What OurCrowd Actually Is
OurCrowd is an equity crowdfunding platform founded in 2013, based in Jerusalem, that allows accredited investors to co-invest alongside institutional VCs in startup rounds. The platform operates globally with a portfolio spanning Israel, USA, Europe, and Asia, and invests across stages from seed to late-stage growth rounds.
Unlike traditional VC funds that deploy from a single limited partner pool, OurCrowd aggregates capital from thousands of individual accredited investors who select deals from the platform's curated pipeline. The platform has backed over 400 portfolio companies across sectors including healthcare, cybersecurity, fintech, mobility, FoodTech, AI, agriculture, consumer, energy, and enterprise software.
From public deal activity and portfolio composition, OurCrowd appears to prioritize companies with: - clear product-market fit signals (even at seed), - defensible technology or regulatory moats, - founding teams with domain credibility, - markets large enough to justify institutional follow-on rounds.
Why the Crowdfunding Structure Changes Deck Requirements
Most VCs review your deck internally with 2–5 partners. OurCrowd's model requires your deck to perform in two contexts:
- Internal vetting — OurCrowd's investment committee evaluates whether to list your deal on the platform.
- Crowd presentation — once listed, your deck (or a version of it) goes to thousands of accredited retail investors who decide whether to participate.
This creates a structural tension: you need institutional-grade rigor for the committee, but also accessibility and clarity for a non-specialist crowd.
What this means for founders: - Your problem and solution slides must be understandable to smart generalists, not just sector insiders. - Traction metrics need to be legible without deep SaaS or fintech fluency. - Risk framing must be honest but not paralyzing — retail investors are more loss-averse than institutional LPs. - Your founding team slide carries extra weight because the crowd can't do deep reference checks.
Common Founder Mistakes When Pitching Equity Crowdfunding Platforms
1. Assuming the deck only needs to convince the platform
The platform's investment committee is a gatekeeper, but your real fundraising happens when individual investors choose to commit capital. If your deck is too technical, too sector-jargon-heavy, or too vague about risks, it will pass internal review but underperform with the crowd.
Fix: Build two versions — a detailed appendix for the committee, and a streamlined 12–15 slide deck optimized for crowd accessibility.
2. Underexplaining the business model
Traditional VCs often invest in pre-revenue or low-revenue companies where the model is still being validated. Retail investors on crowdfunding platforms are more comfortable with clear, already-working revenue engines.
From observable OurCrowd portfolio patterns, companies that perform well on the platform tend to show: - recurring revenue or high purchase frequency, - clear unit economics (even if early), - a path to profitability that doesn't require heroic assumptions.
Fix: Dedicate a full slide to how you make money, with a simple example transaction and transparent margin assumptions.
3. Weak founder credibility framing
Institutional investors can call your previous employers, check LinkedIn networks, and verify domain expertise through backchannels. Retail investors rely almost entirely on what you put in the deck.
If your founding team slide is generic ("10 years in tech"), you're leaving money on the table.
Fix: Use specific prior exits, patents, recognizable company logos, and measurable outcomes ("scaled X to $10M ARR", "led cybersecurity at Y during Z acquisition").
4. Overoptimistic TAM without clear wedge
Retail investors are pattern-matching to success stories they've read about. If your TAM is huge but your go-to-market is vague, it signals execution risk.
OurCrowd-backed companies that appear to resonate with the crowd often show: - a narrow initial beachhead with proof of traction, - a credible expansion story into adjacent markets, - clear reasons why this team can own the wedge.
Fix: Frame TAM as "wedge → adjacency → total market" rather than leading with a $100B slide that has no connection to your current $500K ARR.
5. Ignoring regulatory and geopolitical context
OurCrowd's investor base is global and includes many non-US LPs. If your company operates in a sector with regulatory complexity (fintech, healthtech, mobility), or in a geography with perceived risk, you must address it explicitly.
Retail investors are more likely than institutional VCs to pass on deals they don't understand geopolitically or regulatorily.
Fix: Add a "Regulatory & Market Risk" slide that names the risk and explains your mitigation strategy in two bullets.
What OurCrowd's Portfolio Signals for Deck Positioning
Based on publicly disclosed portfolio companies and deal activity:
Healthcare and cybersecurity concentration
OurCrowd has a visible concentration in healthcare (digital health, medical devices, diagnostics) and cybersecurity (enterprise security, fraud prevention, data protection).
