AI-Powered Analysis: Crowdpear Platform

Crowdpear Overview 📊

Crowdpear is a European real estate crowdfunding platform that connects investors with property-backed loans for businesses and developers. It operates under a strict regulatory framework as an ECSP-licensed platform supervised by the Bank of Lithuania. Investors can earn attractive returns (historically around 10–11% annually, with some projects offering up to 14% interest) by funding short-term real estate and SME loans. Key advantages include its strong regulation, an experienced management team (spun off from the successful PeerBerry platform), and all loans being secured by real estate collateral for added safety. Main risks to consider are that loans can default or be delayed (though collateral and guarantees help mitigate losses), investments are not covered by deposit insurance (potential risk of loss of capital), and liquidity can be limited (though a secondary market is available for early exit).

⚠️ Investors should always diversify and understand these risks before investing.

Crowdpear Investment Product 💼

Product Type: Crowdpear offers secured loans (debt investments) in real estate projects and business financing. These are typically bridge loans or development loans backed by first-rank mortgages on property, and sometimes additional guarantees from borrowers.

How Returns are Generated: Investors earn interest income paid by the borrowers – interest is usually accrued monthly and paid quarterly or at loan maturity, with annual rates generally ranging from about 9% to 14% depending on the project and loan terms. The legal structure is a crowdfunding lending model: investors enter into loan agreements facilitated by Crowdpear (no buyback or group guarantees – the security comes from the collateral itself).

Geographic & Sector Focus: Initially most projects were in Lithuania (mostly real estate developments in Vilnius and other cities), but the platform expanded to Romania in 2025 and has also listed projects in Portugal, aiming to broaden its market reach. Loans are primarily in the real estate sector (residential and commercial development), with plans to include renewable energy and other SME projects as well.

Investment Terms: Loan durations are short-term, typically 3 to 24 months, and the minimum investment is €100 per project, which lowers the entry barrier for retail investors. There is usually no maximum per investor aside from regulatory appropriateness checks.

Major Risk Points: Investors face default risk (if a borrower cannot repay), though every loan is secured by property collateral which can be sold to recover funds in case of default.

There is illiquidity risk, as funds are tied up for the loan term – investors generally must wait until the borrower repays (early exit is only possible by selling the claim on the secondary market). In a worst-case scenario of a severe market downturn or borrower bankruptcy, a total loss of the invested amount is possible if collateral value doesn’t cover the loan, so thorough due diligence and diversification are crucial.

Crowdpear Company Background 🏢

Founders & Ownership: Crowdpear was launched in early 2023 by the same shareholder group behind PeerBerry (a leading European P2P lending marketplace). Notably, Vytautas Stražnickas (45% owner), Vytautas Olšauskas (22.5%), and Ivan Butov (22.5%) – all of whom have stakes in PeerBerry – are major shareholders, along with Arūnas Lekavičius (10%), who is also CEO of PeerBerry. This overlap in ownership provided strong industry know-how and credibility from day one.

Management Team: The platform is led by CEO Vytautas Olšauskas, with over 15 years in banking, and Deputy CEO Arūnas Lekavičius as Chief Business Development Officer (widely known for his role as PeerBerry’s CEO since 2019). Other key team members include a dedicated Chief Risk Officer, Compliance Officers, and a CTO (Viktar Kamiahin) – all experienced in finance or fintech. The team’s fintech and banking experience is a core strength frequently highlighted by the company. Legal Structure: Crowdpear is incorporated as Crowdpear, UAB in Vilnius, Lithuania (company code 305888586). It does not have multiple subsidiaries; instead, it operates a centralized platform with country representatives (e.g., a representative in Romania for local deal sourcing).

Regulation & Licenses: Crowdpear is a fully regulated crowdfunding service provider. It obtained its ECSP license on 25 July 2023 from the Bank of Lithuania – among the first wave of licenses under the new EU crowdfunding regulation. The platform is supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and is listed in the public register of licensed crowdfunding providers. This license allows Crowdpear to “passport” its services across all EU countries; indeed, Crowdpear can operate in any EU member state and has expanded its offerings to other countries without needing separate national licenses.

