Equity crowdfunding is the process whereby people (i.e. the ‘crowd’) invest in an early-stage unlisted company (a company that is not listed on a stock market) in exchange for shares in that company. A shareholder has partial ownership of a company and stands to profit on an Exit Event (i.e. IPO, merger or sale) should the company continue to perform well and increase in value. The opposite is also true, so if the company fails investors can lose some, or all, of their investment.