StartEngine is an equity crowdfunding platform that allows everyday people to invest and own shares in startups and early-stage companies. StartEngine has helped over 300 entrepreneurs raise over $125M in capital.
StartEngine (startengine.com) has 531 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.1 out of 5.
Also known as
startengine.com
Website
startengine.com
Category
Investments & Wealth
Location
Burbank, California
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
About these reviews
Replies
The company replied to 89% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
Edits
Reviews are shown as their authors wrote them. The company can reply, but cannot edit them.
Score
This company cannot pay to remove reviews or change its score.
Right off the back, I’m a novice, newbie, and a newcomer to investment platforms, however, here at StartEngine things are communicated where it is very easy to understand exactly what I’m getting into and customer service is a pleasure to talk to. Thank you StartEngine for making my entry into the investment world so much less difficult and more rewarding for newcomers like myself. C. Avery
Response from StartEngineJul 30, 2025
Thanks for the thoughtful review! We're so glad your first steps into investing have been smooth and rewarding. Welcome aboard!
JW
Jason W.
Great experience for the long term
Great experience for the long term, I’m looking to diversify and expand so this is a part of my journey.
Response from StartEngineJul 29, 2025
Thanks for the 5 stars! We’re glad to be part of your journey and appreciate your support!
SW
Shannon W.
Don’t waste your money
Invested I three companies over a year ago. I have received no updates from any of the three companies I have emailed all three companies multiple times and have never received even an acknowledgment. All the companies could be complete fakes. I would definitely not invest through StartEngine again. They take your money and then you will never hear from them again.
They replied to this and told me to reach out to StartEngine directly but left no way to contact them. I have tried to contact Start me gone to no avail.
PS. They will send you updates continuously until you close and then you will hear nothing.
Response from StartEngineJul 24, 2025
After a company raises on StartEngine, we provide them with all of their investors' contact information, and they are encouraged to provide recurring updates on their progress and future plans to their investors.
We emphasize the importance of investor communication to the companies raising on StartEngine, and strongly recommend that they provide updates as frequently as possible. Many companies provide these updates on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. They may send these updates as emails directly to investors or via the "Updates" section of their campaign page, which you would be notified about via email as well.
Please contact us directly with more information about your account so that we can assist with reaching out to the companies on your behalf as well. Thank you
GB
Glen B.
Start Engine investors have a 90% chance in losing everything they invest.
The people that promote private stocks on start engine did not become multi millionaires or billionaires by investing in the stocks that they are advertising for. Three years after buying stocks here, they tell now that their is only a 10% chance of you even getting your money back when you invest in what they are promoting. BE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH INVESTING WITH THEM! I do not ever intead to give them any more of my money. I know that Kevin O'Leary is making millions by getting people to invest in these companies. I will definitely be much better off to put money into crypto, not Bitcoin though.
Response from StartEngineJul 15, 2025
Thank you for your review and for being a member of our community.
StartEngine provides investors an opportunity to invest in early-stage start-ups. What this means is that you are often investing in early stage companies. Investments in these types of companies are risky by their nature, and many often fail without any element of fraud or misconduct.
As we try to remind you in various places throughout the website, including in the educational materials which all users agree to when creating an account, the universal website footer, and every investment agreement used in conjunction with any offering on our platform, these investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk including the possible loss of your entire investment.
Even if a company is successful, it takes some time, often years, before an investor can have an opportunity to realize any returns on these types of investments. While we wish all the companies who raise our platform the best of success, we also encourage investors to remember when making any investments through the platform that all investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk including the possible loss of your entire investment, and to take this risk under consideration and invest responsibly.
To learn more about investing with StartEngine, please check out our Help Guide: https://help.startengine.com,
MM
Mary M.
WARNING
WARNING: DO NOT INVEST IN ANY OF THEIR COMPANIES. INVESTED 5 YEARS AGO IN 3 COMPANIES. LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO GET BACK YOUR INVESTMENT. IX WATER CONTINUES TO ASK ME TO RE-INVEST YET NO LEGITIMATE COMPANY CONTACT OR RESPONSE TO ANY E-MAIL.
Response from StartEngineJul 22, 2025
Thank you for your feedback.
StartEngine provides investors an opportunity to invest in early-stage start-ups. What this means is that you are often investing in early stage companies. Investments in these types of companies are risky by their nature, and many often fail without any element of fraud or misconduct.
As we try to remind you in various places throughout the website, including in the educational materials which all users agree to when creating an account, the universal website footer, and every investment agreement used in conjunction with any offering on our platform, these investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk including the possible loss of your entire investment.
Even if a company is successful, it takes some time, often years, before an investor can have an opportunity to realize any returns on these types of investments. While we wish all the companies who raise our platform the best of success, we also encourage investors to remember when making any investments through the platform that all investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk including the possible loss of your entire investment, and to take this risk under consideration and invest responsibly.
To learn more about investing with StartEngine, please check out our Help Guide: https://help.startengine.com
AW
Anthony W.
I’m a first time investor and started…
I’m a first time investor and started using Start Engine about three months ago. I’ve invested in several opportunities and every experience has been positive. A very user friendly website many opportunities for all budgets.
Happy Investing!!
Response from StartEngineJun 27, 2025
Thanks for the 5 stars! We're glad you're enjoying StartEngine and finding great opportunities. Happy investing!
MS
Michael S.
Outstanding Customer Support experience
One of the companies I had invested in through StartEngine stopped sending me updates. I contacted StartEngine Customer Service and within 8 hours they had put me in contact with the investment's customer service. A botched email address was corrected.... problem solved Quickly.
Response from StartEngineJun 26, 2025
Thanks for sharing your experience! We're so glad our team could quickly resolve the issue and get you reconnected — we’re always here to help!
BD
Brian Douglas S.
Committed
Continued to work with me when my card kept declining. Finally was resolved with a phone call. Very professional yet pleasant when working with me thru there site.
Response from StartEngineJun 23, 2025
Thank you for your kind words and 5-star rating. We're glad we could assist you with the issue and that everything was resolved smoothly. Our team is committed to providing professional and courteous support, and it's great to hear that reflected in your experience.
