As an online investment platform authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), before authorising you to make an investment, Seedrs is required to ask you to certify and later recertify that you fall into one of the FCA defined investor categories (fully described below).
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This process is called ‘self-certification’ and is a legal requirement that must be complied with before you may access investor materials and information. All Seedrs members are required to complete self-certification once every 12 months (and will be prompted to do so) but you may also change your investor category and self-certify again via your profile settings at any point. Find out how here.

Plain-English and full Financial Conduct Authority descriptions are below.

Anyone can become an Everyday Investor. You just need to agree to not make more than 10% of your investments (including savings, stocks, ISAs, bonds and property excluding your primary residence) into company shares that cannot easily be sold, such as the ones listed on Seedrs. This is why the Financial Conduct Authority refers to them as ‘Restricted Investors’. Everyday Investors are the 'crowd' and the majority of investors will fall into this broad category.

Everyday Investor statement in full:

​I make this statement so that I can receive promotional communications relating to unlisted shares and unlisted debt securities as a restricted investor. I declare that I qualify as a restricted investor because:
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a) in the twelve months preceding, I have not invested more than 10% of my net assets in unlisted shares or unlisted debt securities, and
b) I undertake that in the twelve months following I will not invest more than 10% of my net assets in unlisted shares or unlisted debt securities.

Net assets for these purposes do not include:

​ a) the property which is my primary residence or any money raised through a loan secured on that property;
b) any rights of mine under a qualifying contract of insurance; or
c) any benefits (in the form of pensions or otherwise) which are payable on the termination of my service or on my death or retirement and to which I am (or my dependants are), or maybe entitled.

I accept that the investments to which the promotions will relate may expose me to a significant risk of losing all of the money or other property invested. I am aware that it is open to me to seek advice from an authorised person who specialises in advising on unlisted shares and unlisted debt securities.
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This group is for people who have invested in more than one unlisted company (including via Seedrs) in the last two years or been a member of a business angel syndicate or network for at least six months.
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Sophisticated Investor statement in full:

​I declare that I am a self-certified sophisticated investor for the purposes of the restriction on promotion of non-mainstream pooled investments. I understand that this means:

​ i) I can receive promotional communications made by a person who is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority which relates to investment activity in non-mainstream pooled investments;
ii) The investments to which the promotions will relate may expose me to a significant risk of losing all of the property invested.

I am a self-certified sophisticated investor because at least one of the following applies:

​ a) I am a member of a network or syndicate of business angels and have been so for at least the last six months prior;
b) I have made more than one investment in an unlisted company, including via Seedrs, in the two years prior;
c) I am working, or have worked in the two years prior, in a professional capacity in the private equity sector, or in the provision of finance for small and medium enterprises;
d) I am currently, or have been in the two years prior, a director of a company with an annual turnover of at least £1 million.
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I accept that the investments to which the promotions will relate may expose me to a significant risk of losing all of the money or other property invested. I am aware that it is open to me seek advice from someone who specialises in advising on non-mainstream pooled investments.

You will fall into this category if you have an annual income of more than £100,000 and / or certain net assets of more than £250,000.

High Net Worth Investor Statement in full:

​I make this statement so that I can receive promotional communications which are exempt from the restriction on the promotion of non-mainstream pooled investments. The exemption relates to certified high net worth investors and I declare that I qualify as such because at least one of the following applies to me:

​ i) I had, throughout the financial year immediately preceding, an annual income to the value of £100,000 or more;
ii) I held, throughout the financial year immediately preceding, net assets to the value of £250,000 or more.

Net assets for these purposes do not include:

​ a) the property which is my primary residence or any money raised through a loan secured on that property;
b) any rights of mine under a qualifying contract of insurance; or
c) any benefits (in the form of pensions or otherwise) which are payable on the termination of my service or on my death or retirement and to which I am (or my dependants are), or maybe, entitled.