Partners/Backers: While Crowdpear is privately funded by its founders (no venture capital involvement reported), its close affiliation with PeerBerry can be seen as a form of partnership – leveraging PeerBerry’s investor community and reputation. Additionally, the platform works with local real estate developers and has banking partners for payment processing, but no specific high-profile corporate backers are publicly disclosed. Overall, Crowdpear’s governance and ownership inspire confidence by combining a startup agility with the proven track record of PeerBerry’s owners.

Crowdpear Volumes and Performance 📈

Funding Volume: Since beginning operations in January 2023, Crowdpear’s growth has been strong. As of December 2025, the platform has financed approximately €37–40 million worth of loans in total. (Notably, in 2025 alone it financed more capital than in 2023 and 2024 combined, reflecting rapid growth.) This corresponds to ~400 projects funded since launch. Investor Base: The number of active investors has grown to nearly 10,000 by late 2025, up from about 7,600 at the start of 2025. Crowdpear’s investor community is international – roughly 90% of users are outside Lithuania, indicating broad European participation.

Returns and Earnings: Investors on Crowdpear have earned over €2.1 million in interest collectively as of Dec 2025. The platform’s average annual ROI for investors stands around 10.7% net of defaults. Many loans offer double-digit interest rates, and loyalty bonuses can boost effective yields slightly for larger portfolios (up to +1% extra for top-tier investors). Defaults and

Loan Performance: To date, no investor has lost principal on Crowdpear – the platform reports €0 in investor money losses so far. However, some loans have experienced delays or entered recovery proceedings. About 3% of the outstanding portfolio (≈€0.5 million) is classified as non-performing/in recovery as of Dec 2025. These cases are backed by collateral and are being worked out, and the company asserts that even when a few loans “defaulted” (became severely overdue), the recovery process is underway with collateral liquidation, so investors have not incurred losses. The late loan volume is very low (under 1% of total portfolio currently), indicating most projects are paying on schedule.

Investor Returns: The typical investor’s portfolio on Crowdpear yields around 10–11% annually. Top investors (through loyalty programs and selecting higher-rate projects) can achieve slightly higher returns, whereas very conservative picks might yield slightly less. Crowdpear publishes detailed statistics on its website, including actual default rates per risk grade and the status of all loans, which adds transparency to these performance figures. Overall, the platform’s first three years have shown fast growth and solid loan performance, but investors should continue to monitor default metrics as the loan book seasons.

Crowdpear Risk Management Approach 🛡️

Project Selection & Due Diligence: Crowdpear employs a conservative risk management strategy focused on quality over quantity. Every potential project undergoes thorough due diligence – the team evaluates the developer’s track record, the project feasibility, financials, and collateral value before listing. As a rule, all loans are secured by real estate collateral (typically a first-rank mortgage on property). Many loans also require additional security, such as personal or corporate guarantees from the borrower, to further protect investors. The result is that only carefully vetted, asset-backed projects make it onto the platform, aligning with Crowdpear’s goal of “minimal-risk investments for our investors”.

Internal Risk Scoring: Crowdpear assigns each loan a risk rating (A, B, C, or D) based on the borrower’s financial strength and project specifics. This rating comes with an expected default probability – for example, A-rated projects have the lowest expected default rate (~4.5%), whereas D would be highest (~18%). The platform transparently publishes both the predicted default rates and actual default performance for each risk category on its statistics page, in line with EU regulations. This allows investors to see how the portfolio is performing relative to expectations (so far, actual defaults have been at or below expected levels for top grades, with a higher default rate observed in a small number of higher-risk C-rated loans in 2024). Risk

Mitigation Measures: Because loans are backed by property, if a borrower fails to pay, Crowdpear initiates a recovery process – the collateral property can be repossessed and sold to recoup investor funds. During any delay period, investors are entitled to penalty interest of +5% per annum on overdue amounts (as long as the borrower isn’t bankrupt), providing extra compensation for the wait. This incentivizes developers to pay on time and gives investors a higher return if delays occur. Crowdpear’s team (including a Head of Debt Administration and legal officers) actively monitors loans and will start legal recovery or restructuring promptly if a project shows signs of trouble. They report that in practice some late loans have even resulted in investors earning more interest due to these penalties. Diversification and

