The three kinds of crowdfunding
| Type | What the backer gets | Covered by the EU crowdfunding rules |
|---|---|---|
| Reward | A product, a perk or early access | No |
| Equity (investment) | Shares in your company | Yes |
| Lending (peer-to-peer) | Their money back with interest | Yes |
The EU rules cover investment and lending for business. Reward platforms sit outside them, so a reward campaign has none of the investor protections described below.
This page is about reward and equity crowdfunding. Borrowing from the crowd is a loan like any other, and we cover it on our page about the peer-to-peer lender for Irish small businesses.
Which start-up money is realistic for you?
Most seed funding is only for technology and exporting companies. Pick what describes you best.
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Reward crowdfunding on Kickstarter
Kickstarter accepts projects from Ireland. As an individual you must be 18 or over and resident here, with government-issued ID, a bank account and a debit or credit card in your own name. A company launches in the country where it is registered.
Fees are collected only if the project is successfully funded:
| Fee | Amount for Irish projects |
|---|---|
| Kickstarter fee | 5% of the total raised |
| Payment processing | 3% plus €0.30 per pledge |
| Pledges under €10 | 5% plus €0.08 per pledge |
Kickstarter's own rules shut out a lot of ordinary businesses. A project must create something new to share with others. It cannot be centred on providing a service, and Kickstarter gives food delivery and coaching as examples. It cannot be a marketplace for selling or reselling goods. Alcohol and energy drinks are prohibited, and so is offering equity. Design and technology projects must demonstrate a prototype.
Fund it, the Irish reward platform run by Business to Arts, closed in February 2023. Over 12 years it raised more than €5.21 million for over 1,700 projects, with an average pledge of €58.
Equity crowdfunding: who is authorised here
A platform that sells shares or arranges loans for businesses needs authorisation. The Central Bank's register listed these seven firms on 23 September 2026:
| Trading name | Registered firm | Service | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark Venture Funding (formerly Spark Crowdfunding) | Slua Ventures Limited | Investment | Equity rounds for Irish companies, typically €250,000 to €5 million. Charges the company 7% of the money raised, on success only |
| Republic Europe | Seedrs Europe Limited | Investment | Equity crowdfunding across Europe. We could not find a published fee for companies on its site |
| Green Crowd | Green Crowd Limited | Investment | Renewable energy and other sustainable projects, including rounds that qualify for tax relief |
| Join Shuttle | Join Shuttle Limited | Investment | A tool for running an investor syndicate, so many investors appear as one line on your share register |
| Linked Finance | Linked P2P Limited | Loans | Peer-to-peer business loans |
| Property Bridges | Bridge Peer Financial Limited | Loans | Property development and bridging loans |
| Lendermarket | Lendermarket Limited | Loans | A marketplace where investors buy into loans made by lending companies |
A firm authorised in another EU country can also offer its services in Ireland, and the European Securities and Markets Authority keeps an EU-wide register.
Spark says its checks on a company take two to four weeks, investors can put in as little as €100, and if a campaign misses its minimum target all the money goes back to the investors.
Many equity campaigns are set up so that investors can claim income tax relief of up to 50% on shares in a qualifying company. That relief is due to end on 31 December 2026 unless it is extended.
The EU rules in plain terms
Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 has applied since 10 November 2021. The Central Bank is the authority for Ireland.
- It covers offers of up to €5 million per business over 12 months. Bigger raises fall under the rules for prospectuses and investment firms.
- It does not cover people raising money for personal reasons.
- The platform must carry out at least a minimum level of checks on the business raising money.
- The business draws up a key investment information sheet for each offer. It runs to no more than six A4 pages, carries a warning that investors can lose their money, and the business is responsible for what it says.
- Investors who are not professionals take a knowledge test and get four calendar days to change their mind. They get an extra risk warning before putting in more than €1,000 or 5% of their net worth, whichever is higher.
- An investor with a complaint goes to the platform first, then to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman.
Check the Central Bank's register before you sign with any platform. An unauthorised firm cannot legally provide these services.
What works and what does not
- Bring your own crowd. Fund it's average pledge was €58. At that size, a €10,000 target needs more than 170 backers.
- Budget for the fees. On Kickstarter in Ireland, the platform fee and payment fee together take 8% of the total, plus €0.30 for every pledge.
- Cost the rewards first. Making and posting what you promised comes out of the money you raise.
- Reward crowdfunding does not suit every trade. A service business, a shop reselling goods or a brewery selling drink will fall foul of Kickstarter's rules.
- Equity crowdfunding is not small money. Spark's usual range starts at €250,000, and the platform vets the company before it lists it.
- Treat published success rates with care. Spark says 87% of its campaigns were fully funded, and Fund it reported 73%. Platforms choose which campaigns to list, so these figures do not tell you your own chances.
Ask your accountant how the money will be treated for VAT and tax before you set a target.
If you would prefer a few backers to a crowd, read about business angels who invest their own money in early-stage companies.
Many equity campaigns rely on the Employment Investment Incentive, which ends on 31 December 2026 unless Budget 2027 extends it.
Common questions
Is crowdfunding regulated in Ireland?
Equity and lending crowdfunding for business is. Platforms need authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503, and the Central Bank of Ireland authorises and supervises the ones based here. Reward crowdfunding, where backers get a product and not shares or interest, is outside those rules.
Can a sole trader use crowdfunding?
For rewards, yes. Kickstarter lets an individual aged 18 or over who is resident in Ireland launch a project. For equity, no, because a sole trader has no shares to sell. You would need a limited company.
How much does Kickstarter take from an Irish project?
Kickstarter charges 5% of the total raised. Payment processing is 3% plus €0.30 per pledge, or 5% plus €0.08 for pledges under €10. Kickstarter says there are no fees if funding is not successful.
What happened to Fund it?
Fund it closed in February 2023. Business to Arts, the charity that ran it, said new commercial platforms had drawn away projects and funders, and it could no longer cover the running costs. It had raised over €5.21 million for more than 1,700 projects since 2011.
Is Spark Crowdfunding still going?
Yes, under a new name. It now trades as Spark Venture Funding. The firm behind it, Slua Ventures Limited, has been authorised by the Central Bank since 10 November 2023. It charges companies 7% of the funds raised, and only if the round completes.
What if my campaign misses its target?
On Kickstarter, fees are collected only when a project is successfully funded. On Spark Venture Funding, if a campaign misses its minimum target the money is returned to investors in full and the company receives nothing.
Where this comes from
- Central Bank of Ireland, Crowdfunding Service Providers
- Central Bank of Ireland, Register of Crowdfunding Service Providers as at 23 September 2026 (download page)
- EUR-Lex, summary of Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 on European crowdfunding service providers for business
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 (full text)
- European Commission, Crowdfunding
- Kickstarter, fees for Ireland
- Kickstarter, Who can use Kickstarter?
- Kickstarter, Our Rules
- Spark Venture Funding, pricing and fees
- Spark Venture Funding, campaign process
- Spark Venture Funding, how to invest
- Spark Venture Funding, raise funds
- Republic Europe (Seedrs Europe Limited)
- Business to Arts, Fund it: Ireland's first crowdfunding platform (2011 to 2023)
- Green Crowd, raise capital
- Join Shuttle
- Property Bridges
- Lendermarket
Checked on 3 October 2026. We are an independent guide, not a government service. Rules change, so confirm the detail on the official page before you apply.