Frequently Asked Questions​

Common FAQs

Investment Platform

Propel(x) is a premier alternatives investment and SPVs-as-a-Service platform. 

Alternative investments: Propel(x) enables accredited investors worldwide to build a diversified portfolio of alternative assets by investing in startups and hedge funds online using small check sizes. Minimum check sizes and investment terms may vary across opportunities, but check sizes for startups usually begin at $5,000 while check sizes for hedge funds usually begin at $25,000. 

SPVs-as-a-Service: Syndicators such as startup founders and fund managers can create SPVs online which are administered by Propel(x) Fund Management Incorporated – a wholly owned subsidiary of Propel(x). 

Most of the FAQ on this page address the investment platform. If you have specific questions about SPVs-as-a-Service, please visit our SPVs-as-a-Service page or send us your questions at spvs@propelx.com.

Only Accredited Investors can invest on Propel(x).

Propel(x) takes reasonable steps to verify the accredited investor status of each prospective investor that signs up on the website. This may include a combination of checking publicly available information and gathering specific documentation from such investors as applicable.

Under the SEC’s Rule 501, a person can qualify as an accredited investor in the following ways:

  1. By having an individual annual income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or a joint annual income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years, and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year.
  2. By having an individual net worth or joint net worth with a spouse exceeding $1 million at the time of the investment, excluding the value of a primary residence (and any related indebtedness); or
  3. Holds in good standing a Series 765 or 82 FINRA license.

In addition, certain organizations/institutions qualify as accredited investors. A more complete definition is available on the SEC website here.

SPVs formed on Propel(x) are managed by Planck Fund Management Corporation, a subsidiary wholly owned by Propel(x) Inc., and registered as an exempt reporting advisor with the state of Nevada.

Terms may vary by the investment opportunity. But typically, for each SPV, Planck assesses a management fee of 2.5% for a period of four (4) years, and a carried interest of twenty percent (20%) upon exit. These terms may change without notice and may be different for different investment opportunities.

As of December 2024, investors cannot make direct investments in offerings listed on Propel(x). All investment opportunities are structured as SPVd investments, managed by Planck Fund Management Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Propel(x), Inc. and registered as an exempt reporting advisor with the state of Nevada.

Yes absolutely! Getting your questions answered as you evaluate a startup is critical before making an investment. We encourage you to conduct your own diligence.

For the startups / funds that interest you, you can:

  • Explore information available in the issuer profile–this includes a description of the startup, their pitch video, team members, deal terms, and calendar events.
  • Delve deeper by attending regularly scheduled investor calls to get your questions answered. Typically a single issuer presents their company to investors in an hour long call. Investors have the opportunity to ask questions of the entrepreneur. 
  • Send a question to the issuer and communicate directly with them using the “Ask a Question” tool provided on our website.

Please use this platform to supplement any diligence you conduct on your own. And please let us know how we can improve

Propel(x) will facilitate sharing of updates from the issuers to investors who invest through a Propel(x) SPV. Please note that we are only able to share the information we receive from issuers. While we strive to send updates on at least a quarterly basis, not all issuers share updates or respond promptly to our enquiries. As a result, there may not be updates on all opportunities.

You may exit your investment by selling your stake – IF the startup is acquired or goes public. Or if there is another Accredited Investor willing to buy your stock, subject to SEC regulations and restrictions, you may also exit your investment by selling your stock privately. The price at which you are able to sell your stock in such a private transaction may be less than the price you originally paid.

Please keep in mind that private investments are highly illiquid and those investors who cannot hold an investment for the long term (at least 5-7 years) should not invest.

There is no guarantee that an exit event will happen. Many investments fail and you may lose the total amount invested.

Startups set the minimum direct investment check size that they will take from individual investors. Investors can invest as little as $5,000 into companies through Propel(x) Syndicates. We do not set maximum investment limits.

Propel(x) follows a set of qualifying criteria to curate startups showcased to investors. Please refer to ‘What are Propel(x)’s criteria for publishing a startup?’ in the Startup Topics section below.

  • Propel(x) uses a rigorous screening process when deciding which companies / funds are invited to list on the platform.
  • Applications are screened and curated on the basis of certain criteria, many of which are described here.
  • Propel(x) then announces the opportunity to the entire investor base
  • Propel(x) collects indications of interest concurrently until it hits a threshold of typically $75K in SPV investments, at which point an SPV formation is announced. Thresholds may vary for different investment opportunities.
  • Propel(x) will continue to send out deal-specific information to interested investors and via email.
  • Accredited Investors may make commitments and sign documents online. The minimum to invest in any SPV is $5,000 per investor.
  • Propel(x) aggregates all investor commitments into an SPV and invests as a single investor in the startup / fund through the SPV.