Limits: The platform encourages investors to diversify across multiple loans and even across countries. With operations now in three countries (LT, RO, PT), investors can spread risk geographically. Crowdpear typically does not concentrate too much exposure in any single project or borrower at one time. There are also investment limits for non-experienced retail investors as per EU rules (for example, investors are asked to complete a suitability test and are cautioned if investing more than €1,000 per project or a large portion of their net assets). These measures ensure investors don’t overextend on a single high-risk loan.

Transparency & Reporting: Crowdpear’s risk management is notable for its transparency – it publishes quarterly performance updates and an audited annual report. The company openly discloses if any loan goes into default or recovery, and regularly updates investors via the platform blog and statistics page. To date, their track record shows no loss of investor principal, suggesting that the risk mitigations (collateral, conservative underwriting) have been effective. Nevertheless, the platform reminds users that crowdfunding investments inherently carry risk, and it advises diversifying and investing prudently to manage these risks.

Crowdpear Platform Features & Functionality ⚙️

User Interface: Crowdpear provides an easy-to-use online platform and launched a mobile app in early 2025 for iOS and Android. The interface includes an investor dashboard where you can see your portfolio of loans, track interest accruals, and see upcoming repayments. Investors receive notifications of new projects, and they can subscribe to newsletters or use Telegram for updates, reflecting a modern approach to communication.

Investment Process: Opening an account involves standard KYC identity verification (Crowdpear follows strict EU AML guidelines). Once verified, investors deposit Euros into their account (EUR is the only currency supported for investments). The platform does not currently offer an auto-invest feature – investors manually browse available loans and choose where to invest, allowing them full control over project selection. While this means no one-click diversification, it ensures that each investor can tailor their portfolio to their preferences (by interest rate, term, country, etc.).

Secondary Market: To provide liquidity, Crowdpear introduced a Secondary Market where investors can sell their loan claims to other investors if they need to exit before a loan’s maturity. Sellers can list investments for sale for up to 14 days and may set a discount or premium up to 25% on the price. A 2% fee is charged on secondary market sales (paid by the seller), but buyers pay no fee. This feature, launched in 2025, significantly improves liquidity – early on, the platform had no way out until loan end, but now investors have a path to withdraw early if another buyer is found.

Diversification Tools: Aside from manual selection, Crowdpear offers a loyalty program to encourage building a larger diversified portfolio – as your invested balance grows to €10k, €25k, €40k, you get an extra +0.5%, +0.75%, +1% interest respectively on all new investments. This incentivizes spreading funds across multiple loans to reach the next tier. The platform supports both individual and corporate investor accounts, so companies or funds can also invest (with slightly different tax handling). Reporting and Support: Investors have access to detailed reports for taxation – Crowdpear provides an annual tax statement and withholds applicable taxes for Lithuanian source income. Account statements, loan agreements, and all legal documents are accessible in the dashboard, ensuring transparency. The platform is multilingual: it is available in English, Lithuanian, Romanian, and Portuguese to cater to its diverse user base. Customer support is available via email, phone, and even Telegram, and the team is noted for responsive support (they typically reply to inquiries within 24 hours).

Insurance/Guarantees: There is no buyback guarantee on Crowdpear (unlike some P2P platforms); instead, protection comes from the real collateral backing each loan. There’s also no external insurance for investments – investors bear the credit risk, though mitigated by the security. Additional Features: The platform’s “Help” center provides a knowledge base with FAQs, and the blog offers insight into new projects and performance updates. While Crowdpear doesn’t provide third-party expert analyses of each project, it does give key facts (borrower info, collateral details, valuation, LTV ratio) for investors to make informed decisions. Overall, Crowdpear’s functionality is robust for a young platform – it covers all essential investing features and continues to evolve (for instance, features like Auto-Invest might be added as the platform grows, and new markets/currencies could be introduced in the future).

