Start here.
Before you evaluate any opportunity, read this. It takes 10 minutes and could save you from a very expensive mistake.
This is a structured reading path, not a sales funnel. Work through each section in order. Every link goes to a deeper educational page. No one will call you based on reading this.
Understand what "accredited investor" actually means
Private placements are restricted to accredited investors under federal securities law. Before anything else, understand whether you qualify — and what self-reporting means versus verified status.
Read: What is an accredited investor? →Learn how pre-IPO investing actually works
Pre-IPO investing is not buying stock in a company before it goes public in the same way you would on a brokerage. Most retail-accessible deals involve SPVs, secondary shares, or funds — not direct shares. This distinction matters enormously.
Read: The pre-IPO investing guide →Understand the structures you'll be offered
SPVs bundle multiple investors into one entity to buy into a company. Secondary shares are sold by existing shareholders, not the company itself. Each structure carries different fees, risks, and legal relationships. Know what you're buying before you buy it.
Read the risk education section — all of it
No guaranteed IPO. No guaranteed return. Years of illiquidity. Fees you might not see until you read the fine print. FINRA has flagged this space specifically for misrepresentation risk. You need to understand every category of risk before evaluating any deal.
Read: Risks of private-market investing →Take the investor readiness quiz
After reading the above, the quiz gives you a calibrated sense of where you stand — accreditation basis, experience level, check-size comfort, and liquidity tolerance. It doesn't verify your status or recommend anything. It helps you understand your own readiness.
Take the readiness quiz →Then — if you choose — explore the watchlist and network
The company watchlist profiles late-stage private companies for educational purposes only. Joining the investor network gives you access to updates, risk checklists, and the option to request introductions to third-party firms. This step is optional, and no introduction happens automatically.
Questions to ask any firm before evaluating a deal
If you do end up speaking with a firm about a private-market opportunity, these are the baseline questions to ask before going further.
- →Does the fund actually hold the shares it claims to offer, and can you verify this independently?
- →Is the firm registered with the SEC or FINRA, and what is its registration status?
- →What are the total fees — management fee, carry, platform fee, and any markup over last-round pricing?
- →What are the transfer restrictions, and under what conditions could you sell your position?
- →How is the firm compensated for introducing me to this investment?
- →What happens to my investment if the company never goes public or raises a down round?