How long does it take to raise money?
It depends on the company, and not all companies succeed in raising capital using this approach. The time it takes to complete a successful financing can vary widely, but companies should expect that it will take a minimum of 60 days to complete.

When do companies receive investments?
In order to protect investors, Companies may be required to reach a minimum funding target to have a successful fundraise. Therefore, investments are not finalized until the company raises enough money to meet its funding target and completes all other closing conditions (together, the “closing conditions”). When investments are initiated through the TieUpNow platform, the subscription proceeds are held securely in an independent escrow account. Once all the closing conditions have been met, the money is released to the company and investors will receive the applicable securities. If all the closing condition are not met, subscription amounts are returned to investors by the escrow agent. SoftPath or TieUpNow ever receives or takes custody of investor funds at any point during the investment process.

Do I need a private placement memorandum (PPM) for my fundraise?
Under the Rule 506 exemption of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, it is not required to create a private placement memorandum for a private securities offering. You should consult your own legal counsel, but at a minimum, key documents typically include an investor presentation, term sheet, and subscription agreement and or note purchase agreement. These documents should be generated by the company and its legal counsel.
Will my profile be viewable prior to receiving approval to publish?
No, your company’s profile will not be viewable until you have met the requirements to be published as a Screened company.

Can I set a minimum investment size per investor?
Yes. Companies may set investment minimums during the funding round setup process.

How is the valuation of my fundraising round determined?
A company will typically join TieUpNow and launch a fundraising round with a valuation target in mind. Oftentimes, the company has pre-existing offline investor traction. The terms established with offline investors, who are often professional angels or venture capitalists, typically serve as the basis of the valuation and terms offered to online investors on TieUpNow. 
Will my company’s information remain confidential?
Information on your company overview pages is available to the public. By design, we encourage social and public consumption of your company’s public content. However, as former investors and entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the importance of securing sensitive information, so we provide companies with a secure, permission-based, access-controlled system to securely share sensitive content with potential investors.

Our company doesn’t have a video. What should we do?
You should create one – even if it is a simple 1-2 minute, homemade video of the founders discussing their vision and business plan. Early-stage investing is a very personal endeavor and evaluation of the management team is a cornerstone of the due diligence undertaken by any investor.

What do I need to know about early-stage investing? Are these investments risky?
Companies on TieUpNow are high risk opportunities and may not retain their value. Investing in startups 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 startup companies are illiquid instruments that typically take up to five and nine years (if ever) before exit.

While there are no guarantees that this strategy will reduce your risk, most investors choose to mitigate risk by practicing portfolio diversification. Investing smaller amounts across a large number of opportunities is a good practice in the private markets just as it is in the public markets and is a great investor benefit facilitated by the JOBS Act.