Crowdpear Fees and Pricing 💰

Investor Fees: Crowdpear has a very investor-friendly fee structure. Investing and using the platform is free for investors in terms of account setup, deposits, and regular maintenance – there are no account fees, no deposit or withdrawal fees, and no fees on interest earned. The only fee that investors might incur is on the secondary market: if you sell an investment to another investor, a 2% fee is deducted from the selling price as a transaction fee (the buyer of your loan does not pay any fee). For example, if you sell a loan claim for €100, you’d pay €2 and receive €98. There are no other hidden fees – no performance fees and no inactivity fees (you won’t be charged for just having cash sitting on the account, though in practice most investors try to keep their funds invested).

Borrower Fees: Crowdpear primarily earns its revenue by charging fees to the borrowers (project owners). When a project is successfully funded, the borrower pays a crowdfunding service fee to Crowdpear. According to platform disclosures, this origination fee ranges roughly from 2% up to 5% of the loan amount. The exact percentage depends on the borrower’s risk rating and agreement with Crowdpear – lower-risk projects might pay around 2%, higher-risk projects up to 5%. (There is also typically a minimum fee of around €600 for very small loans.) Borrowers may also pay some administrative fees (for example, for extending a loan or for recovery actions if they default, etc., as outlined in the terms). These costs are not charged to investors; investors simply receive the interest promised on loans.

Transparency: Crowdpear is transparent about its pricing – the fee structure for both investors and borrowers is published in the platform’s terms and conditions and “Rates” document. Investors can thus clearly see that Crowdpear’s interests are aligned with theirs: the platform earns money mainly when projects are funded (successfully raising capital for a borrower) and when providing liquidity (secondary market service). This encourages Crowdpear to list quality projects that will fund and to facilitate an active investor marketplace.

No Management Fees: Unlike some fund investments, there are no ongoing management or AUM fees for the investor – 100% of the interest rate listed on a loan goes to the investors (minus any tax withholding, see below), and Crowdpear’s cut comes separately from the borrower side. Tax Considerations: While not exactly a “fee”, it’s worth noting taxes: For international investors, Crowdpear withholds 15% tax on interest earnings by default (Lithuania’s non-resident withholding tax). Investors can often reduce this by submitting a tax residency certificate if a tax treaty applies, or reclaim it in their home country. Lithuanian investors have their own local tax rules (15% on interest over €500/year). The platform doesn’t charge for handling this tax paperwork; it’s part of the service. In summary, Crowdpear’s pricing model is straightforward and fair, with virtually no costs to invest and clearly defined fees for extra services like secondary market selling or for the borrowers raising funds.

Negative Publicity about Crowdpear ⚠️

Overall, Crowdpear has maintained a good reputation, but like any growing platform it has faced a few controversies and complaints. One notable incident occurred in early 2024 regarding a promotional campaign: Crowdpear ran a sign-up bonus/cashback offer to attract new investors, but later canceled the bonus program abruptly, citing abuse by some users. This decision upset many investors who had met the terms and expected a bonus – some felt the platform changed rules arbitrarily. In a Trustpilot review, an investor described the situation where support told them “they could do whatever they want as it was in the terms” and even suggested unhappy users could sell their investments and leave. The tone of the response was viewed as unprofessional by that user, who (along with others) posted negative feedback. Crowdpear acknowledged the issue by emphasizing their right to amend promotions, but the incident was a public relations misstep that likely taught the team to communicate such changes more carefully.

Another area of negative feedback came from a frustrated individual who failed the platform’s stringent compliance checks. In mid-2025, a user complained that Crowdpear refused to activate their account due to AML (Anti-Money Laundering) concerns, allegedly because of their email format and other factors. The user accused Crowdpear of dishonesty and poor communication, leaving a scathing 1-star review calling the company “unserious”. Crowdpear’s public reply was firm – they stated that as a regulated platform they strictly enforce AML rules and will not onboard users who don’t pass checks, and they pointed out that this particular individual had a history of many negative reviews on financial platforms. This response, while likely truthful, came off as combative. It highlights the challenge of balancing security/regulatory requirements with customer experience.

