How do I invest via a Public Fundraise?

What is a Public Fundraise?

In a Public Fundraise, a company publicly offers its virtual shares — meaning anyone can invest. Unlike a Private Fundraise (max. 149 investors), there is no limit on the number of investors in a Public Fundraise. The company can raise up to €8 million per round.

The minimum investment is €50. You invest via the Invest Now button on the company's website or directly on the Tokenize.it platform.

What are virtual shares?

Virtual shares (tokenized profit participation rights) give you an economic stake in the company — comparable to real GmbH shares, but without voting rights. Specifically, you are entitled to:

Additionally, you have an information right (annual report from the company) and a put option that allows you to return your virtual shares to the company at specified times. Please note that the put option may be subject to limitations. For more detailed information, contact the startup directly.

The commercial register remains unchanged, meaning no notary appointment is required — your participation is documented as a token on the blockchain and can be viewed at any time via your Tokenize.it account.

What you should look out for

Before investing, check the following points:

• Valuation: At what company valuation are the virtual shares being offered? The lower the valuation, the more shares you receive for your investment.
• Terms: How many tokens are available in total? What is the price per token? Is there a minimum or maximum amount?
• Company: Learn about the business model, the team, and the company's track record. Use the landing page and the pitch deck provided on Tokenize.it for an overview. For more detailed questions, you can contact the founder directly.
• Risk: Startup investments carry a high level of risk. Only invest money you can afford to lose.

What you need

To invest via a Public Fundraise, you need:

• A Tokenize.it account (created for free during the process)
• Your ID document for identity verification (KYC)
• The risk assessment or suitability check, which is completed automatically during the investment process

Security of your investment

Your virtual shares are stored in a secure wallet structure on the blockchain. Unlike many crypto platforms, you don't need to worry about losing access to your investment: Tokenize.it uses verified multi-signature technology that ensures your access to the platform — and therefore to your virtual shares — can be restored even if you lose your login credentials.

In practical terms: you hold an economic stake in a company, your rights are contractually secured, and technical access is protected by proven blockchain infrastructure.

How the process works

If you want to invest via a Public Fundraise, you complete the following steps directly on the Tokenize.it platform. The entire process is digital — all you need is a browser, an ID document, and a bank account.

Step 1 — View the offer

Via the Invest Now button on the company's website or in the dealflow section on Tokenize.it, you reach the offer page. There you can see all relevant information at a glance: the current fundraising progress, the price per virtual share, the company valuation, minimum and maximum investment, as well as the company's story and investment documents. Take the time to carefully review these materials before investing.

Step 2 — Log in or sign up

Click "Invest Now" to start the investment process. You will be prompted to log in or create a new account. Several sign-in options are available: email address, Google login, MetaMask, or another wallet.

Step 3 — Create your account and enter personal details

During initial registration, you enter your personal details: name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, and your address. You then indicate whether you are investing as a private individual or on behalf of a company. Finally, you review your details in a summary, confirm that you are not a politically exposed person (PEP), and accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy. After that, you confirm your email address via a verification link.

Step 4 — Suitability assessment

As required by law, you complete a brief suitability assessment. You will be asked whether you are investing as a retail investor (investments up to €25,000) or as a professional investor. Retail investors fill out a short questionnaire about their experience with various asset classes (e.g. stocks, bonds, tokenized securities). The questionnaire takes just a few minutes. If you wish to invest more than €25,000, you can opt to be classified as a professional client under the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG). This requires a more extensive due diligence review assessing your experience and knowledge in dealing with financial instruments. This additional step may take some extra time.

Step 5 — Identity verification (KYC)

In accordance with the German Anti-Money Laundering Act (GwG), identity verification is required. This is carried out by the partner IDnow. You can scan the QR code with the IDnow app or start the verification directly in your browser. The check usually takes just a few minutes, and the page updates automatically once it is completed.

Step 6 — Choose your investment amount

Now you choose your investment amount. You can see the available token range and the price per token. Enter either the euro amount you wish to invest or the number of tokens — the other field is calculated automatically. The amount must meet at least the minimum investment.

Step 7 — Investment overview and payment

You receive a complete overview of your investment: number of tokens, investment amount, valuation share, and the investment terms available for download. Choose your payment method — by bank transfer (SEPA) or via EURe on the Ethereum chain. For your first investment, you also set up two-factor authentication (2FA) and a personal investment account is created via the payment partner Monerium. You then receive the transfer details (IBAN, BIC, amount, reference) and make the transfer. Your investment is reserved for 4 days — the transfer must be received within this period.

Step 8 — Finalize investment and receive tokens

Once your funds have been received, you finalize your investment with a final confirmation. Your virtual shares are then created as tokens on the blockchain and credited to your wallet. You can view your investment at any time via your dashboard on Tokenize.it.

Note: Investing as a company

You can also invest on behalf of a company. In this case, additional documents are required during the registration process — depending on the legal form, for example a current commercial register extract, a shareholder list, or proof of authorized representation. The required documents may vary depending on the type of company. If you have any questions, our team is happy to help at success@tokenize.it.

Tax information

Virtual shares are classified as capital investments for tax purposes. Profit distributions and exit payments are generally subject to flat-rate withholding tax (plus solidarity surcharge and, where applicable, church tax). Simply holding virtual shares does not trigger a tax obligation — only the actual receipt of income is relevant.

The specific tax treatment depends on your personal situation. We recommend discussing your individual circumstances with a tax advisor.