Crowdfunding platform

StartupXplore Review 2026

No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet
0
Leave review
Valencia platform for Spanish startup rounds led by a named investor, from €500, plus company bonds; CNMV-authorised (no. 18) since December 2023. No return or failure figures published in ten years.

StartupXplore - Risk and return review

Risk Level
High
Higher means more risk. Startupxplore publishes no figure for failed companies or defaults, so investors cannot see how often money is lost; we start from the middle level and move it one step worse, because platforms with good results usually publish them. Its counters disagree, its posted accounts stop at 2023, and the largest bond on sale comes from an issuer on the CNMV's list of unauthorised entities.
Return Level
Medium
Based on the indicative 8% or more a year shown for the riskiest bond profile (October 2026). It is a rate shown before any losses, not a result; no return of any kind is published for startup investments.
Risk Return Level
Medium
Startup investing is judged on what it could return: exits, multiples, the quality of deals and the chance to sell. Failures are shown, but on their own they do not pull this level down, because a few big winners can make up for many losses. Here each round has a professional lead investor, but no exit results are published.

StartupXplore - Returns and loss rates

Returns
Fixed interest: 8.00% Indicative 8% or more a year for the "Maximize" bond profile (24 to 36 months), as of 31 October 2026; other profiles show 4% to 5% and 5% to 7%. The platform says these are not a promise. No return of any kind is published for startup investments.

StartupXplore – Platform statistics 2026

Information updated at: 03 Nov 2026
Number of investors 3415 investors
109 projects funded
23.0M EUR funded amount

StartupXplore – Pros & Cons

PROS
Authorised by Spain's CNMV as an EU crowdfunding provider, number 18, since 15 December 2023, with no sanction or warning found.
Each startup round has a named lead investor, a fund or business angel, putting in its own money on the same terms.
A €500 minimum for startup rounds, and money waits in escrow at a licensed payment firm until the round reaches its minimum.
Public review score 4.6 out of 5 from 96 reviews (August 2026), and 109 companies funded according to the platform.
CONS
No return, failure or loss figure has been published in about ten years, and no EU default rate despite selling bonds.
Eight of the nine investment vehicles set up in 2015 and 2016 (€1.41 million) have been wound up, with no outcome published.
The largest bond on sale (€3.72 million raised, October 2026) comes from Crealsa, which the CNMV lists among entities without authorisation.
Fees are high: up to 7.26% of your money on entry including VAT, and up to 20% plus VAT of any gain.
No secondary market: startup money is locked until a sale or listing of the company, often many years.
Counters on the same page disagree (€23 million vs €33.7 million invested; 90 vs 109), none dated; posted accounts stop at 2023.

About StartupXplore

What it is

Startupxplore began in Valencia in 2014 as a free directory of Spanish startups and investors and now runs a regulated investment platform. Startupxplore PSFP, S.L. is authorised by Spain's financial regulator, the CNMV, as crowdfunding provider number 18 since 15 December 2023.

Its homepage (31 October 2026) shows 109 companies invested in, €33.7 million invested in companies, 3,415 investors who have invested and 45,498 who receive offers. The same page also shows "€23M+ invested" and "90+ operations". None of the figures is dated and the platform does not explain the gap.

How it works

There are two kinds of offer. In startup rounds, a named lead investor, a fund or business angel, puts in its own money on the same terms, and you join from €500. You hold shares in the company directly or through a holding vehicle that Startupxplore administers; it depends on the deal. On 31 October 2026 one startup round was open: Telara Pharma, with €507,926 raised against a maximum of €700,000.

Since 2025 the platform also sells company bonds, grouped into three profiles: Preserve (indicative 4% to 5% a year, 12 to 24 months), Grow (5% to 7%, 24 to 36 months) and Maximize (8% or more, 24 to 36 months). On 31 October 2026 two bonds were open: Crealsa's "Bono Horizonte 2029" with €3.72 million raised of a €5 million maximum, and a Microwd bond with €286,073.