There have also been community discussions about some growing pains of the platform. Early adopters in 2023 mentioned that project availability was limited in the first year – at times there were only a few loans to invest in, all from Lithuania, leading to concentration risk for those who wanted to deploy more funds. This “single-country, few projects” issue was noted in some blog reviews and forums. Crowdpear has addressed it by adding more projects and entering Romania (and by late 2025, offering projects in three countries), which has improved diversification. Additionally, the lack of auto-invest (requiring manual investing) and initially the lack of a secondary market were seen as minor drawbacks – though the secondary market was introduced later, resolving the liquidity concern. The onboarding process is also reported as a bit more bureaucratic than some peers (due to the thorough KYC/AML), but this is the flip side of being a strictly regulated platform.

Importantly, no regulatory sanctions or warnings have been issued against Crowdpear. The platform remains in good standing with the Bank of Lithuania, and there have been no fraud or insolvency issues. All negative publicity so far revolves around customer service and policy decisions, rather than the safety of funds. As of 2025, Crowdpear holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.0 out of 5 (categorized as “Great”), based on around 29 customer reviews. About two-thirds of reviewers give 5-stars, praising ease of use and returns, while a minority (17% 1-star reviews) voice the types of complaints noted above. The company has replied to all negative reviews, showing they are actively engaging with feedback. In summary, red flags are relatively few – aside from a bumpy promotional campaign and some isolated dissatisfied users, Crowdpear has not experienced any major scandal. Investors should nonetheless stay informed (via forums or social media) on any new issues, but so far the platform’s reputation among the P2P community is generally positive.

Crowdpear Success Stories & Milestones 🎉

Despite being a young platform, Crowdpear has hit several impressive milestones and positive highlights:

• Successful Launch and Rapid Growth: After development in 2021–2022, Crowdpear officially launched lending operations in January 2023. In its first full year (2023), it funded over €13 million in loans – about 3 times what was funded in the partial launch year, demonstrating strong early traction. By early 2025 the platform had surpassed €21 million total funded and by the end of 2025 it neared €40 million, a growth rate that makes it one of the fastest-growing real estate crowdfunding platforms in the region. This growth also translated to over €1 million in interest paid out within the first two years, and over €2 million by the third year – a tangible indicator of investor success.

• EU License – Regulatory First Mover: Crowdpear became one of the first platforms to earn the European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) license in its country. The Bank of Lithuania granted the license in July 2023, ahead of many competitors. This was a key milestone because it allowed Crowdpear to operate seamlessly across the EU under the new regulation, and it signaled to investors that the platform meets high regulatory standards. The early acquisition of the license gave Crowdpear a credibility boost and a head-start in attracting EU-wide investors, essentially future-proofing the business model as crowdfunding laws tightened.

• International Expansion: In 2025, Crowdpear expanded beyond Lithuania by launching operations in Romania – its first foreign market. This was accompanied by hiring local expertise (a country representative in Romania) and adapting to a new market’s legal framework, showing the platform’s ambition. The first Romanian projects became available to investors, marking a significant step in diversification. Additionally, Crowdpear’s website and services were made available in multiple languages, including Romanian and Portuguese, anticipating further market entries. The presence of Portuguese language support suggests future plans or partnerships in Portugal (indeed some projects from Portugal are now on the platform). This strategic expansion demonstrates Crowdpear’s commitment to growing its investment opportunities and becoming a pan-European player.

• Technology & Platform Improvements: A noteworthy achievement was the development and release of the Crowdpear mobile app in early 2025. Few crowdfunding platforms in Europe have a dedicated app, especially so soon after launch. The app allows users to invest and monitor their portfolio on the go, reflecting Crowdpear’s agility in tech innovation. The introduction of the Secondary Market in 2025 is another success, as it added liquidity for investors – a feature that often significantly improves investor satisfaction and attracts more funds to the platform. These improvements have been recognized by users and reviewers as signs that Crowdpear is responsive to community needs (for example, adding secondary market and continually fine-tuning the user experience).

