WiSEEd is an equity-based crowdfunding platform in France founded by Thierry Merquiol and Nicolas Sérè. Thierry and Nicolas previously co-ran an early startup accelerator in France.

Founded in 2008, WiSeed opened its marketplace in June of 2009, and its platform has since helped 35 startups raise ~$9.3M. It currently has more than 23,000 registered members.

Early Liquidity Event

WiSEEd is one of the first equity crowdfunding platforms in the world to generate a return—from cradle to grave—for crowd investors.

In September 2012 ANTABIO—a French biotech startup funded on WiSEEd—exited and generated an IRR of 45% for its 207 Crowd investors. One investor, Bruno Rakotozafy, who received €2,434 on his initial investment of €1400, documented his experience.

Crowdsourcing + Crowdfunding

Before companies are admitted onto the WiSeed platform, the Crowd must first approve them. The process works like this:

• The Crowd votes either “I like” or “I don’t like” across 11 key criteria
• Along with their vote, individuals also indicate how much they may be willing to invest. (Not a hard commitment.)
• If a company gets enough positive votes, and strong enough investor interest, WiSeed will open it up for investment.

Infographic

The WiSEED team put together an excellent infographic. It’s a bit dated, but excellent overview nonetheless. Check it out.