Leapfunder is a Dutch platform for angel investing in very young European startups, run since 2014 by Hinksprong B.V. under the Leapfunder brand. Investors put money into early rounds of €30,000 to €800,000. The homepage reports more than 220 rounds funded (October 2026, undated). Leapfunder holds no financial licence.
Each startup offers a standard Leapfunder Note: a convertible loan with an interest rate (10% a year if the round's memorandum sets none), a discount on the future share price and a valuation cap. The minimum is set per round. The note converts into shares when a large investor puts more than €100,000 into new shares, when the company is sold, or at the final conversion date set in the memorandum. You then hold shares in an SPV that owns the startup shares for all Leapfunder investors; at least 10% of investors can call for their own representative. Rounds are all-or-nothing. Investors in the United States cannot take part.
Leapfunder's homepage states an average return of about 25.7% a year (October 2026). It gives no method, period, group of companies or date for this figure, and does not say whether it is money paid out or a paper value from later funding rounds. No company sale, conversion count or other result has been published. Treat the figure as an advertised claim.
Leapfunder publishes nothing on losses: no failed startups, write-offs or recovery figures across its 220-plus rounds since 2014, and no total amount invested since a figure of €2.5 million reported in 2015. A note in a startup that fails simply never converts, so losses do not show up as defaults. At this very early stage, many startups fail and their investors usually lose everything.
Nothing secures your money. You lend to very young startups through a convertible note that later turns into shares, with no collateral, no buyback, no reserve fund and no insurance, and no compensation scheme covers losses. Until it converts, the note is a debt of the startup, which is worth little if a young company fails. After conversion you hold shares in a special purpose company (SPV) that owns the startup shares and sends one representative to its shareholder meetings. During a round your money is held under the supervision of an accountant or attorney and is refunded if the round does not reach its minimum.
Leapfunder is a brand of Hinksprong B.V., based in Amsterdam. It holds no licence: it is not on the EU list of authorised crowdfunding providers (data as of January 2026) and is not supervised by the Dutch markets regulator, the AFM. Its FAQ says the structure is monitored by external lawyers in consultation with regulators, but no regulator supervises the platform. Its terms state that it gives no investment advice. No regulatory action or public complaints were found, and there is no public review profile.
Investors pay Leapfunder directly, through a paid subscription or a fee per investment; startups pay a starting fee and a success fee when they raise. We could not confirm the current prices in October 2026, so check the pricing page before you invest.
There is no marketplace on Leapfunder. A note can be transferred only with the startup's permission, and SPV shares can be sold only privately, to a buyer you find yourself. Money comes back only if the startup is sold or later pays out, which can take many years or never happen.
Return: Very High — based only on the advertised 25.7% a year, which comes with no method or date. Risk: High (higher means more risk) — no losses or results are published after 220-plus rounds, the platform is unlicensed, and nothing secures the notes. Risk-return: Medium — startup investing is high risk and high return by nature, so we judge it on its chance of large gains: pre-seed notes with a discount and a valuation cap can pay off strongly if a company succeeds, though most very young companies do not.
License / Regulation: No licence. Leapfunder (Hinksprong B.V., Netherlands) is not authorised as a European crowdfunding service provider and does not appear on the EU list of authorised providers (ESMA data as of January 2026) or in the AFM crowdfunding register. No regulator supervises the platform, and no compensation scheme applies.
No. Leapfunder, run by Hinksprong B.V., holds no licence and is not on the EU list of authorised crowdfunding providers or the AFM register. Its FAQ mentions consultation with regulators, but no regulator supervises it.
During a round, money is held under the supervision of an accountant or attorney and refunded if the round's minimum is not reached. No bank or payment provider is named. Once the round closes, the money goes to the startup.
The minimum is set per round in the startup's memorandum. Rounds raise €30,000 to €800,000 in total.
The homepage claims an average of about 25.7% a year, with no method or date. No losses, failed startups or company sales are published across more than 220 rounds.
Nothing. The Leapfunder Note is an unsecured convertible loan to a young startup; there is no collateral, buyback, insurance or compensation scheme. If the startup fails you will most likely lose everything.
When a large investor puts more than €100,000 into new shares, when the company is sold, or at the final conversion date set in the memorandum. You then hold shares in an SPV that owns the startup shares for all Leapfunder investors.
Not on the platform. There is no marketplace; a note can be transferred only with the startup's permission, and SPV shares only privately.
Investors pay through a subscription or a fee per investment, and startups pay when they raise. We could not confirm the current prices, so check Leapfunder's pricing page before investing.
Your notes and SPV shares are claims on the startups, but the SPVs and payouts are administered through Leapfunder, which publishes no plan for that case and is not supervised by any regulator.