• Community and Industry Recognition: Crowdpear’s rapid rise has been acknowledged in local financial media. In February 2025, Verslo Žinios (Lithuania’s leading business newspaper) featured Crowdpear, highlighting that it had grown “threefold” and was entering the Romanian market. Such press coverage indicates industry recognition of Crowdpear’s performance. The platform also prides itself on the fact that institutional investors (like investment funds or family offices) have started investing alongside retail investors, validating its offerings. While Crowdpear hasn’t announced awards publicly, being part of the PeerBerry “family” is itself a success factor: PeerBerry has won trust and awards in the P2P sector, and that reflected glow helped Crowdpear gain nearly 10,000 investors in under three years – a significant achievement for a new crowdfunding service. The close relationship (shared ownership and expertise) between PeerBerry and Crowdpear is often viewed as a positive, meaning Crowdpear benefited from experienced management and an existing investor base willing to try a new platform.

• Investor Outcomes: Ultimately, a key success is that investors have seen positive outcomes. Many early investors report that all their projects have been repaid with interest on schedule. The platform boasts a track record of zero investor losses since inception, which, if maintained, will be a major success story in its own right. Satisfied investors have left reviews noting the solid business model, lack of cash drag (funds not sitting idle), and reliable returns. Crowdpear’s ability to maintain these standards as it scales will determine its long-term success, but the first few years have laid a very strong foundation. 🚀 Crowdpear’s trajectory thus far – from license approval to rapid growth, geographic expansion, and technological advancement – positions it as one of the rising stars in European real estate crowdfunding.

Is Crowdpear safe and regulated?

Yes, Crowdpear is a legally regulated platform. It holds an EU Crowdfunding Service Provider license and is supervised by the Bank of Lithuania (the national financial regulator). This means it must follow strict investor protection rules. The platform uses escrow accounts for client funds and has robust AML/KYC processes. However, remember that investment risk still exists – regulation ensures operational integrity, but it doesn’t guarantee that every project will succeed or that you won’t lose money.

What returns can I expect on Crowdpear?

Investors can expect an average return around 10%–11% per year, based on current performance. Many loans offer interest rates in the 9–12% range, and with loyalty bonuses some investors achieve slightly higher yields. The maximum advertised interest is about 14% on select projects, but those are usually higher-risk or larger investments. It’s wise to assume around 10% as a realistic annual return for a diversified portfolio on Crowdpear. Keep in mind returns are not guaranteed – if a loan is late or defaults, your actual return could be lower for that period until the issue is resolved.

How long is my money locked in when I invest?

The money you invest in a given loan is typically locked in for the duration of that loan, which on Crowdpear is usually between 3 months to 24 months. Most projects at the moment have 12 or 18-month terms, often with bullet repayment (full payoff at the end). During this period, you generally cannot withdraw your principal (since it’s deployed to the borrower) unless you sell the loan on the secondary market. So, you should be prepared not to access those funds until the loan is repaid (e.g., 1 year later). Interest is paid periodically (often quarterly or at the end), which you can withdraw or reinvest. If maintaining liquidity is a concern, consider using the secondary market or investing in a series of shorter-term loans.

What are the main risks of investing through Crowdpear?

The main risks include credit risk, liquidity risk, and platform risk. Credit risk is the chance that a borrower fails to repay – if a project defaults, recovery of your money can take time or might be incomplete (though collateral is meant to cover this). So far, Crowdpear’s collateral has prevented losses, but there’s always a risk of partial or total loss if real estate values drop or something unforeseen happens. Liquidity risk means you might not be able to sell and get your cash quickly (especially if many investors are trying to sell at once or if a loan is in trouble). The secondary market helps, but it’s not 100% liquid like a savings account. Platform risk involves Crowdpear itself – e.g., operational failures, cyber-security, or in the unlikely event the company goes bankrupt. Even though it’s regulated (with provisions to transfer loan servicing to another entity if needed), such scenarios could delay access to your funds. Also note, crowdfunding investments are not covered by deposit insurance or investor compensation schemes. In summary, while Crowdpear tries to minimize risk via collateral and regulation, you should only invest money that you can afford to have tied up, and diversify across many projects to spread the risk.