Returns

For startup investments Startupxplore has never published a return: no yearly rate, no multiple and no total of cash paid back, after about ten years and 109 companies. Its best-known success, Hannun, listed on Spain's BME Growth market in 2022 at a reported 4.5 times the investors' entry price, but its shares have since fallen about 83% from their listing high (August 2026).

For bonds the platform shows indicative rates of 4% to 8% or more a year and says they are not a promise of performance. No realised bond return is published.

Losses and defaults

No figure on failed companies, defaults or losses is published, and no default rate of the kind the EU crowdfunding rules ask for on loan-type offers such as bonds. The platform's own client information says a high number of projects fail and total loss can easily happen. Spain's company register shows that eight of the nine investment vehicles Startupxplore set up in its own name in 2015 and 2016 (€1.41 million) have been wound up; the register does not say whether they ended with a sale or a write-off, and the platform has not said.

What secures your money

Nothing secures startup investments: you own a small stake in a young company, directly or through a holding vehicle run by Startupxplore, with no collateral, buyback, reserve fund or insurance, and you can lose everything. The bonds are unsecured company debt as far as published; the investment profiles mention "full" or "partial underlying coverage" without saying what that means. The largest bond on sale comes from Crealsa, which Spain's regulator CNMV lists among entities without authorisation that may be raising funds (checked 31 October 2026). Your money waits in an escrow account at the payment firm Pecunia Cards, in the issuing company's name, until a round reaches its minimum.

Who runs it and its licence

Startupxplore PSFP, S.L. (Valencia, tax number B98877483), owned by Startup Ventures S.L., founded in 2014, is authorised by the CNMV under the EU crowdfunding rules (number 18, since 15 December 2023). No CNMV sanction or warning against Startupxplore was found. The annual accounts posted on its site stop at 2023. Public review score 4.6 out of 5 (96 reviews, August 2026).

Fees

On startup rounds you pay up to 6% plus VAT of the amount you invest, charged only if the round succeeds; with Spain's 21% VAT that is up to 7.26%. If you make a gain, a success fee of up to 20% plus VAT applies, reduced to 10% of the gain on a sale or listing of the company. There is no yearly management or custody fee.

Getting your money out

Usually you cannot. The platform's client information states there is no secondary market for the shares, and there is no buyback or bulletin board; money comes back only if the company pays a dividend, is sold or lists, which can take many years. Bonds run to their end date, with the payout rhythm set by their profile (monthly, half-yearly or yearly).

Our view

Return: Medium — based on the indicative 8% or more a year shown for bonds; nothing realised is published for startups or bonds. Risk: High (higher means more risk) — no failure or loss figures after ten years, most early investment vehicles wound up with no outcome published, counters that disagree, accounts only to 2023, and the largest bond on sale comes from an issuer on the CNMV's list. Risk-return: Medium — startup investing is judged on what it could return; failures alone do not pull this level down.

Regulation

License / Regulation: Startupxplore PSFP, S.L. (Valencia, CIF B98877483) is authorised by the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) as a crowdfunding service provider under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503, register number 18, since 15 December 2023. It does not provide investment services or hold client money. No deposit guarantee or investor compensation scheme covers investment losses.

Functionality

Autoinvest: No
Deal rating: No
Secondary market: No
Payment provider: PECUNIA CARDS E.D.E., S.L., a Spanish electronic money institution designated by Startupxplore. Investors pay into an escrow account opened there in the issuing company's name; the money is released only once the round reaches its minimum.

