or another exchange). The first scenario is structured to pay you principal plus interest under the terms of the offer. In the second two instances, you receive your pro-rata share of the distributions that occur. It can take 5-7 years (or longer) to see either a distribution or re-payment, as it takes years to build companies. In many cases, there will not be any distribution or re-payment of the loan as a result of business failure.

EquityVest does not make investment recommendations, and no communication, through this website or in any other medium, should be construed as a recommendation for any security offered on or off this investment platform. Investments in private placements, and start-up investments in particular, are speculative and involve a high degree of risk. Those investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment should not invest in start-ups. Companies seeking start-up investments tend to be in earlier stages of development, and their business model, products, and services may not yet be fully developed, operational, or tested in the public marketplace. There is no guarantee that the stated valuation and other terms are accurate or in agreement with the market or industry valuations.

Additionally, investors may receive restricted stock that may be subject to holding period requirements. The most sensible investment strategy for start-up investing may include a balanced portfolio of different start-ups. Start-ups should only be part of your overall investment portfolio. Investments in start-ups are highly illiquid, and those investors who cannot hold an investment for the long term (at least 5-7 years) should not invest.

Investors may be subject to regulatory limitations on how much they can invest based on their income or net worth. You can find the specific regulations and how to calculate the maximum you are allowed to invest in our Educational Materials. The minimum amount you can invest in a company will depend on the specifics of a given company’s raise.