SPVs

  • Propel(x) SPVs are pooled investment vehicles which collect funds from several investors into a single Series of a Delaware Limited Liability Company (Investor SPV). The SPV then invests as a single entity into a single startup or fund.
  • Investors can commit as little as $5,000 into each SPV.
  • A Propel(x) SPV will be created after at least $75,000 (typically, but may vary across opportunities) in SPV interest is collected from investors. Propel(x) will continue to collect additional interest until the deal closes on the platform.

Startups / Funds benefit by expanding their investor base to include accredited investors who want to invest smaller amounts. At the same time, startups /funds need not worry about having numerous small investors on their cap table since the SPVs invest as a single investor.

Accredited Investors benefit by increased diversification across numerous startups / funds. Since SPVs allow investment minimums as low as $5,000, investors can spread a given amount of capital across a portfolio of multiple investment opportunities. In addition, Propel(x) SPVs are managed by a wholly owned subsidiary of Propel(x), usually Planck Fund Management Corporation which strives to share timely communications and updates from issuers received via Propel(x).

Please keep in mind that all Private Placement investments are speculative and illiquid. All investments bear the risk of partial or complete loss of capital. There is no guarantee that an investment will be profitable or that there will ever be an exit strategy.

The SPVs are intended to be passive investment vehicles. The SPVs will in most cases accept the terms offered by lead investors and will, in most cases, follow lead investors on voting.

No, as with all private investments, the SPVs are not liquid investments. As with direct investing, investors should expect to have their capital tied up for at least 5 years.

Issuers do not pay anything upfront to be on the Propel(x) platform. If an SPV is formed, issuers cover the cost of SPV formation and administration for a flat fee of $8,500.

Each SPV is managed by Planck Fund Management Corporation (“Planck”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Propel(x).

Planck Fund Management or any successor manager will continue to operate the SPV in the event of Propel(x) Inc.’s bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, or sale.

Investment Funding

Funds may be transferred in one of three ways:

  • Bank Transfer (“ACH”) via Linked Bank Account
  • Bank Transfer from your bank
  • Wire Transfer from your bank

One or more methods may be available to you depending on how much money you are transferring, and your decisions regarding convenience, cost, and time.

MethodProcessTime*Amount LimitPropel(x) Fees
Bank Transfer*Auto-Transfer3 – 5 days$26,875$ 0
Bank Transfer*Contact Bank3 – 5 daysContact Bank$ 0 
Wire TransferContact BankNext dayNo Limit$ 0

* The Bank Transfer (ACH) method is available to customers with a US bank account. Estimated transfer times, transfer amounts, and bank fees will vary by bank. Contact your bank to determine the exact details for each transfer type. Day = 1 business day, based on the US Federal Reserve and National Bank Holiday schedule.

Propel(x) does not accept physical payment such as a personal check.

No, you cannot fund your investment with a check. Propel(x) does not accept physical checks.

If you are an investor with a US bank account, and you are looking to fund an investment of $25,000 or less, transferring funds via a linked bank account will likely save you time and money.

Once you’ve linked your bank account, you can initiate a transfer in seconds with one click of a button.

We will need your CRD number in order to complete the investment. You can provide this to us by emailing us at investors@propelx.com. You will also have to notify your Broker Dealer prior to making this investment.

At your earliest convenience, please let us know what documents you will need from us in order to receive employer approval. Please email us at investors@propelx.com and we will help you get the documents you need for clearance.

Yes. We will provide wire instructions and SWIFT code when it is time to complete the transaction. Please reach out to us at investors@propelx.com if you need any additional information to complete the transfer.

Startups

Entrepreneurs begin the process via the List a Startup link from the main navigation bar of our home page and follow 3 simple steps:

  1. Apply to list: Apply to list your company on Propel(x) here. Once your application is submitted, our team will contact you if we have any questions. Once our review is complete, our team will make a decision whether or not to list the company and update you via email shortly.
  • If your application is successful, we’ll send you an email and ask you to complete your company profile. 
  1. Complete your company information: Enter the name of your company and proceed filling in basic information like the company logo, website, location, and team members etc. Download our issuer checklist to help you organize and prepare.