For Investors

Limitations: Adults who pass identity checks; no residence restriction is stated. Investors who do not meet the EU tests for experienced investors (for example income of €60,000 a year and a €100,000 portfolio) take a knowledge test and must accept a warning that the service may not suit them.
Pricing:
  • Investor fee: 6% on the amount invested in a startup round, plus VAT, only if the round succeeds
  • Investor fee: 20% success fee on any gain, plus VAT; 10% of the gain on a sale or listing of the company
  • Minimum investment: 500 EUR

    StartupXplore - Articles

    Step by step startup investing: your 2026 guide
    Unlock your potential with our step-by-step startup investing guide for 2026. Learn how to find and manage high-growth investments successfully!
    Jun. 12.2026
    Video thumbnail for 28 European Startups Raising Funding Now: AI, Climate Tech, MedTech and Food Innovation
    28 European Startups Raising Funding Now: AI, Climate Tech, MedTech and Food Innovation
    Explore 28 startup investment opportunities across European crowdfunding platforms, including Pre-IPO access to Anthropic and ŌURA, plus AI, climate …
    May. 28.2026
    Top advantages of startup investing for European investors
    Discover the advantages of startup investing for European investors. Unlock potential returns and diversify your portfolio with insights from recent …
    May. 01.2026

    Useful Information

    Is Startupxplore regulated?

    Yes. Startupxplore PSFP, S.L. is authorised by Spain's CNMV as an EU crowdfunding provider (number 18, since 15 December 2023). Regulation does not protect you from losing money on a company or a bond.

    Who holds my money?

    Your payment goes to an escrow account at Pecunia Cards, a Spanish electronic money institution, in the issuing company's name. It is released only if the round reaches its minimum. Startupxplore does not hold client money.

    What is the minimum investment?

    €500 per startup round. Bonds set their own minimums.

    What returns, and what losses so far?

    No return is published for startup investments, and no failure or loss figure for anything. Bonds show indicative rates of 4% to 8% or more a year. Eight of the nine early investment vehicles set up in 2015 and 2016 have been wound up, with no outcome published.

    What secures my investment?

    Nothing. Startup shares have no collateral, buyback or insurance, and the bonds are unsecured company debt as far as published. You can lose everything you put in.

    Can I sell early?

    No. There is no secondary market, buyback or bulletin board. Startup money comes back only on a dividend, sale or listing of the company; bonds run to their end date.

    What fees do I pay?

    Up to 6% plus VAT of what you invest in a startup round (up to 7.26% with VAT), only if the round succeeds, and a success fee of up to 20% plus VAT of any gain, or 10% of the gain on a sale or listing. No yearly fee.

    What happens if Startupxplore or a company I backed fails?

    If a company fails, shareholders are paid last and usually get nothing. If the platform stops, your holdings stay in the companies or vehicles, and its services would pass to a replacement it designates, subject to investors' approval.

    Who is behind the Crealsa bond on Startupxplore?

    Crealsa Investments Spain, a Valencia invoice-finance company. Spain's regulator CNMV lists it among entities without authorisation that may be raising funds (checked 31 October 2026). The CNMV says the listing is not a finding of wrongdoing, but Startupxplore's pages do not mention it.

    Rating

    Total Rating 0
    No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet No rating yet
    Offering quality 0
    Services and support 0
    Functionality 0
    Transparency 0

    Reviews

    Sort by:
    Most recent Oldest first More likes More dislikes
    Sort by rating:
    Highest to lowest Lowest to highest

    StartupXplore crowdfunding projects

    Alternative to StartupXplore

    Anaxago FR

    Real Estate Startups SME loans
    Regulated
    Return Level Medium
    Risk Level High
    Risk Return Level
    Min. Investment €1000
    Total Funded €940.1M

    BacktoWork IT

    Startups
    Min. Investment €500

    Capital Cell ES

    Startups
    Regulated
    Return Level High
    Risk Level Very High
    Risk Return Level Medium
    Min. Investment €500
    Total Funded €85.0M

    Companisto DE

    Startups
    Regulated
    Return Level Very High
    Risk Level Very High
    Risk Return Level Medium
    Min. Investment €250
    Total Funded €396.12M

    Republic europe (ex Seedrs) GB

    Startups
    Regulated
    Return Level Very High
    Risk Level Very High
    Risk Return Level Medium
    Min. Investment €20
    Total Funded €3358.12M

    Crowdcube GB

    Startups
    Regulated
    Return Level Very High
    Risk Level Very High
    Risk Return Level Medium
    Min. Investment €10
    Total Funded €1798.99M