Investor Relations Software after Equity Crowdfunding

An equity crowdfunding campaign does not end when the fundraising closes. If anything, it marks the beginning of a new and structurally different phase in the life of the company: one in which dozens or hundreds of investors become full-fledged shareholders. This raises the issue of Investor Relations, an important business function in every respect, but one that is often underestimated in crowdfunding much more than is the case with traditional and institutional investors.

Managing investor relations after equity crowdfunding means bringing together two different but complementary dimensions. On the one hand, there are concrete obligations: information, meetings, documentation, traceability of communications. On the other hand, there are strategic opportunities: build trust, enhance the value of the membership base, prepare for future operations.

I software dedicated to investor relations are born right here: technological support, but as a response to the complexity that equity crowdfunding introduces in a structural way even more than traditional capital increases. In this article, we will understand what investor relations really means after a campaign, and we will compare some software and other specialized solutions to do so.

What does managing investor relations mean after equity crowdfunding?

During the equity crowdfunding campaign, the company works with a focus on conversion: intense communication, fundraising goals, clear calls to action, and frequent updates designed to maintain momentum. At this stage, the interlocutors are all potential investors and partners.

After the campaign closes, investors become shareholders and the relationship is no longer transactional but ongoing. It is no longer a question of convincing someone to invest, but of managing a corporate relationship over time, with mutual rights, expectations, and responsibilities.

This change marks the transition from campaign logic to governance logic. Communications can no longer be impromptu, information must be consistent and traceable, and discussions must be organized in an orderly manner.

Equity crowdfunding introduces a specific complexity that is not comparable to that of other capital raising channels: a broad, diverse, and fragmented membership base. Without a clear investor relations structure, on the one hand, the company risks being overwhelmed by individual requests, repetitive questions, and uncoordinated communications; on the other hand, shareholders may perceive opacity or disorganization even when the company is operating correctly.

Investor relations as a corporate function

Managing investor relations It does not simply mean “sending updates to members.” It means defining a function, even a minimal one, with clear processes: who communicates, what is communicated, with what tools, how often and in what form, but also with what objective.

This applies regardless of the stage of the company. It is not a question of large companies or listed companies. When capital is opened up to a plurality of shareholders, managing the relationship becomes an integral part of the organization.

Taking a structured approach to post-campaign management is not just about “staying compliant.” It helps reduce internal friction, protects management from wasting time, builds a healthy and sustainable relationship with those who have chosen to invest in the company, and turn hard-won investors into an asset valuable for the future as well.

Obligations towards shareholders

In the investor relations management There are a number of activities that the company must organize correctly and continuously, because they are obligations that arise directly from the corporate relationship established with the new shareholders.

1. Periodic information and updates

The purchase of a stake in the company generates a legitimate expectation to be informed about the company's performance, even when there are no legal disclosure requirements such as those applicable to listed companies.

For example, members expect updates on:

• business performance compared to forecasts;
  
• progress of the funded project;
  
• significant results, whether positive or negative;
  
• significant changes in strategy or organization.

Communicating too little exposes the company to individual requests and an atmosphere of mistrust; communicating in a disorderly manner creates confusion. The key is to define a clear scope of information, consistent and sustainable over time.

2. Meetings, voting, and shareholder rights

Equity crowdfunding involves the entry of new shareholders who, as such, have rights. Usually, in order to protect governance and avoid negative practical effects of dilution of shares, crowd investors tend to be assigned only property rights and few or no administrative rights. However, crowd shareholders are often granted administrative rights only on certain issues or areas of corporate life, or crowdfunding brings in strategic shareholders who are granted more administrative rights.

In any case, All members have the right to know the contents of company meetings and to participate., even when they do not have the right to vote.

This involves managing shareholder meetings, collecting proxies, taking minutes and, in some cases, voting on important corporate decisions.

When there are many shareholders, manually managing these steps quickly becomes inefficient. Orderly management of meetings serves to protect the company in the event of disputes, as well as conveying respect and solidity to shareholders. Procedural clarity is a stability factor, especially when the membership base is large and diverse.

3. Traceability and protection of the company

An often underestimated aspect of investor relations is the traceability of communications. All relevant information shared with members, all documents made available, and all decisions communicated should be archived in an orderly and easily retrievable manner.

This is not just a matter of internal efficiency. It is also a form of protection for the company. In the event of misunderstandings, disputes, or simple requests for clarification, being able to demonstrate what was communicated, when, and to whom, drastically reduces the risk of conflict.

From an operational standpoint, traceability becomes increasingly difficult as the number of members grows and time passes since the campaign. This is why ad hoc tools are needed.

Strategic opportunities in post-campaign management

Regardless of the formal obligations, neglecting the relationship with shareholders after an equity crowdfunding campaign would be a serious mistake. While it is true that there are obligations to be met, it is equally true that A broad and engaged membership base is an asset that few companies, outside of crowdfunding, have the opportunity to build. in a short time.

However, it is not only the number of members that makes the difference, but above all how they are managed over time.

Members as relational assets

The investors in an equity crowdfunding campaign They are usually customers, former customers, potential customers, partners, collaborators, or professionals who have decided to tie part of their capital to the company because they share its vision.

If properly engaged, they can become:

• brand ambassador;
  
• early adopters of new products or services;
  
• natural amplifiers of corporate communication;
  
• useful contacts for business or professional purposes.
  

