{"id":208806,"date":"2026-04-20T14:51:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/?p=208806"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:59:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T21:59:53","slug":"equity-financing-how-it-works-and-when-to-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/equity-financing-how-it-works-and-when-to-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Equity Financing &#8211; How it Works and When to Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equity financing is a type of business funding where a company gets money by selling a percentage of ownership to investors. This is different from debt financing where businesses borrow money from lenders and pay it back with\u00a0interest\u00a0and the business owner\u00a0retains\u00a0ownership of the company.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Unlike\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/small-business-loans\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">small business loans<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0equity financing\u00a0doesn&#8217;t\u00a0have a requirement to pay anything back. Investors own part of the company and get paid a percentage of future profits. The investors also get to vote on major company decisions like board appointments, mergers, and asset sales. Voting thresholds depend on shareholder agreements, corporate bylaws, and share class structures, but investors with sufficient voting power can force the company to make certain decisions including:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Accepting or turning down a buyout offer. Hiring or firing a CEO or board member. Taking a specific strategic direction.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Funding a business through equity financing\u00a0spreads out\u00a0the risk across the other\u00a0investors, but\u00a0gives the business owner or founder less control over decision making. This makes equity financing a good option if\u00a0you&#8217;re:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Starting your first company and\u00a0don&#8217;t\u00a0have revenue yet<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Launching\u00a0a risky international expansion\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Buying a competitor&#8217;s business and this is your first merger<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The tradeoff when there are investors is that you have to share the upside as the investors keep a share of the profits and if you don&#8217;t believe in the direction the company is going, you may not have a say if you get outvoted.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0ready for investors, choosing the right type of equity financing is the next step and will depend on your business stage.\u00a0Different types\u00a0of investors focus on different business sizes, maturity, growth rate, and the amount of control they want to have as investors.\u00a0Here&#8217;s\u00a0how they compare so you can\u00a0determine\u00a0what best fits your business needs.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Types of Equity Financing<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The most common types of equity financing for a company are:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Angel investors Venture capital Private equity Strategic investors Crowdfunding (equity-based) Initial public offerings (IPOs) Friends and family funding<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table data-tablestyle=\"MsoNormalTable\" data-tablelook=\"1696\" aria-rowcount=\"8\">\n<tbody>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"1\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Type<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Typical Ownership Stake<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Business Stage Focus<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Decision Making and Operations Involvement<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Typical Investment Size<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"2\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Angel Investors<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Small<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Early-stage \/ Startup<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Low<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tens to low hundreds of \u2018000\u2019s<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"3\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Venture Capital<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Small to Majority Owners<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">High-growth Startup<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Low to High (often board seats)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Millions to Billions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"4\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Private Equity<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Medium to Entire Company<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Established \/ Mature<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Medium to Full Management<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Hundreds of thousands to Billions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"5\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Strategic Investors<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Small or Minority<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Growth-stage<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">None to Low<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tens of thousands to billions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"6\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Equity Crowdfunding<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Small<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Early to Growth<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">None or Very Minor if any<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Small dollar amounts<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"7\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Initial Public Offering (IPO)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Minority to Entire Company<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Mature companies<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Low unless activist\u00a0pubic\u00a0investor<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Hundreds of millions or billions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"8\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Friends &amp; Family<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Minority<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Startup<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Low<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Depends on your friends and family<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once you\u00a0determine\u00a0the right type of equity financing, talk to people in your industry about the top investors for the type of equity financing you need as different investors may focus on different areas. Some venture capitalists only fund tech\u00a0firms,\u00a0some private equity companies only buy manufacturing businesses, and some angel investing groups only work with specific local regions. By knowing the investors that focus on your space, you can save time pitching ones that\u00a0wouldn&#8217;t\u00a0be interested in your business.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What Each Type of Equity Investor Looks For<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:299,&quot;335559739&quot;:299}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By showing up with a pitch deck and data that matters to the specific type of equity investor, you can create a stronger impact. This includes talking about what matters to them, knowing how their style of equity financing will\u00a0benefit\u00a0your business at its current stage, and removing things that may not be as important to their needs.\u00a0Here&#8217;s\u00a0a bit more about what each type of equity investor is and what they\u00a0look\u00a0for.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Angel Investors<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Angel investors are individuals who invest their own money\u00a0into\u00a0early-stage companies in exchange for equity. They can be individuals or investing groups and are motivated to help young entrepreneurs with both money and mentoring. Angels invest smaller amounts ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to the low hundreds of thousands of dollars and typically expect a large multiple return on their\u00a0initial\u00a0investment.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This makes angel investors a possible fit if you have a prototype where you need money to get it\u00a0produced, or\u00a0have an idea where you\u00a0can&#8217;t\u00a0execute it without hiring a team. The\u00a0expertise, network, and mentorship of angels also\u00a0comes\u00a0in handy if you need introductions to customers or distributors, advice for skills you\u00a0haven&#8217;t\u00a0learned yet, and if you need to navigate a complex regulatory framework.