Founder implication: If you're in these sectors, your deck should emphasize regulatory navigation, partnerships with large incumbents, and third-party validation (pilots, design wins, security certifications).
Israel and USA co-investment patterns
Many OurCrowd deals involve Israeli founding teams targeting US markets, or US companies with Israeli R&D.
Founder implication: If you fit this pattern, frame your deck around the Israel innovation story + US GTM execution. Show why the offshore R&D model is an advantage, not a risk.
Stage-agnostic but traction-sensitive
While OurCrowd invests from seed to late-stage, observable patterns suggest the platform favors companies with measurable product-market fit signals even at seed — revenue, pilots, LOIs, user growth, regulatory approvals.
Founder implication: If you're pre-revenue, your traction slide must show strong leading indicators (signed pilot agreements, design partnerships, regulatory milestones) rather than vanity metrics.
Co-investment alongside traditional VCs
OurCrowd often syndicates with institutional funds rather than leading rounds solo. This means your deck must also appeal to traditional VCs who may review it as part of co-investment diligence.
Founder implication: Don't dumb down the deck for retail accessibility to the point where it loses credibility with institutional co-investors. Balance accessibility with rigor.
How OurCrowd's Model Differs from AngelList, Carta, and Republic
| Dimension | OurCrowd | AngelList (Rolling Funds) | Republic | Carta (formerly CartaX) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor type | Accredited retail + institutions | Accredited retail + GPs | Retail (non-accredited allowed) | Secondary liquidity focus |
| Deal curation | Heavy platform vetting | Syndicate-lead driven | Light curation, many deals | N/A (secondary only) |
| Deck exposure | High — shown to thousands | Medium — shown to syndicate | High — public campaign page | Low — liquidity event only |
| Follow-on expectation | Platform reserves for follow-ons | Depends on lead | Minimal | N/A |
| Geography strength | Israel, USA, Europe | USA | USA, emerging markets | USA |
What this means for founders: - If you're targeting OurCrowd, expect heavy diligence before your deal is listed — treat it like a traditional VC process, not a quick crowdfunding launch. - Your deck will be seen by a large, geographically distributed audience, so clarity and accessibility matter more than on AngelList where a single syndicate lead filters for you. - Unlike Republic (which allows non-accredited investors), OurCrowd's crowd is wealthier and more experienced, but still less fluent in venture than institutional LPs.
Framework: Should You Target OurCrowd?
Strong fit signals: - You're in healthcare, cybersecurity, fintech, or AI infrastructure. - You have measurable traction (revenue, pilots, partnerships, regulatory wins). - Your founding team has strong domain credentials or recognizable prior exits. - You're raising seed or Series A in the $2M–$10M range and are open to co-investment structures. - Your business model is legible to smart generalists, not just sector insiders. - You're comfortable with public exposure — your deck will be reviewed by thousands of investors.
Weak fit signals: - You're pre-product or pre-traction with only a hypothesis. - Your business model requires deep sector fluency to understand (e.g., complex B2B marketplace with multi-sided network effects and deferred monetization). - You're raising a very large round ($20M+) where institutional lead investors expect exclusivity. - You're in a sector with heavy regulatory uncertainty that you can't clearly mitigate (e.g., unregulated crypto, cannabis in uncertain jurisdictions). - You prefer stealth mode and are uncomfortable with wide deck distribution.
What to Change in Your Deck This Week
If you're targeting OurCrowd or similar equity crowdfunding platforms:
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Add a standalone "How We Make Money" slide with a simple transaction example and unit economics, even if you're pre-revenue. Show the model, not just the vision.
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Rewrite your founding team slide with specific, measurable outcomes from prior roles. Replace "experienced executive" with "scaled X to $10M ARR" or "led Y through acquisition by Z."
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Create a two-slide traction section: Slide 1 = metrics (revenue, users, partnerships). Slide 2 = leading indicators and proof of product-market fit for pre-revenue companies (signed pilots, LOIs, regulatory milestones).
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Add a "Risk & Mitigation" slide if you're in healthcare, fintech, mobility, or any sector with regulatory complexity. Name the risk in one bullet, explain your mitigation in one bullet. Don't hide it — retail investors will find it anyway.
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Test your problem slide on a non-specialist. If they don't understand the problem in 30 seconds, rewrite it. Your deck must be accessible to smart generalists, not just sector insiders.