Reward-based crowdfunding

Backers support the creation of a new product, book, board game or piece of art. Instead of money or a stake, they get a predefined reward — most often the product itself from the first production batch, tickets to the premiere, or a mention in the credits.

• All-or-nothing — the whole target amount must be raised, otherwise the money is returned.
• Keep-what-you-raise — the creator keeps everything raised, even if the goal isn't reached.

• Hithit — The best-known Czech reward-based crowdfunding platform.
• Kickstarter — The largest reward-based crowdfunding platform in the world.
• Startovač — Czech reward-based platform for creative and community projects.
• Indiegogo — International reward-based platform, including tech and gadget products.

Donation-based crowdfunding

Pure charity or solidarity — money is raised for medical treatment, helping people hit by a natural disaster, saving historical monuments, or supporting non-profits. Backers expect no material or financial return at all.

• Donio — Czech platform for charity and donation collections.
• Znesnáze21 — Czech platform helping people in difficult life situations.
• GoFundMe — The largest donation-based crowdfunding platform in the world.

Debt-based crowdfunding (P2P lending)

People lend money to other people or companies and earn interest — it works like a regular bank loan, just with the bank cut out entirely. Returns are typically around 5–10% p.a., sometimes more on riskier P2P loans; the risk is that the borrower stops repaying. Since 10 November 2023, platforms need a Czech National Bank licence (EU regulation 2020/1503).

• Investown — Czech platform for real-estate-backed loans and P2P real estate investments.
• Upvest — Czech real-estate private-debt investment platform.
• Mintos — International P2P marketplace for consumer and business loans.
• Bondster — P2P marketplace for investing in consumer and business loans.
• Fingood — Czech platform for investing in company invoices and loans.
• Zonky — The original Czech peer-to-peer lending platform.

Equity crowdfunding

Backers get a real stake in the company (shares) and become co-owners — the bet is that the company's value grows and the stake can later be sold at a profit, or that it pays dividends. Used by startups, small businesses and development projects; it's high-risk, because most startups don't survive.

Seedrs (one of the best-known UK equity crowdfunding platforms) rebranded to Republic Europe in July 2024 after being acquired by Republic — worth knowing if you come across the old Seedrs name.

• Fundlift — Czech equity crowdfunding platform for startups and small companies.
• Crowdberry — Investments into stakes in growth companies and development projects.
• Wefunder — US equity crowdfunding platform for startups.

Real estate crowdfunding

A large group of small investors pools money to buy, build or renovate a specific property, or to fund a loan for a developer. Returns come either from a fixed loan interest rate, or from rental income and the eventual sale of the property.

• Investown — Czech platform for real-estate-backed loans and P2P real estate investments.
• Upvest — Czech real-estate private-debt investment platform.
• EstateGuru — European real estate P2P lending platform.

Other forms sometimes counted as crowdfunding

• Invoice crowdlending — investors fund companies' invoices (short-term loans).
• Community crowdfunding — local projects, cultural events, community centres.
• Political crowdfunding — funding political campaigns.
• Charity collections — technically donation-based crowdfunding.

What crowdfunding is not

• It's not an investment fund.
• It's not a bank deposit (it isn't insured).
• It isn't automatically a regulated activity — investment crowdfunding (debt and equity) is regulated, donation- and reward-based crowdfunding isn't.