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Venture Capital (VC)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Venture capital firms raise money from groups of outside investors and combine the funds to make large investments in equity financing of companies. Venture capital firms exist for every industry including B2B services, healthcare, manufacturing tech,\u00a0logistics, and there are even VC firms that focus on small businesses.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Venture firms target companies with rapid\u00a0growth\u00a0and the funding usually comes in &#8220;rounds&#8221; where each round gets\u00a0bigger and bigger. For example:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Series A &#8211;\u00a0starting marketing\u00a0and\u00a0advertising. Series B &#8211; scaling production and team size. Series C &#8211; building new products \/ services and entering new markets.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many VC firms also take an active role in the company either by\u00a0participating\u00a0in strategic decisions like product direction and new market entry, or by sitting on the company board. This makes venture capital a bad choice when you want to\u00a0retain\u00a0complete control over both day-to-day and long-term strategy.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Private Equity (PE)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Private equity is similar to venture capital \u2014 firms raise money from many investors and pool it together to invest in companies.\u00a0Private equity focuses more on turnarounds, stable, or steadily growing businesses versus the hyper growth focus from VC.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This means if you are looking for startup capital, PE firms are not a good option given that they want businesses with established revenue and operations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Private equity financing deal sizes range from minority stakes (owning less than 50% of voting shares) where they invest &#8220;growth equity&#8221; and\u00a0possibly add\u00a0some operational\u00a0expertise\u00a0to buying out your entire company. This makes PE firms a great\u00a0option\u00a0when you need some help to\u00a0grow\u00a0or\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0ready to retire.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Another use of this type of equity financing is buying a competitor or a complementary business because you can lean on the operational\u00a0expertise\u00a0of the private equity firm to help with the integration.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Strategic Investors<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Strategic investors are other companies that provide equity financing because they have\u00a0a vested interest\u00a0in your company succeeding, usually as a customer or supplier.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You could have a unique technology they rely on for one of their\u00a0products, or\u00a0be the sole customer for one of their new product lines. They want to make sure you succeed while also having a say in your decision making through their ownership stake.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You\u00a0won&#8217;t\u00a0have to give up much control because strategic equity financing is most often hands-off for day-to-day operations, and it is much\u00a0more rare\u00a0than the other types of equity financing. If you have the right\u00a0relationship\u00a0it is a great option to solidify a business partnership through direct investment in your company.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Equity Crowdfunding<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equity crowdfunding is a type of equity financing where you get multiple tiny investments from individual investors, usually from a crowdfunding website where you post an investment offering. This is mostly used for new companies or new products, but crowdfunding is also possible for service businesses and B2B companies.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You\u00a0likely won&#8217;t\u00a0be able to raise huge sums of money through crowdfunding, so\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0not great for major funding needs. If you are doing something where you need to generate buzz for a product or service, crowdfunding can be a good\u00a0option\u00a0because the large crowd of your new investors is a built-in marketing tool.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">An IPO is when you sell ownership in your company through public stock exchanges to individual investors. The\u00a0news\u00a0covers the multi-billion dollar\u00a0headline IPOs, but smaller companies can raise more modest sums through a public offering,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ir.nasdaq.com\/news-releases\/news-release-details\/nasdaq-proposes-changes-its-listing-standards\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">like on NASDAQ.<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">IPOs offer the potential for a large amount of capital, but the trade-off is it comes with huge costs where you\u00a0have to\u00a0comply with\u00a0government regulations and reporting requirements that cost time and\u00a0money, and\u00a0can create legal liabilities if you make errors.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you have grown your small business into a nationwide franchise, or your technology business has grown into a global powerhouse, IPOs might be the right move. For most local or regional businesses, one of the other types of equity financing will be a better\u00a0option.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Friends and Family Funding<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:281,&quot;335559739&quot;:281}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equity financing from friends and family is the way many businesses get started. The people in your personal network are often willing to take a chance on your idea when traditional investors\u00a0won&#8217;t.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This type of equity financing can also be\u00a0a good idea\u00a0when you already have a business that is succeeding because you can let friends and family\u00a0participate\u00a0in your success while giving them a good return on their investment with limited risk.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No matter what stage your business is in,\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0a good idea\u00a0to formalize the investment with real paperwork. This way you can reduce the risk of damaging the relationship as best as possible if things go south. Make sure the paperwork includes:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A clear statement that they could lose all or\u00a0a large portion\u00a0of their investment money. No expectations of specific upside\u00a0returns. Specific expectations for communication frequency, what you will let them know about the business measures and the financials, and what you will not share. Their specific ownership percentage and\u00a0any voting\u00a0rights.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equity financing is an umbrella term for raising money by selling ownership in your company to outside investors. It gives them a share of profits, a say in how the company is\u00a0run\u00a0based on their ownership share, and it\u00a0doesn&#8217;t\u00a0require you to pay anything back if the business fails. Choosing the right type of equity financing depends on your company stage, how much you need, and how much control\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0willing to give\u00a0up\u00a0and you can use the table from the earlier section to guide your decision process.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">National Funding does not provide tax,\u00a0legal\u00a0or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only. You should consult your own tax,\u00a0legal\u00a0and accounting advisors.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:195,&quot;335559739&quot;:195}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Equity financing is a type of business funding where a company gets money by selling a percentage of ownership to investors. This is different from debt financing where businesses borrow money from lenders and pay it back with\u00a0interest\u00a0and the business owner\u00a0retains\u00a0ownership of the company.\u00a0 Unlike\u00a0small business loans,\u00a0equity financing\u00a0doesn&#8217;t\u00a0have a requirement to pay anything back. Investors<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/equity-financing-how-it-works-and-when-to-use-it\/\" title=\"ReadEquity Financing &#8211; How it Works and When to Use It\">&#8230; Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":208807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance-lending"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Equity Financing - How it Works and When to Use It - The Bottom Line by National Funding<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Equity financing is when a business raises money by selling ownership shares instead of borrowing from lenders.\u00a0Here&#039;s\u00a0what it means and how it works.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/equity-financing-how-it-works-and-when-to-use-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Equity Financing - 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