Why Platform Due Diligence Matters for Your SEIS/EIS Campaign
Imagine turning up at a railway station without checking the timetable, the platform number or ticket gate. That’s what skipping platform due diligence feels like. In the world of SEIS/EIS crowdfunding, founders need to ask the right questions before the whistle blows.
This guide splits 50 vital questions into five areas:
– Business & Strategy
– Features & Functionality
– User Experience & Marketing
– Compliance & Risk
– Operations & Growth
Answer them. Close gaps. Launch with confidence.
1. Business & Strategy: Laying the Rails
- What’s my campaign’s core mission and vision?
- Which SEIS/EIS schemes apply, and how do I prove eligibility?
- Who exactly is my target investor – angel, venture, retail?
- How do I articulate my unique selling point against Seedrs or Crowdcube?
- What commission, if any, will my chosen platform charge?
- How many projects do I expect on my platform in year one vs. year five?
- Will I focus on a niche sector or accept all sectors?
- How do I plan to price subscription fees or success fees?
- What’s my break-even point for platform subscription revenue?
- Which KPIs will signal healthy growth?
These questions are core to platform due diligence. Without clarity here, you risk derailing before departure.
2. Platform Features & Functionality: Technical Due Diligence
- What tech stack underpins my crowdfunding site?
- Will I use a custom build, white-label solution or hybrid?
- How does my platform scale when user flow surges?
- Do I need multi-currency wallets or just GBP?
- How are payments processed, and who holds the funds?
- What APIs do I need to integrate with custodial services?
- Should I support direct funding mode, wallet-based mode or both?
- Will I offer built-in analytics dashboards for investors and issuers?
- How do I manage data backups and disaster recovery?
- Do I need a mobile app or is a responsive web app enough?
These technical checks are all part of thorough platform due diligence. Skip them, and you’ll find bugs on launch day.
3. User Experience & Marketing: Engaging the Crowd
- How intuitive is the onboarding flow for issuers and investors?
- Do I have brand guidelines, or must I create them?
- Will I include in-platform messaging, discussion boards or forums?
- How will I craft landing pages to explain SEIS/EIS benefits clearly?
- What content tools can help me publish blogs, updates and news?
- Could Maggie’s AutoBlog generate SEO-optimised posts for my campaign?
- What social proof (case studies, testimonials) will I highlight?
- How will I segment email newsletters for targeted outreach?
- Which channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, specialist forums) will drive traffic?
- What referral or ambassador schemes will I run?
Great UX and marketing hinge on solid platform due diligence. If investors get lost, they click away.
4. Compliance & Risk: Staying on the Right Side of the Law
- Which FCA guidelines apply, and do I need authorisation?
- How will I implement KYC (Know Your Customer) checks?
- What AML (Anti-Money Laundering) processes are in place?
- How do I ensure GDPR compliance for UK and EU users?
- What encryption and data-storage standards do I adopt?
- How do I monitor suspicious activity and flag fraud?
- Will regulators have read-only access to reporting data if needed?
- What dispute resolution procedures are built into the platform?
- How will I handle tax reporting for investors under SEIS/EIS?
- Do I enforce investment limits for retail vs accredited investors?
Compliance questions sit at the heart of platform due diligence. Miss one and fines can come hurtling down the line.
5. Operations & Growth: Keeping the Trains Running
- What’s my timeline from MVP to full launch?
- Which milestones and go/no-go gates do I set?
- Who manages day-to-day support and maintenance?
- What SLAs do I offer for uptime and response times?
- How do I collect user feedback and iterate on features?
- Which partners (accountants, advisers, legal) will I onboard?
- What’s my strategy for upselling or cross-selling to startups?
- How do I plan to convert trial users into subscribers?
- What analytics inform marketing spend vs revenue growth?
- How will I adjust my roadmap if regulatory changes hit?
Operations due diligence ties all strands together. Only then can you scale smoothly.
How Oriel IPO Does Platform Due Diligence Differently
Many founders look at a competitor like LenderKit and think, “That ticks all the boxes.” Sure, they’ve got a tidy checklist. They know their tech. They’ve built a sleek UI. But ask around and you’ll hear grumbles: hidden fees, limited SEIS/EIS focus, a lack of personalised guidance.
At Oriel IPO, we saw the gaps. So we built:
– A commission-free model: subscription fees, not success fees. Founders keep more.
– SEIS/EIS-specialised vetting: curated opportunities, fewer false starts.
– Educational tools: in-depth guides, webinars and resources that demystify tax reliefs.
– Integrated content support: use Maggie’s AutoBlog to publish campaign blogs in seconds.
We don’t just hand you a platform and wave goodbye. Our team guides you through compliance checks, marketing sprints and investor relations. That’s holistic platform due diligence – from the first question to the final share allocation.
Ready to Launch with Confidence?
Conducting thorough platform due diligence means fewer surprises and higher success rates. With Oriel IPO, you get more than tech: you get partnerships, insights and tools designed for SEIS/EIS crowdfunding.
Let’s make your campaign the one that catches every investor’s eye.