This does not mean turning every member into an active collaborator, nor does it mean overloading them with communications. Rather, it means, maintain an orderly and consistent relationship, allowing those who wish to feel part of a journey and not simply “forgotten” after the investment.

Structured investor relations management makes this type of involvement possible without improvisation and without depending on the initiatives of individual founders.

Through initiatives such as affiliate and referral programs, Furthermore, new members can become true commercial promoters and obtain benefits when they bring in new customers.

Prepare future rounds and extraordinary transactions

Another aspect that is often underestimated is the link between post-campaign management and future operations. New rounds of fundraising, operations crowdfunding listing Or, in some cases, M&A processes are built up over time, partly through the quality of the relationship maintained with existing shareholders.

An informed membership base, accustomed to receiving clear and timely updates, is:

• more inclined to reinvest;
  
• more willing to support new operations;
  
• more credible and reliable in the eyes of external investors.

In this sense, investor relations is not a defensive activity, but rather a lever for strategic continuity.

Cost reduction in the medium to long term

Structuring post-campaign management also has a direct impact on organizational costs. Responding individually to member requests, searching for lost documents, reconstructing past communications, or managing meetings in a manual way requires time and resources that grow in a non-linear way.

Standardizing processes, channels, and tools allows you to:

• reduce the operational load;
  
• avoid duplication;
  
• prevent errors that generate additional work.

The key point is that these benefits do not manifest themselves immediately, but over time. And that is precisely why many companies underestimate them in the immediate aftermath of the campaign, when the priority seems to be “getting back to business.”.

Why dedicated investor relations software is needed

After an equity crowdfunding campaign, many companies begin managing their shareholders using generalist tools: Excel spreadsheets, emails, certified emails, shared folders, and newsletter tools. This may seem sufficient in the early stages, but it is only a viable solution as long as the number of shareholders is limited and the time since the campaign is short.

Non-vertical tools have certain structural limitations when applied to post-crowdfunding investor relations:

• absence of a unified member registry, with constantly updated and archived data;
  
• difficulty in segment members (by type of share, rights, seniority, participation in different rounds);
  
• little or no traceability of relevant communications;
  
• manual and fragmented management of corporate documents, minutes, and notices of meetings;
  
• inability to manage in an orderly manner meetings and votes.

What investor relations software really needs to do

Investor relations software was created to solve a specific problem: centralize and structure the relationship between the company and its members.

Net of the differences between the various solutions, some features are essential:

• single, up-to-date membership registry;
  
• organized and accessible document area;
  
• centralized and traceable communications;
  
• support for the management of meetings;
  
• ability to differentiate rights and access levels.

Examples of Investor Relations software

We offer a selection of the most popular investor relations software useful for companies that have completed an equity crowdfunding campaign.

Investory.io

Investory.io is a platform designed specifically for investor management in equity crowdfunding and early-stage private equity contexts.

Its strength is its operational simplicity: allows you to centralize member records, documentation, communications, and meetings without requiring a complex internal structure. It is a tool suitable for:

• startups and SMEs that have just completed a campaign;
  
• companies that want to quickly transition from informal to structured management;
  
• Teams looking for a vertical solution without having to integrate many different tools.

The main limitation is that it focuses primarily on the informational and organizational aspects of investor relations. In more complex contexts or those requiring advanced integration, it may be less flexible.

SeedBlink – Shareholding & IR tools

In addition to being an investment platform, SeedBlink has developed tools dedicated to managing shareholders and investor relations for companies that raise capital through its ecosystem.

This solution is more structured and lends itself to:

• companies that plan multiple rounds over time;
  
• contexts with an international social base;
  
• companies that want a more “corporate” approach to investor relations.
  

The downside is greater operational complexity and less neutrality: it is a tool that works particularly well when integrated into their environment.

Paper / Pulley 

Most software on the market is actually designed for generic equity management, not crowdfunding. For example, tools such as Carta or Pulley were created primarily for cap table management, but they are also often used as a basis for investor relations.

They are suitable for:

• companies with more complex corporate structures;
  
• companies that want very precise control over their shareholdings;
  
• contexts with professional investors and subsequent rounds already planned.

Compared to tools such as Investory.io, however, they are less focused on communication and relationships with retail partners. They work well on an administrative level, but less so on a relational level, which still needs to be developed using complementary tools.

How to choose the right software 

The choice of tool should not be based on technology, but on context.

Before choosing software, it is useful to ask yourself a few questions:

• how many members need to be managed today and how many in the future;
  
• what level of involvement you want to maintain;
  
• whether new rounds or future transactions are planned;
  
• how many internal resources can be dedicated to management.

The key point is that No software can replace a process.. Tools only work if they are part of a clear post-campaign management strategy. Without a defined method and responsibilities, even the best tool risks becoming nothing more than a simple archive.

An integrated solution: Investor Hub

To meet the specific needs of investor relations after crowdfunding, Turbo Crowd has created Investor Hub, a service that replaces and enhances the functions of investor relations software.

The creation of a restricted area for investors on the company's website, with the integration of specific CRM and marketing automation tools, not only allows you to send updates to investors, but also of keep them engaged and turn them into active promoters of the company, and to structure Affiliate and Referral Programs to be managed centrally.