 

Complete your deal profile: Once you have completed all required fields, a fundraising tab will be unlocked for you to add a new deal. Enter the name of your new round and proceed to upload deal-specific details such as your pitch text, pitch deck, deal documents, and terms. You can click the ‘Investor View’ button to preview how your deal profile will appear to Propel(x) users. Note that the key company information (e.g., company logo and team members) you have previously filled out will also be used to populate the deal profile. Once you are happy with your deal profile, click “Submit for Review.” You will be notified on screen of any missing required information. You must complete those fields before you can submit again.

Propel(x) uses a rigorous screening process when deciding which companies are invited to list on the platform. Once we receive your deal profile submission, we will carefully review your company information (team, description of the technology etc.) and deal specifics (pitch, terms, supporting documents, etc.) against the below – and other additional – criteria.

  • Your startup falls within the realm of ‘deep technology’ – which we define as companies founded on a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation.
  • Your startup is a C-Corp or an equivalent organization status in any country of incorporation.
  • Your startup has outright ownership of the IP or an exclusive worldwide license for the IP in case the IP is owned by a 3rd party.
  • Your startup has a prototype or significant experimental data to support the scientific/technological core of the company.
  • Your startup has a full-time CEO.
  • Your startup is connected to reputable incubators, research institutions, national labs or other networks that will give startups the support system and networks to succeed.
  • Neither your startup nor any of its officers, directors, or any covered person is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act.
  • Your startup has never been party to any legal disputes.

Propel(x) will contact you should we have any additional questions during our review.

Propel(x) charges a 5% success fee for companies that raise greater than $200,000 through the platform. For companies that raise less than $200,000, Propel(x) will charge an 8% success fee.

Yes. Once our team has approved your deal profile for publication, you can update your company information as the situation arises. For example, investors want to know if you hire a new CTO during your fundraise. Most deal-specific information can also be updated (e.g., you can upload a revised pitch deck, add a new webcast, or reschedule an event).

Please be aware, however, that all changes to your deal profile or documents need to be approved by Hubble Investments, our broker-dealer affiliate. Therefore, changes cannot be directly made through your Propel(x) Startup account but need to be requested. Please contact your deal manager if you want to make a change to your profile.

All updates after your deal becomes live will be captured in an activity log visible to all investors visiting your deal profile. While new information is always of interest to investors, frequent changes to key information can lead to confusion and are not advised.

Offerings on Propel(x) are conducted under Regulation D, promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended. Regulation D governs private placement exemptions, to allow companies to raise capital through the sale of equity or debt securities without having to register their securities with the SEC.

We work with startups that make use of either Rule 506(b) or Rule 506(c) exemptions. See https://www.sec.gov/answers/rule506.htm for more detail.

Under Rule 506(b):

  • A company cannot use general solicitation or advertising to market the investment.
  • A company may sell its securities to an unlimited number of “accredited investors” and up to thirty five non-accredited investors who meet sophistication requirements.
  • Self-certification of accredited investor status via a questionnaire is used in general, as the 506(b) exemption does not specify an accreditation process to verify the Investor’s accreditation status.

Under Rule 506(c):

  • A company CAN use general solicitation and advertising to market the investment (i.e., visitors to the Propel(x) landing page can view high-level information about the offering without needing to sign up or sign in)
  • However, all purchasers in the offering must undergo additional steps to verify their accredited investor status (i.e., providing W-2s, tax returns, bank and brokerage statements, credit reports, etc.) before making an investment

Only one live deal is allowed per startup at any given time. You can start a new round from the Fundraising tab once your current round closes.

Yes, each Entrepreneur User can list multiple startups.

Only accredited investors that are registered at Propel(x) will have access to your deal profile. Propel(x) restricts the access to the documents and webcasts that you have uploaded and to the evaluation information. We will ask you to approve the investors that want access to the restricted deal content.

Generally, indemnification provisions in contracts are typical and provide that if one party breaches the agreement or engages in negligent or willful misconduct related to the relationship, that breaching party will compensate the non-breaching party for the damages caused. For example, if a company raising money on Propel(x) misappropriated a third party’s trademark and posted it on Propel(x) and that third party sued Propel(x), the company would have to defend Propel(x) and pay any damages as a result.

We make extra efforts to protect startups’ information.

Startups information (presentations, investor calls, all other documents) are privileged access. Startups can approve or reject investor access.

Under Regulation D, an issuer is obligated to have a reasonable belief, to take reasonable steps to verify, that an investor is an accredited investor. So long as those items are satisfied at the time of the sale, then subsequent proof that the investor is actually not an accredited investor will not cause a securities violation.

Propel(x) will work with you to reach a mutually agreeable solution. We will generally ask that you allow those investors who have already committed to invest to participate, but we may agree to give up any remaining allocation to outside investors.

Start Investing Today​