FAQ

Crowdfunding is a financial model in which several people (the "crowd") jointly finance an idea or project (the "funding").

You know how it is: Banks, insurance companies, other platforms - fixed fees and charges are everywhere. Startnext works differently: Our operation is entirely financed by support from our community. We believe in a society in which everyone can decide just how much a service is worth to them.

Only if your project is successfully funded, the following fees are incurred. If the project is not successfully funded, you will not have to pay anything.

• Voluntary commission: You determine the exact amount you’d like to give to Startnext. Your contribution shows your support for our work and our commitment to the cause. The minimum amount is 1%.
• Transaction fees: As long as money is involved, we need banks and payment service providers - and the fees are unfortunately here to stay. The 4% transaction fee that is subtracted from your funding total upon payout goes entirely to the payment service provider - Startnext does not receive any of this fee.

Every project must first pass through a starting phase before the funding phase can begin.

A partner page can be used by corporations, foundations, funding agencies, universities, cities, and clubs to support creative projects on Startnext, give advice, curate ideas, and create contests.

On every project page you’ll find a "Report Abuse" button, which you can use to let us know about any violations. We will review your report as soon as possible and contact you with any questions.

It is not necessary to register in order to support a project but once you have registered you take advantage of various benefits:

• Become a fan of a project
• Start a project
• Post comments on the message boards
• Comment on blog articles 
  
• keep track of your supports and change details during the campaign like e.g. the delivery address
• Read articles intended only for supporters
• get in touch with other users by using our messaging system
• Receive our newsletter with project recommendations
  

Be sure to check your spam folder! If you still can’t find it, you can request another activation email here.

Click on Forgot password and we will send you a new password via email.

If you enter your password to often incorrectly, your user profile will be temporarily locked.

If you want to change your e-mail address, please contact us through our contact form. Be sure to use the email address with which you originally registered.

On your profile, click "Settings" and then go to "Privacy settings" and check "I don't want to be found in search engines and be visible only to registered users." Your profile will no longer show up in any search engine results.

Note: It may take a few days before your profile is completely hidden from search engines.

Go to "Profile settings", scroll down, and click "Delete profile." Your profile will be deleted and you will no longer receive messages from the site. Please note that this action cannot be undone.

After logging in, visit the project page, where you will find a button labeled "Become a fan".

As a fan, you're under no financial obligation, but it’s helpful to starters if you also offer them feedback on their idea.

Yes. Just check "I would like to hide my name on the pulic list of supporters" during the support process. Your name will still be visible to the starter, but will not be listed publicly on the project page. The starter will see your email and if necessary your delivery address once the campaign is successfully completed.

In order for starters to send you a reward, you must provide your:  

The starter specifies whether they will issue invoices. During the support process, you may have the option of entering a billing address; if not, ask the starter if they can send you an invoice.

Starters are not permitted to send donation receipts unless the project is not-for-profit, in which case they must issue a donation receipt. If you have provided your shipping address, you will receive a donation receipt from the starter if you have supported a not-for-profit project that is successfully funded.

Donation receipts cannot be issued as rewards.

You are receiving these messages because you are a fan of the project - if you prefer not to receive any more messages, you must end your fan status. To do so, simply visit the project page and click "You are a fan" in the fans box, which you’ll find in the right-hand column below the rewards.

To contact the starter with any questions, feedback, or requests:  

To contact the starter with any questions, feedback, or requests:  

That depends on the chosen payment method:

• Sofort banking will be charged immediately. 
• With advance payments, supporters are responsible for making the actual wire transfer themselves. 
• Direct debit and credit card will be charged only once the project has reached its funding goal or the funding threshold. Please make sure that you have sufficient funds in your account or that your credit card has not expired.

Your money will be returned to you within 14 business days.

If you used direct debit or a credit card to support the project, please note that no money will be deducted from your account at all unless the project is funded successfully.

For foreign supporters: We receive the transaction (e.g. British Pound or Swiss franc) in Euro. This figure in Euro will be refunded through our payment provider Secupay. It will be converted to the respected currency depending on the exchange rate of your bank.

It may take 2 to 5 business days for the money to transfer to the account. Once we receive the money, you will appear as a supporter.

• Direct debit
• Credit card
• Sofort banking
• Advance payment

Notes regarding the payment methods:

• To support the minimum amount has to be 5€.
• Credit card is only available up to 2,200€.
• Debit card is only available up to 8,000€.
• Advance payment is not possible if there are a limited number of rewards.
• Because of transaction delays, advance payment is only possible up until 5 days before the end of the funding phase.

Notes regarding the payment providers: 

• Direct debit and credit card are processed through Secupay AG. Secupay is a safe payment provider with PCI-certification and licensed by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority).
• Sofort banking is processed through SOFORT AG. It owns the following certifications: "Geprüftes Zahlungssystem" (checked payment system) and "Geprüfter Datenschutz" (checked data privacy) of TÜV Saarland.

Yes, you may cancel anytime during the funding phase. You will find the function in your profile in the section "Supports".

If you have not yet activated your profile you'll find in your confirmation email a link to your supporter details. There you could cancel the support.

Yes. You can download an invoice from your profile by clicking on "Supports".

For expected delivery times, check the reward descriptions on the project page. After the project has been successfully funded, you'll also find news about the project and information about the rewards on the project site’s blog.

If you have questions about a reward, contact the starter through the messaging system, by email, or by posting a public message on their project’s wall.

1. Visit the page of the project that you would like to support.
2. On the right-hand column, select one or more rewards according to the price brackets and/or enter a free amount.
3. Confirm your selection(s) by clicking "Support now", which will take you to the payment portal.
4. Select a payment method.
5. Decide whether you would like to support the project privately or publicly. (Note that the starter will be able to see your name if you support the project privately.)
6. Confirm your agreement with Startnext’s terms of use and click "Support with payment liability".

If the project is still in the funding phase, click the "Supports" button on your profile page or click "Support details" in the payment confirmation message that you received from us. From there, you can make any necessary changes.

If you need to change your support details or shipping address and the funding phase has ended, contact the starter directly.

To begin the step-by-step creation process, click "Start your project". Once you have created a new project, you will be able to edit the project using the options in the left-hand column. Here, you can:

• Describe the project.
• Specify the funding goal, timeline, and rewards.
• Add images and a pitch video.
• Create blog posts for the project page.
• Track your statistics.

You will find all the information for the creation of your project here, as well as in our Starter Handbook, in which we have collected the key factors and tips for a successful campaign. Your project draft is not publicly visible until you enter the starting phase. You can change your project whenever you’d like up until the funding phase. You may create your project in German, English, or both.

Once your project draft is ready, begin the starting phase by clicking "Change phase". You can also contact your project advisor with questions by clicking the "Contact" button through this interface.

Yes, but only one person from the team can create the project page and become the starter, and thus the administrator and owner of the project.  

The starter can list other team members by clicking "Team" in the interface. The names of team members are visible on the project site. Team members can also see the project draft using the project link, write blog posts, and track statistics.

Yes. However for the internal verification we need the official data. 

Once your project is in the starting phase, it is visible to everyone. If you would like to obtain protection for your idea, please familiarize yourself with copyright, patent, or trademark laws. For example, some inventors or developers apply for a patent to protect their idea before beginning their crowdfunding campaign.

In the starting phase: You may cancel your project at any time. Please inform your fans about the reason for your decision.

In the funding phase: A project can be canceled only in justified cases; contact your project advisor for more information.

You will receive your supporters’ information if your project is successfully funded. After you have confirmed that you are ready to complete your project and have accepted the money, you will receive your supporter details.

When you are ready to send out rewards, you can find your supporters’ data under "Supports". There, you can you export your supporters’ shipping information into an Excel list.

Tip: To ensure that all of your supporter information is up to date and that all of the payments are valid, download the list only after all the donations have been paid out.

If you share your project on Facebook, it is possible that incorrect data have been stored in a cache by Facebook. This happens when you share a project that hasn’t yet been activated on Startnext, or you have made changes to your project since sharing it on Facebook. If this is the case, Facebook is not able to access the correct data.  

You can delete the incorrect information on Facebook by visiting [this link] and entering your project page’s link. You can then display or update the current information that is being shared. Please note that your project must be publicly visible on Startnext in order for this to work.

The project widget is a preview of your project with a picture, brief description, and the current funding status. You can easily embed the widget in your own website or blog (except for wordpress.com). Anyone who clicks on the widget is directed to your Startnext project page.

You can find all the information about the widget by clicking on the "embed" symbol (staple), which can be found on your project page on the right side in the sharing icons.

In order for you to be able to collect funds, we are legally obligated to verify your identity and account information. The verification process takes between 7 and 14 days; be sure to begin this process as soon as possible if you would like to start a project quickly. 

On your project page, select "Verification”; there, you must indicate whether you would like to be verified as an individual or as a corporation. A list of the documents necessary to complete the verification process will then be displayed.

Of course!

Through our experience with many crowdfunding projects, we have learned a lot about which presentation aspects play a role in a successful project. Below, we have collected the best ways to generate interest in your project and increase the chances that it will be successfully funded.

Pitch Video

• Under three minutes long
• Starter introduces themself or their team
• Project idea is clearly explained
• Crowd is directly addressed
• voids using straight-up trailers (e.g. for film projects) as pitch videos

Rewards

• Should be tied into the successful completion of the project (the finished product, for example)
• Between 3 and 10 different reward options, with clear titles and images, as well as a detailed description, for each
• Reasonable support brackets 

Project Description

• Concise
• Clear, easy-to-understand text
• Thematically unified
• Includes a transparent presentation of the funding situation: other supporters, sponsors, etc. 

Pictures

• Meaningful and compelling images that capture the attention of the crowd
• No text or logos 

Project starter profile

• Includes a profile picture of the starter
• Introduces the starter with a short, well-written biography

Every day, our team of project advisors comes across countless fascinating new projects. From these, we select a colorful assortment of projects representing all categories.

A gripping story, an exceptional pitch video, attractive rewards, a high degree of innovation, or an idea that we believe would be particularly meaningful to our community are just a few things that catch our eye. An exemplary project presentation completes the package.

Check out our current recommendations here!

The threshold is the minimum amount required to carry out the project, like a "milestone". The threshold is linked to specific conditions that are described on the project page.

The threshold is a feature in beta that we can activate upon request. If you are interested, contact your project advisor.

Because it makes a campaign more complicated, setting a threshold is recommended only if there is reasonable justification—for example, if the project can be carried out at different quality levels.

The money will be transferred after 14 days, when you have confirmed your project. It will be paid by our payment processor to the account you provided during the verification process. It might take a few working days until the money appears on the bank account, depending on the bank institute. 

Transactions fees
The transaction fees will be deducted by the payment processor prior to payout.

Invoice
You will receive an invoice from Startnext for the transaction fees and your voluntary commission. You can download it on your project page via supports > funding stats.

For payment-related questions, please contact us at payment (at) startnext.com.

Payments made with direct debit or credit card are drawn only after the funding goal has been reached. In exceptional cases, it’s possible that the payment can’t be collected—for example, there’s not enough money in the supporter’s bank account or the credit card is no longer valid.

How can I see if there are pending payments for my project?

• In your supporters list, outstanding payments are also marked with an exclamation point.

What are refunded payments?

• We will try to collect the money again within 14 days. If it cannot be recovered, the payment will be canceled after this 14-day period.
• To find refunded payments, filter according to "Refunded payments".

Tip: If a supporter’s payment is still pending, we recommend waiting until it has been confirmed before sending them a reward.

Congratulations! If you have a commitment from a patron or sponsor, convince them to pay their support directly through Startnext. If for some reason that isn’t possible, discuss with your project advisor whether it’s possible to incorporate their support into your project.

Please send the following information to projekte (at) startnext.com:

• A short explanation of why the money cannot be paid directly
• A signed grant approval or sponsorship agreement indicating the total payment amount

On your profile, go to "Messages" and click "New Message." Note that no attachments can be sent.

As a user, you can send messages to: 

Click the "x" next to any message from the newsgroup you would like leave. The message will be moved to your archive, and you will no longer receive messages from that newsgroup.

Once you have logged in, go to "Profile settings" on the left-hand side of your profile. There, you can set your email notification preferences for how often you’d like to be notified when you receive a new message: immediately, daily, weekly, or never.