Crowdfunding since 2010

The guidelines formulate Startnext's expectations for the behavior of all participants in the community. The Startnext team reserves the right to encourage compliance and to exclude participants in case of non-compliance.

The goal is to have and maintain a community that:

  • promotes startups, innovation, social causes, culture, and the creative sector;

  • supports equality, tolerance, and democracy;

  • believes in actions that will stand the test of time;

  • is as honest and transparent as possible;

  • fosters connections between ideas, projects, companies, and supporters;

  • communicates with enthusiasm, for example by sharing the Startnext logo.

As a starter:

  • you display your first and last name and a personal photo on the project and profile pages.

  • you are willing to have your identity and account details verified;

  • you are at least 18 years old;

  • you have a residence or the organization’s headquarters, as well as a payout account, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, or South Tyrol.

The following will not be accepted:

  • Election campaigns and political party financing

  • Gambling, lottery tickets, and betting

  • Company shares, cryptocurrencies, ICOs, investments, or loans

  • Weapons, drugs, cannabis and marijuana products, and CBD products

  • Tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and e-liquids

  • Pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, and “get-rich-quick” schemes with unrealistic profit promises or spam

  • Debt settlement, credit counseling, and debt restructuring

  • Prescription drugs, online pharmacies, and telemedicine and telehealth services

  • Pornography, sexual services, or escort services

  • Racist, obscene, or defamatory content

  • Activities that violate German law

  • Content that infringes on copyrights, usage rights, or patents

  • Failure to label AI-generated content and images

  • Projects related to US-embargoed countries, particularly Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, as well as the regions of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk (since donations cannot be processed via U.S. payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal)