Invest with Uback

Strength in numbers. On their own, investors rarely get access to the best startups in a country. Together, Uback’s Backers form an investor pool these companies cannot ignore.

The principle

Uback works like group buying. You declare your intention to invest in a ranked company, or in a sector. Your intention joins the pool of other Backers. When their number and combined amount reach a threshold, the country’s licensed partner presents this demand to the company.

Uback does not sell securities and does not collect any funds. It brings intentions together. The investment itself, if it happens, is offered by the licensed partner, under its own responsibility.

Four steps

You declare an intention. On a ranked company, or on a sector in a country, with a ticket range.
Critical mass is reached. Intentions add up in the pool. Once the threshold is crossed, the pool is passed to the country’s licensed partner.
The licensed partner structures. It contacts the company, presents the Backers’ demand and checks whether expectations match: amount, valuation, rights.
Closing. If an agreement is possible, the partner presents the transaction directly to the Backers concerned. Each one freely decides whether to take part. Small tickets are pooled in a common vehicle set up by the partner.

Who can declare an intention

Declarations are reserved for:

investors who declare themselves experienced: business angels, family offices, diaspora investors, who understand the risks of investing in non-listed companies;
companies investing on their own account (corporate venture, industrial groups).

What you declare

A target. Either a named company, or a sector in a country. For a sector, the partner may present several companies to you.
A ticket range, from $25k to $10M.
An intention, not a commitment. Declaring does not oblige you to invest. The final decision is always yours.

Why an intention is paid

A free intention means nothing to a startup. Payment proves the demand is serious, and that is what gives the partner weight when it approaches the company.

The price depends on the country and the ticket range. It will be shown when declarations open in each country. The amount paid covers the declaration: it is neither a deposit nor an investment, and it is non-refundable.

An intention with no expiry date, that you can move

Your intention remains valid until it succeeds, with no time limit.

You can move it at any time to another company or another sector. It then leaves its pool and joins the new one. The partner may also suggest a move, when another company better matches your intention. The decision remains yours.

If the partner presents the pool to a company and no agreement is reached, your intention is not lost. You keep it and can move it.

Counters

Each company, sector and country shows the number of Backers and the combined amount of its pool. To protect confidentiality, these figures are rounded into ranges.

Why only companies that have already raised funds

Uback only ranks companies that have raised at least $1M, including one equity round. Professional investors are therefore already on the cap table and have negotiated a shareholders’ agreement. Backers who come in after them do not start from a blank page.

The licensed partner

In each country, Uback entrusts pools to a single partner: an M&A boutique or a fundraising firm, licensed by the local regulator. It is introduced on the country page.

The partner only receives your contact details with your consent, and only when your pool is passed on to it.

Risks

Investing in a non-listed company carries a risk of losing all the capital invested. The shares are illiquid: it may be impossible to sell them for several years. Only invest money you can afford to lose.

What Uback does not do

Uback does not guarantee that a transaction will take place.
Uback does not negotiate, advise or hold any mandate.
Uback does not collect any funds intended for investment.
Uback does not sell or pass your data to anyone other than the country’s partner.

Where are we?

Uback is in public beta. In each country, investment intentions will open as soon as the licensed partner is signed. In the meantime, write to contact@uback.com to be notified when they open.